A heavy hatch cover opening and closing structure and method thereof
By introducing a hand-operated hoist and chain system into the hatch cover structure, combined with an eye plate design, the problem of loss of control when opening and closing large hatch covers was solved, achieving safe and stable operation control and reducing labor intensity and risk.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGZHOU SHIPYARD INTERNATIONAL LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-14
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, large hatch covers are prone to loss of control when opening and closing, posing safety risks and requiring high labor intensity. In particular, the counterweight device may suddenly swing down at the critical position, leading to structural damage and threats to personal safety.
By employing a hand chain hoist and chain structure, and through the setting of the first and second eye plates, combined with the chain drive system of the hand chain hoist, the counterweight can be smoothly controlled, preventing it from going out of control during opening and closing. The self-locking mechanism of the hand chain hoist is used to prevent inertial downward swing.
It enables safe, stable and controllable opening and closing of the hatch cover, reduces the labor intensity and safety risks for operators, avoids structural damage, and improves the controllability and safety of operation.
Smart Images
Figure CN122379722A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of ship cabin equipment technology, and in particular to a hatch cover opening and closing structure with a counterweight and a method thereof. Background Technology
[0002] Manhole covers and hatch covers are widely used in the design of entrances and exits for various enclosed compartments or containers. These devices not only provide operators with passageways for daily inspections, equipment operation, and maintenance, but also serve as important access interfaces for equipment hoisting, disassembly, maintenance, and cargo storage. Particularly in the field of marine engineering, hatch covers are key structural components on the ship's deck used to enclose compartments; their core function is to ensure the airtightness and watertightness of the compartments during navigation, thereby ensuring the overall navigational safety of the ship.
[0003] The dimensions of hatch covers vary significantly depending on the usage scenario and functional requirements. For hatch covers primarily used for personnel passage, the size is typically designed to be around 800×800 mm to meet basic passage needs. However, for situations requiring transportation or hoisting operations, such as when cargo or equipment needs to be hoisted from the bosun's quarters, large hatch covers exceeding 1 meter in size are required. However, this increased size directly leads to a significant increase in the weight of the hatch cover itself. In practice, the weight of a single large hatch cover typically exceeds 200 to 300 kg, and some special-purpose hatch covers are even heavier. For operators, opening or closing such heavy hatch covers manually is extremely difficult, not only labor-intensive but also posing significant safety risks.
[0004] To facilitate the opening and closing of hatch covers, a common solution in existing technology is to add a counterweight to the hatch cover structure. This counterweight, utilizing lever principles or a counterweight mechanism, can assist operators in opening the hatch cover to some extent. However, such counterweights themselves have a significant mass. In actual operation, when the hatch cover is opened to a certain critical position, the counterweight, under the combined effects of gravity and inertia, often swings suddenly and becomes uncontrollable. At this point, the operator cannot effectively intervene or dampen the movement of the counterweight manually. This sudden loss of control not only poses a serious threat to the personal safety of the operator but also easily leads to structural damage to the hatch cover or surrounding equipment due to violent impact. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a hatch cover opening and closing structure and method with a counterweight that can provide higher safety and more stable and controllable operation.
[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides the following technical solution: A hatch cover opening and closing structure with a counterweight includes: A chain hoist is installed on the bottom of the deck above the counterweight. One end of the chain is fixed to the counterweight, and the other end is wrapped around the hand chain hoist to form a free end; The free end is located on the side of the hand-operated hoist away from the hatch cover.
[0007] Understandably, workers can open or close the hatch cover simply by pulling the chain on the manual hoist. The force is borne by the deck and hull structure, and the process is controllable. This avoids the difficulties in opening conventional hatch covers and the uncontrollable gravity when closing them. The hatch cover assisted opening and closing is safer and more stable and controllable.
[0008] In one embodiment, a first eye plate is fixedly connected to the top of the middle part of the weight, and the end of the chain is connected to the first eye plate.
[0009] In one embodiment, a second eye plate is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the deck above the hammer, and the hand chain hoist is installed on the second eye plate.
[0010] In one embodiment, when the hatch cover is fully open, there is a gap between the chain and the hatch cover.
[0011] A method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight, applied to any of the above-described hatch cover opening and closing structures with a counterweight, includes the following steps: S1: When the hatch cover is opened, the chain is released, the hook under the hand chain hoist is placed on the first eye plate on the counterweight, the fastening screw is loosened, the handle of the hatch cover is lifted here, the chain on the hand chain hoist is released during the opening of the cover, ensuring that the cover rotates, the hatch cover is laid down to the final open state, and the hatch cover safety pin is inserted to lock it. S2: When closing the hatch cover: remove the hatch cover safety pin, pull up the hand chain hoist, and the hatch cover will close.
[0012] In one embodiment, in step S1, the hand chain hoist is detachably connected to the second eye plate.
[0013] In one embodiment, in step S1, the chain hoist is kept in a straight state when it is turned on.
[0014] In one embodiment, in step S2, when the hatch cover is in a balanced state after the chain is pulled, the chain of the hand chain hoist is stopped from being released.
[0015] In one embodiment, in step S1, the angle between the hatch cover in the balanced position and the deck on which the hatch cover is installed is 27°-29°.
[0016] In one embodiment, in step S1, after the hatch cover is in a balanced state, the cover is pushed toward the closed side, and the hatch cover closes automatically under the action of gravity.
[0017] Compared with existing technologies, a hatch cover opening and closing structure with a counterweight improves upon existing technologies by setting... Attached Figure Description To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a hatch cover opening and closing structure with a counterweight provided in this application.
[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a hatch cover with a counterweight opening and closing structure provided in this application, in a balanced state.
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the hatch cover with a counterweight hatch cover opening and closing structure provided in this application, in the open state.
[0021] The component labels are as follows: 1. Counterweight; 11. First eye plate; 2. Second eye plate; 21. Hand chain hoist; 22. Chain; 3. Hatch cover. Detailed Implementation
[0022] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0023] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0025] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0027] Manhole covers and hatch covers are widely used in the design of entrances and exits for various enclosed compartments or containers. These devices not only provide operators with passageways for daily inspections, equipment operation, and maintenance, but also serve as important access interfaces for equipment hoisting, disassembly, maintenance, and cargo storage. Particularly in the field of marine engineering, hatch covers are key structural components on the ship's deck used to enclose compartments; their core function is to ensure the airtightness and watertightness of the compartments during navigation, thereby ensuring the overall navigational safety of the ship.
[0028] The dimensions of hatch covers vary significantly depending on the usage scenario and functional requirements. For hatch covers primarily used for personnel passage, the size is typically designed to be around 800×800 mm to meet basic passage needs. However, for situations requiring transportation or hoisting operations, such as when cargo or equipment needs to be hoisted from the bosun's quarters, large hatch covers exceeding 1 meter in size are required. However, this increased size directly leads to a significant increase in the weight of the hatch cover itself. In practice, the weight of a single large hatch cover typically exceeds 200 to 300 kg, and some special-purpose hatch covers are even heavier. For operators, opening or closing such heavy hatch covers manually is extremely difficult, not only labor-intensive but also posing significant safety risks.
[0029] To facilitate the opening and closing of hatch covers, a common solution in existing technology is to add a counterweight to the hatch cover structure. This counterweight, utilizing lever principles or a counterweight mechanism, can assist operators in opening the hatch cover to some extent. However, such counterweights themselves have a significant mass. In actual operation, when the hatch cover is opened to a certain critical position, the counterweight, under the combined effects of gravity and inertia, often swings suddenly and becomes uncontrollable. At this point, the operator cannot effectively intervene or dampen the movement of the counterweight manually. This sudden loss of control not only poses a serious threat to the personal safety of the operator but also easily leads to structural damage to the hatch cover or surrounding equipment due to violent impact.
[0030] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a hatch cover opening and closing structure and method with a counterweight that can provide higher safety and more stable and controllable operation.
[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 3 This application provides an opening and closing structure for a hatch cover 3 with a counterweight, including a first eye plate 11 mounted on a counterweight 1. The first eye plate 11 is located at the top of the middle part of the counterweight 1. Positioning the first eye plate 11 at the top of the middle part of the counterweight 1 allows the point of application of external force to be as close as possible to a reasonable area between the center of mass and the axis of rotation of the counterweight 1. This results in better lever arm and smoother movement when moving the counterweight 1, preventing lateral swaying or jamming of the counterweight 1 due to eccentric force application. Simultaneously, this arrangement also facilitates the operator to smoothly apply pulling or pushing forces through the first eye plate 11 using external devices such as cables, levers, or hydraulic tools, thereby achieving effective control over the attitude of the counterweight 1.
[0032] A second eye plate 2 is also fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the deck above the hatch cover 3. The second eye plate is located on the side away from the hatch when the projection point of the weight 1 onto the deck is in the vertical direction. The so-called "side away from the hatch" refers to the side that is far away from the opening direction of the hatch cover 3 relative to the projection point of the weight 1. When the hatch cover 3 is opened, the weight 1 needs to swing backward and upward or sideways around its hinge point. If the second eye plate 2 is located on the side of the projection point of the weight 1 closer to the hatch, the rope, chain 22 or pull rod connecting the first eye plate 11 and the second eye plate 2 may rub against or hook the weight 1 body, or even collide and interfere with the edge of the hatch cover 3 during the movement of the weight 1. This will not only affect the smoothness of opening and closing, but may also damage the structural components. By placing the second eyeplate 2 on the side away from the hatch, the direction of the traction force can always be kept away from the hatch area, effectively avoiding the above-mentioned interference problem, ensuring that the weight 1 has sufficient space for movement and a clear trajectory during the swinging process, thus making the opening and closing operation of the hatch cover 3 safer, less strenuous and more controllable.
[0033] A hand chain hoist 21 is further installed on the second eye plate 2. The hand chain hoist 21, as a lightweight and highly efficient manual lifting tool, integrates a sprocket, ratchet braking mechanism, and a ring chain 22 transmission system. Specifically, in this structure, the hand chain hoist 21 is equipped with at least one chain 22. This chain 22 is not arranged in a straight line, but is steered and positioned by the sprocket inside the hand chain hoist 21, thereby changing the traction direction of the chain 22.
[0034] More specifically, the first end of the chain 22 is fixedly connected to the first eye plate 11 on the counterweight 1 by means of a shackle, lock nut, or welded ring, ensuring a reliable connection and preventing it from disengaging under load. The middle section of the chain 22 passes around the sprocket teeth of the hand chain hoist 21, and the meshing action of the sprocket precisely guides and supports the chain 22, allowing it to smoothly change direction. After being turned by the hand chain hoist 21, the chain 22 extends to form a free end, which hangs down naturally or extends to a position convenient for the operator to stand or pull.
[0035] In actual use, the operator manually pulls the free end, causing the chain 22 to generate traction force under the action of the hand-operated hoist 21. Specifically, when the operator moves the free end in the first direction, the chain 22 transmits the pulling force to the end of the chain 22 fixed on the first eye plate 11 through the meshing transmission of the sprocket inside the hoist. This causes the first eye plate 11 and the weight 1 fixed thereto to rotate around its hinge axis, realizing the slow and controllable opening of the hatch cover 3. Conversely, when the operator slowly moves the free end in the opposite direction to the first direction, the weight 1 rotates in the opposite direction under the combined action of its own weight and the pressure of the hatch cover 3, thereby making the hatch cover 3 close smoothly.
[0036] By using the steering and positioning of the chain hoist 21 and the flexible transmission of the chain 22, the direction of the operator's pulling force is decoupled from the direction of movement of the counterweight 1, so that the operator can pull or release the counterweight 1 in a safe position regardless of its posture. On the other hand, the chain hoist 21 is usually equipped with a self-locking or braking mechanism, which can prevent the counterweight 1 from swinging down suddenly due to inertia, effectively avoiding the risk of loss of control in the traditional counterweight 1 structure.
[0037] In some embodiments, the chain hoist 21 is detachably connected to the second eye plate 2 so that the chain hoist 21 can be disassembled when not in use, thereby improving space utilization.
[0038] This application also provides a method for opening and closing a hatch cover 3 with a counterweight 1, which specifically includes the following steps: S1: Install the first eye plate 11 and the second eye plate 2, so that the first eye plate 11 is fixed on the counterweight 1 and the second eye plate 2 is fixed on the bottom wall of the deck. Install the hand chain hoist 21 on the second eye plate 2 so that the hand chain hoist 21 and the second eye plate 2 are connected. The chain 22 is sleeved on the rotating mechanism inside the hand chain hoist 21 and then connected to the first eye plate 11 of the counterweight 1. When opening, ensure that the hand chain hoist 21 is in a straight state and slightly loose. Loosen the fastening screws of the hatch cover 3 and lift the handle of the hatch cover 3 here. During the upward opening of the hatch cover 3, slowly release the chain 22 of the hand chain hoist 21 to ensure that the hatch cover 3 moves slowly. Finally, lower the hatch cover 3 to the final open state and insert the hatch cover safety pin to lock it. Remove the hand chain hoist 21.
[0039] S2: After completing the installation of the hand chain hoist 21 and confirming that the chain 22 is reliably connected to the first eye plate 11 and the second eye plate 2, the operator removes the safety pin originally installed on the hatch cover 3. The function of this safety pin is to prevent the hatch cover 3 from being accidentally opened when it is completely closed. Subsequent operations can only be carried out after it is removed.
[0040] After removing the safety pin, the operator stands on one side of the free end of the chain 22 of the hand chain hoist 21 and pulls the chain 22 of the hand chain hoist 21 downwards or to the side at a steady and slow rate. It should be noted that the direction of the pull should cause the chain 22 to apply a gradually decreasing traction force to the first eye plate 11 on the counterweight 1 through the steering action of the hand chain hoist 21. This traction force controls the counterweight 1 to rotate around its hinge axis in the direction of closing the hatch cover 3. As the counterweight 1 slowly rotates, the hatch cover 3, under the combined action of its own weight and the counterweight of the counterweight 1, begins to slowly rotate from a fully open state towards the closing direction; that is, the cover exhibits a slow closing tendency.
[0041] When the hatch cover 3 rotates to an angle between itself and the horizontal plane (or deck plane) of approximately 27° to 29°, the counterweight torque generated by the counterweight 1 and the hatch cover 3's own gravitational torque are essentially balanced. Further, in a specific embodiment, when the opening angle of the hatch cover 3 is precisely 28°, the system is in static equilibrium; that is, the hatch cover 3 will neither automatically continue to close nor spring back open, but will remain stably at that angle. At this point, the operator should stop pulling the chain 22 of the hand-operated hoist 21, i.e., no longer apply external force to the system.
[0042] Next, the operator gently applies downward pressure to the end of hatch cover 3 by hand, thereby disrupting the system's equilibrium at the 28° position. Triggered by this slight external force, hatch cover 3, driven by its own weight, will automatically and smoothly continue to rotate downwards until it is fully closed and tightly fitted against the hatch coaming, without the need to pull the hand chain hoist 21. This operational procedure fully utilizes the system's self-balancing characteristics within a specific angle range, facilitating phased control by the operator during the closing process and automating the final closing stage, significantly reducing manpower requirements and operational risks.
[0043] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0044] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A hatch cover opening and closing structure with a counterweight, characterized in that, include: A hand-operated chain hoist (21) is installed on the bottom of the deck above the counterweight (1); The chain (22) has one end fixed to the weight (1) and the other end wrapped around the hand chain hoist (21) to form a free end; The free end is located on the side of the hand-operated hoist (21) away from the hatch cover (3).
2. The hatch cover opening and closing structure with counterweight according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first eye plate (11) is fixedly connected to the top of the middle part of the hammer (1), and the end of the chain (22) is connected to the first eye plate (11).
3. The hatch cover opening and closing structure with counterweight according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the deck above the hammer (1) is fixedly connected to a second eye plate (2), and the hand chain hoist (21) is installed on the second eye plate (2).
4. The hatch cover opening and closing structure with counterweight according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the hatch cover (3) is fully open, there is a gap between the chain (22) and the hatch cover (3).
5. A method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight, characterized in that, Applied to the opening and closing structure of the hatch cover (3) with counterweight as described in any one of claims 1-4 above, Includes the following steps: S1: When the hatch cover (3) is opened, the chain (22) is released, the chain (22) under the hand chain hoist (21) is placed on the first eye plate (11) on the counterweight (1), the fastening screw is loosened, the handle of the hatch cover (3) is lifted here, the chain (22) on the hand chain hoist (21) is released during the opening of the cover, ensuring that the cover rotates, the hatch cover is laid down to the final state after opening, and the hatch cover safety pin is inserted to lock it; S2: When closing the hatch cover (3): Remove the hatch cover safety pin, pull up the hand chain hoist (21), and the hatch cover (3) will close.
6. The method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S1, the hand chain hoist (21) is detachably connected to the second eye plate (2).
7. The method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S1, when the hoist is turned on, ensure that the hand chain hoist (21) is in a straight state.
8. The method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S2, when the chain (22) is pulled and the hatch cover (3) is in a balanced state, the chain (22) of the hand chain hoist (21) is released.
9. The method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S1, the angle between the hatch cover (3) and the deck on which the hatch cover (3) is installed when the hatch cover (3) is in the balanced position is 27°-29°.
10. The method for opening and closing a hatch cover with a counterweight according to claim 9, characterized in that, In step S1, after the hatch cover (3) is in a balanced state, the cover is pushed toward the closed side, and the hatch cover (3) closes automatically under the action of gravity.