A self-locking oil-filled servo motor for deep-sea unmanned submersibles

Abstract

This invention relates to a self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible, belonging to the technical field of deep-sea unmanned vehicles. It includes a geared motor and a servo motor housing. The servo motor housing includes a servo shaft, a worm gear, a turbine, a Glyd ring, a proximity switch, and a servo motor housing. The geared motor is mounted on the outside of the servo motor housing, and its output shaft is coaxially and fixedly connected to the worm gear inside the housing. The servo shaft is located on one side of the worm gear, and their axes are perpendicular. The servo shaft and worm gear are rotatably supported within the servo motor housing by bearings, and the output end of the servo shaft extends through the housing and connects to the submersible. A dynamic seal structure is formed between the servo shaft and the housing via a Glyd ring. The turbine is sleeved on and fixed to the servo shaft, and meshes with the worm gear. The proximity switch is mounted on the inner wall of the servo motor housing, corresponding to the preset initial position of the turbine, and is used to monitor whether the turbine has reached zero position. This invention solves the problems of sealing failure, pressure compensation lag, and lack of self-locking function in traditional underwater servo motors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of deep-sea unmanned vehicle technology, and specifically to a self-locking oil-filled servo motor for deep-sea unmanned submersibles. Background Technology

[0002] The deep sea is rich in mineral, energy, and biological resources, and possesses significant military strategic value, making it a cutting-edge area of ​​global marine technology competition. Deep-sea unmanned vehicles (UUVs, ROVs, etc.) are core equipment for deep-sea exploration, resource development, and underwater operations; their motion control performance directly affects the accuracy and reliability of mission execution. Among these, the servo motor, as a key component for attitude control, directly determines the vehicle's control performance and operational capabilities.

[0003] Currently, underwater servo motors mainly employ two structural forms: dry-sealed structures and oil-filled pressure-compensated structures. Dry-sealed servo motors completely isolate the internal motor and transmission mechanism from the seawater environment through mechanical seals. However, under long-term deep-sea high-pressure conditions, the seals are prone to aging, deformation, or wear, leading to seal failure, seawater intrusion, and causing short circuits or mechanical jamming of internal electrical components. While oil-filled servo motors can transmit pressure through oil to balance external water pressure, there is a risk of oil leakage polluting the marine environment. Furthermore, their pressure compensation system has a slow response speed, and during rapid depth changes or dynamic maneuvers, internal pressure imbalances can easily occur, affecting the accuracy of the control surface response and even causing structural damage, making them unsuitable for extreme deep-water conditions.

[0004] In addition, existing underwater servo motors generally lack self-locking functions, and cannot maintain the current position of the control surface under abnormal conditions such as power failure or communication interruption. They are prone to loss of attitude control due to water flow disturbances, which seriously restricts their safety and mission reliability in complex deep-sea environments.

[0005] Therefore, it is urgent to solve the problems of traditional underwater servo motor seal failure, pressure compensation lag, and lack of self-locking function in order to meet the high-precision control and long-term stable operation requirements of deep-sea unmanned vehicles in extreme environments. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of the existing technologies, this invention provides a self-locking oil-filled servo motor for deep-sea unmanned underwater vehicles, which solves the problems of seal failure, pressure compensation lag, and lack of self-locking function in traditional underwater servo motors. It features an integrated design, compact structure, and high integration, and is suitable for the long-term stable operation of unmanned underwater vehicles in deep-sea environments.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible includes a geared motor and a servo motor housing;

[0009] The servo housing includes a servo shaft, worm gear, turbine, glide ring, proximity switch, and servo housing;

[0010] The geared motor is mounted on the outside of the servo housing, and its output shaft is coaxially and fixedly connected to the worm gear inside the servo housing; the servo shaft is located on one side of the worm gear, and the axes of the two are perpendicular; the servo shaft and the worm gear are rotatably supported in the servo housing by bearings, and the output end of the servo shaft passes through the servo housing and is connected to the submarine; the servo shaft and the servo housing form a dynamic seal structure through the Gladius ring.

[0011] The turbine is sleeved on and fixed to the servo shaft, and the turbine is meshed with the worm gear; the geared motor drives the turbine to swing around the axis of the servo shaft through the worm gear, thereby driving the servo shaft to rotate.

[0012] The proximity switch is installed on the inner wall of the servo housing and corresponds to the preset initial position of the turbine, used to monitor whether the turbine has reached the zero position.

[0013] Furthermore, a pressure compensation module is installed on the end cover of the geared motor; the pressure compensation module includes a PU tube and an oil passage; the PU tube is a flexible, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant tube; one end of the PU tube is sealed and fixed to the end cover of the geared motor and connected to the sealed cavity of the oil-filled servo motor through the oil passage, while the other end is exposed to the external seawater environment; the PU tube is filled with hydraulic oil; when the external water pressure increases, the PU tube is squeezed and deformed inward to compress the hydraulic oil, and the pressure is synchronously transmitted to the sealed cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, the turbine is a fan-shaped turbine with a central angle of 45° to 90°.

[0015] Furthermore, the turbine and the servo shaft are fixed together by a key.

[0016] Furthermore, the sensing surface of the proximity switch is parallel to the rotating plane of the turbine and has a predetermined distance between them.

[0017] Furthermore, the predetermined spacing is 1 to 3 mm.

[0018] Furthermore, a watertight connector is installed on the end cover of the geared motor; the watertight connector is connected to the power supply and control unit inside the submersible;

[0019] The geared motor is equipped with an encoder to monitor the speed and revolutions of the geared motor and transmit the data to the control unit; the proximity switch is connected to the control unit and transmits the position information of the turbine reaching zero position to the control unit; the control unit controls the operation of the geared motor.

[0020] Furthermore, both ends of the worm gear are rotatably supported in the servo housing by first bearings; the first bearings are installed in bearing mounting holes on the inner wall of the servo housing, with one end of its outer ring abutting against the inner wall of the bearing mounting hole, and the other end being axially pressed by a bearing pressure ring.

[0021] Furthermore, a first O-ring is provided between the geared motor and the servo motor housing to achieve a sealed connection.

[0022] Furthermore, the servo housing includes a servo housing, a second bearing, a second O-ring, a servo cover, and a third bearing;

[0023] The servo housing is a double-layered housing with an opening at one end and consisting of an inner wall and an outer wall. The opening is located on the support end side of the servo shaft. The servo cover is fixed to the opening of the servo housing by a plurality of evenly arranged screws. The servo housing and the servo cover are sealed together by the second O-ring to close the opening.

[0024] The output end of the servo shaft is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the servo housing via the second bearing; the support end of the servo shaft is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the servo cover via the third bearing.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0026] The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for deep-sea unmanned underwater vehicles provided by this invention is an integrated design, featuring small size, light weight, high precision, compact structure, and self-locking function. It can be installed as an independent mechanism in various unmanned underwater vehicles.

[0027] This invention achieves a self-locking function for the servo shaft position through a worm gear drive, ensuring that the submersible automatically maintains the current rudder angle without power, avoiding the need for additional electrical energy to maintain the current rudder angle, thus achieving low power consumption for the oil-filled servo motor as a whole. The use of a fan-shaped turbine reduces the overall size and weight.

[0028] This invention uses a proximity switch to calibrate the absolute zero position of the turbine, preventing cumulative errors caused by prolonged operation and ensuring that the oil-filled servo motor can maintain high-precision operation for extended periods. After receiving information that the turbine has reached the zero position, the control unit stops the reduction motor and then reverses direction.

[0029] The pressure compensation module of this invention fills the PU tube with hydraulic oil. The deformation of the PU tube compresses the hydraulic oil, and the pressure is synchronously transmitted to the sealed cavity of the servo motor. The external water pressure is converted into the deformation of the hydraulic oil, so that the internal and external pressures of the oil-filled servo motor in deep water can be balanced. This achieves pressure compensation in the sealed cavity of the servo motor, avoids seal failure or structural deformation due to pressure difference, solves the problem of pressure compensation lag, and enables the oil-filled servo motor to adapt to different water depth environments.

[0030] This invention incorporates an encoder within the geared motor to monitor its rotational speed and revolutions. The control unit calculates the rotational speed and rotation angle (i.e., the current rudder angle) of the oil-filled servo motor based on the geared motor's speed and revolutions. The control unit then controls the geared motor's movement based on the current rudder angle, achieving closed-loop control of the oil-filled servo motor. This results in high control precision and allows the oil-filled servo motor to function as an independent mechanism, making it suitable for deep-sea unmanned submersibles. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is an isometric view of the self-locking oil-filled servo motor of the present invention used in a deep-sea unmanned submersible;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a top sectional view of the self-locking oil-filled servo motor of the present invention used in a deep-sea unmanned submersible;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a top-view 3D diagram of the self-locking oil-filled servo motor of the present invention used in a deep-sea unmanned submersible.

[0035] Figure 5 for Figure 1 AA sectional view.

[0036] The components are: 1-gear motor, 2-servo gear box, 3-servo gear shaft, 4-pressure compensation module, 5-watertight connector, 6-first O-ring, 7-worm gear, 8-first bearing, 9-bearing pressure ring, 10-worm wheel, 11-servo gear box, 12-Glyd ring, 13-second bearing, 14-second O-ring, 15-proximity switch, 16-servo gear cover, 17-third bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0038] The terms used in this application, such as top, bottom, left, right, inside, outside, front end, rear end, head, and tail, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. Different drawings may result in different positional relationships, therefore they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection.

[0039] In this invention, the terms "installation," "connection," "interlocking," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components. They can also refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] This embodiment describes a self-locking oil-filled servo motor for deep-sea unmanned submersibles, suitable for attitude adjustment of deep-sea unmanned submersibles.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the oil-filled servo motor includes a geared motor 1 and a servo housing 2. The geared motor 1 is mounted on one side of the servo housing 2, and its output shaft is connected to the worm gear 7 inside the servo housing 2, providing power to the worm gear mechanism. A first O-ring 6 is provided between the mounting end face of the geared motor 1 and the servo housing 2 (see...). Figure 3 This achieves a sealed connection between the geared motor 1 and the servo box 2, forming a complete sealed cavity oil-filled structure.

[0042] The outer end cover of the geared motor 1 is equipped with a pressure compensation module 4 and a watertight connector 5.

[0043] The pressure compensation module 4 converts the deep-water pressure experienced by the oil-filled servo motor into hydraulic oil deformation, balancing the internal and external pressures of the servo motor in deep water. The pressure compensation module 4 includes a flexible, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant PU tube and an oil passage. One end of the PU tube is sealed and fixed to the end cover of the geared motor 1, and connected to the sealed cavity through the oil passage; the other end is exposed to the external seawater environment. The PU tube is filled with hydraulic oil. When the external water pressure increases, the PU tube is squeezed and deforms inward, compressing the hydraulic oil inside. The hydraulic oil then transmits the pressure synchronously to the sealed cavity of the servo motor through the oil passage, causing the hydraulic oil volume to adapt and deform accordingly. This achieves real-time pressure balance within the sealed cavity of the servo motor, preventing seal failure or structural deformation due to pressure differentials and solving the problem of pressure compensation lag.

[0044] The geared motor 1 is connected to the power supply and control unit cable inside the submarine via a watertight connector 5. The watertight connector 5 is used for power supply and signal transmission of the oil-filled servo motor.

[0045] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the servo housing 2 includes a servo shaft 3, a worm gear 7, a first bearing 8, a bearing retaining ring 9, a turbine 10, a servo housing 11, a Glycerin ring 12, a second bearing 13, a second O-ring 14, a proximity switch 15, a servo cover 16, and a third bearing 17. The servo housing 11 has an opening on one side, and the servo cover 16 is used to close the opening of the servo housing 11, forming the servo casing together with the servo housing 11. The geared motor 1 is mounted on the outer side of the servo housing 11 adjacent to the opening.

[0046] The worm 7 and the meshing worm gear 10 constitute a worm gear mechanism, which is housed within the servo housing 11. The output shaft of the geared motor 1 is coaxially fixed to the worm 7 (e.g., via splines or integral machining), forming a power input unit. The worm 7 is arranged along the horizontal axis of the servo housing 11, and its two ends are rotatably supported within the servo housing 11 by first bearings 8.

[0047] The first bearing 8 is installed in a bearing mounting hole on the inner wall of the servo housing 11. One end of its outer ring abuts against the inner wall of the bearing mounting hole, and the other end is axially pressed by the bearing retaining ring 9. The bearing retaining ring 9 is fixed to the servo housing 11 by screws, thereby limiting the axial movement of the first bearing 8.

[0048] The turbine 10, located on one side of the worm gear 7, is a fan-shaped turbine with a central angle of 45° to 90°. This embodiment uses a fan-shaped turbine, which helps to reduce the overall size and weight of the servo. The turbine 10 is mounted on the servo shaft 3 and fixed by a key connection. The servo shaft 3 is perpendicular to the axis of the worm gear 7, and the turbine 10 meshes with the worm gear 7 to form a worm-worm gear transmission pair. The reduction motor 1 drives the servo shaft 3 to rotate via the worm-worm gear transmission, thereby adjusting the attitude of the connected submersible (i.e., the servo's rudder angle). When the reduction motor 1 is de-energized or stops rotating, the turbine 10 cannot drive the worm gear 7 in the reverse direction, achieving a mechanical self-locking function of the servo shaft. It automatically maintains the current rudder angle without power, effectively maintaining the stability of the oil-filled servo attitude and ensuring the accuracy of the servo's turning angle.

[0049] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the turbine 10 may adopt a combination structure of a complete turbine and a limiting block. Two limiting blocks are symmetrically arranged in the servo housing 11 at predetermined positions on both sides of the turbine 10, so that the turbine 10 swings back and forth within a predetermined range.

[0050] A proximity switch 15 is installed on the inner wall of the servo housing 11 at the initial position (i.e., zero position) of the turbine 10. This is used to monitor the absolute zero position of the turbine 10, prevent cumulative errors caused by long-term operation, and ensure that the oil-filled servo can maintain high-precision operation for a long time. The sensing surface of the proximity switch 15 is parallel to the rotation plane of the turbine 10 and has a predetermined distance of 1 to 3 mm to ensure reliable detection and avoid mechanical interference.

[0051] The proximity switch 15 transmits the position information of the turbine 10 reaching zero position to the control unit of the submersible. The geared motor 1 is equipped with an encoder to monitor its rotational speed and revolutions, and transmits this information to the control unit. The control unit calculates the rotational speed and rotation angle (i.e., the current rudder angle) of the oil-filled servo motor based on the rotational speed and rotation angle of the oil-filled servo motor and its position information. Then, the control unit outputs motor direction and speed commands to the geared motor 1 to control its movement, achieving closed-loop control. This allows the oil-filled servo motor to function as an independent mechanism, suitable for deep-sea unmanned submersibles.

[0052] The output end of the servo shaft 3 is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the servo housing 11 via the second bearing 13, and passes through the through hole on the servo housing 11 to connect with the submarine. A dynamic seal structure is formed between the servo shaft 3 and the through hole via the glyph ring 12.

[0053] The support end of the servo shaft 3 faces the opening of the servo housing 11 and is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the servo cover 16 via the third bearing 17. The servo cover 16 is fixed to the opening of the servo housing 11 by a plurality of evenly arranged screws to close the opening, and the servo housing 11 and the servo cover 16 are sealed together by a second O-ring 14.

[0054] In this embodiment, the servo housing 11 is a double-layered housing with an opening at one end. The servo housing 11 includes an inner wall and an outer wall. The first bearing 8 and the second bearing 13 are respectively installed on the inner wall, located between the inner wall and the outer wall. The housing wall thickness at the bearing is greater than the housing wall thickness at other parts. This not only improves the structural rigidity and stability of the servo housing 11, but also enables modular assembly, simplifies the assembly process, and avoids the impact of worm gear transmission on the bearing support stability.

[0055] Although the principles of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely illustrative explanations of the implementation of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The details in the embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the present invention. Any obvious changes, such as equivalent transformations or simple substitutions, based on the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible, characterized in that, The oil-filled servo motor includes a geared motor (1) and a servo motor box (2); The servo housing (2) includes a servo shaft (3), a worm gear (7), a turbine (10), a glide ring (12), a proximity switch (15), and a servo housing; The geared motor (1) is installed on the outside of the servo housing, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the worm (7) inside the servo housing; the servo shaft (3) is located on one side of the worm (7), and the axes of the two are perpendicular; the servo shaft (3) and the worm (7) are rotatably supported in the servo housing by bearings, and the output end of the servo shaft (3) passes through the servo housing and is connected to the submarine; the servo shaft (3) and the servo housing form a dynamic sealing structure through the Gladius ring (12); The turbine (10) is sleeved on and fixed on the servo shaft (3), and the turbine (10) is meshed with the worm (7); the geared motor (1) drives the turbine (10) to swing around the axis of the servo shaft (3) through the worm (7), thereby driving the servo shaft (3) to rotate. The proximity switch (15) is installed on the inner wall of the servo housing (11) and corresponds to the preset initial position of the turbine (10) to monitor whether the turbine (10) has reached the zero position.

2. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure compensation module (4) is installed on the end cover of the geared motor (1); the pressure compensation module (4) includes a PU tube and an oil passage; the PU tube is a flexible, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant tube; one end of the PU tube is sealed and fixed on the end cover of the geared motor (1) and connected to the sealed cavity of the oil-filled servo motor through the oil passage, while the other end is exposed to the external seawater environment; the PU tube is filled with hydraulic oil; when the external water pressure rises, the PU tube is squeezed and deformed inward to compress the hydraulic oil, and the pressure is synchronously transmitted to the sealed cavity.

3. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, The turbine (10) is a fan-shaped turbine with a central angle of 45° to 90°.

4. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The turbine (10) is fixed to the servo shaft (3) by a key.

5. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing surface of the proximity switch (15) is parallel to the rotating plane of the turbine (10) and has a predetermined distance between them.

6. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 5, characterized in that, The predetermined spacing is 1 to 3 mm.

7. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, A watertight connector (5) is mounted on the end cover of the geared motor (1); the watertight connector (5) is connected to the power supply and control unit inside the submersible; The geared motor (1) is equipped with an encoder to monitor the speed and revolutions of the geared motor (1) and transmit the data to the control unit; the proximity switch (15) is connected to the control unit and transmits the position information of the turbine (10) reaching the zero position to the control unit; the control unit controls the operation of the geared motor (1).

8. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, The worm (7) is rotatably supported at both ends by the first bearing (8) inside the servo housing (11); the first bearing (8) is installed in the bearing mounting hole on the inner wall of the servo housing, with one end of its outer ring abutting against the inner wall of the bearing mounting hole, and the other end being axially pressed by the bearing pressure ring (9).

9. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first O-ring (6) is provided between the geared motor (1) and the servo housing to achieve a sealed connection.

10. The self-locking oil-filled servo motor for a deep-sea unmanned submersible according to claim 1, characterized in that, The servo housing includes a servo housing (11), a second bearing (13), a second O-ring (14), a servo cover (16), and a third bearing (17). The servo housing (11) is a double-layered housing with an opening at one end and consisting of an inner wall and an outer wall. The opening is located on the support end side of the servo shaft (3). The servo cover (16) is fixed to the opening of the servo housing (11) by a plurality of evenly arranged screws. The servo housing (11) and the servo cover (16) are sealed together by the second O-ring (14) to close the opening. The output end of the servo shaft (3) is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the servo housing (11) via the second bearing (13); the support end of the servo shaft (3) is rotatably supported on the inner wall of the servo cover plate (16) via the third bearing (17).

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