Underwater pipe fitting

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of deep sea engineering, in particular to an underwater pipe fitting. The underwater pipe fitting comprises a rigid inner pipe and a rigid outer pipe, one end of the inner pipe is inserted into the outer pipe in a sliding and sealing mode, the ends, away from each other, of the inner pipe and the outer pipe are each provided with a rotating connector, each rotating connector comprises a shell and a connector core rotationally assembled in the shell, and one of the shell and the connector core is provided with a medium inlet; one of the inner pipe and the outer pipe is provided with a medium inlet, the other one of the inner pipe and the outer pipe is provided with a medium outlet, a medium channel communicated with the medium inlet and the medium outlet is arranged along the shell and the joint core bodies, and the rotating axes of the joint core bodies of the two rotating joints are perpendicular to the axes of the inner pipe and the outer pipe and are parallel to each other. In the swinging process of the executing element, the inner pipe, the outer pipe and the rotating connector can perform complex coordination action, it is ensured that the pipe fitting can flexibly follow swinging of the executing element, and the executing element can respond to an operation instruction more quickly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of deep - sea engineering, and particularly relates to an underwater pipe fitting. Background Technique

[0002] In deep - sea operations, an actuator needs external energy or signals to perform corresponding actions. As a carrier of this energy or signal, the medium is transported to the actuator through a pipe fitting. One end of the pipe fitting is connected to a system interface, and the other end is connected to the actuator in an underwater actuator. When the system receives a start signal, it will first activate the system interface connected to the pipeline and start transporting the medium. The medium is transported to the actuator through the pipe fitting, and the actuator will start to act according to a preset program or an external control signal and perform corresponding swinging actions.

[0003] As a key component for transporting the medium, the working performance of the pipe fitting directly affects the stability and working efficiency of the entire operation system. However, currently, the common pipe fittings in operations are of two types: flexible hoses and rigid pipes. Among them, the flexible hose can swing or rotate following the actuator. However, in the deep - sea high - pressure environment, its pressure - resistance ability is limited, and it is easily flattened due to being unable to withstand the huge water pressure, resulting in the obstruction or even interruption of medium transmission, seriously affecting the operation efficiency and safety. Although the rigid pipe has strong pressure - bearing capacity, due to the rigidity of its material and structure, when the actuator needs to swing within a large angle range, the rigid pipe cannot bend or adjust its direction accordingly. It cannot meet this large - range swinging requirement, which not only limits the swinging range and accuracy of the actuator but also seriously affects the stability and reliability of the entire system. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide an underwater pipe fitting to solve the problem in the prior art that the rigid pipe in deep - sea operations has poor movement flexibility and is difficult to meet the swinging requirements of the actuator.

[0005] To achieve the above - mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the underwater pipe fitting provided by the utility model is: it includes a rigid inner pipe and an outer pipe. One end of the inner pipe is slidably and sealedly inserted into the outer pipe. Rotating joints are respectively installed at the ends of the inner and outer pipes that are far away from each other. The rotating joint includes a housing and a joint core rotatably assembled in the housing. One of the housing and the joint core is provided with a medium inlet, and the other is provided with a medium outlet. A medium channel communicating the medium inlet and the medium outlet is arranged along the housing and the joint core. The rotation axes of the joint cores of the two rotating joints are both perpendicular to the axes of the inner and outer pipes and are in a parallel state.

[0006] As a further improvement, the medium channel includes a central channel axially formed in the joint core and a radial channel radially formed on the outer shell and communicating with the central channel. Annular flow guiding grooves are provided at positions on the inner wall of the outer shell and / or the outer wall of the joint core corresponding to the positions where the central channel and the radial channel face each other.

[0007] As a further improvement, more than two radial through holes are provided on the joint core corresponding to the annular flow guiding grooves, and the central channel and the radial channel are communicated through the radial through holes.

[0008] As a further improvement, the outer shell is a tee outer shell. Two opposite ports of the tee outer shell respectively correspond to two ends of the joint core. One end of the joint core is provided with a thread for connecting an external device, and the other end is provided with a tool matching structure for screwing the joint core.

[0009] As a further improvement, a shell step surface is provided in the outer shell, and a core body step surface that is in blocking cooperation with the shell step surface is provided on the joint core. The joint core is axially anti-disengagement cooperated with the outer shell through an end cover provided at one end of the outer shell.

[0010] As a further improvement, the core body step surface is constituted by one side surface of an annular boss provided on the joint core, and the other side surface of the annular boss is in cooperation with the end cover.

[0011] As a further improvement, the inner tube and the outer tube are rotationally cooperated around their coincident axis.

[0012] As a further improvement, at least two sealing rings are axially arranged at intervals at one end of the outer tube close to the inner tube, and the inner tube is hermetically cooperated with the outer tube through the sealing rings.

[0013] As a further improvement, the sealing ring is a Struthers Wells seal.

[0014] As a further improvement, an anti-corrosion layer is provided on the outer surface of the outer tube.

[0015] The beneficial effects are as follows: The utility model provides a brand-new underwater pipe fitting. The combination of the inner tube and the outer tube, and the design of connecting the actuator and the system interface through a rotary joint provide multiple degrees of freedom for the whole system. On the basis of stably conveying the medium to the actuator through the medium channel, the inner tube can extend or retract relative to the outer tube, and the rotary joints at both ends of the pipe fitting can rotate around the joint core of the other party as the rotation axis, forming a pipe fitting with multiple degrees of freedom.

[0016] During the swinging process of the actuator, due to the multiple degrees of freedom of the pipe fitting, coordinated actions will occur between the inner pipe, the outer pipe, and the rotary joint. These actions together ensure that the pipe fitting can flexibly follow the swinging of the actuator, enabling the actuator to respond more quickly to operation instructions. Moreover, due to the high adaptability and flexibility of the pipe fitting, the stress and wear it experiences during use are relatively small. This is conducive to reducing the maintenance cost and replacement frequency of the system, thereby improving the safety and stability of the entire deep-sea operation system. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the underwater pipe fitting provided by the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the rotary joint in an embodiment of the underwater pipe fitting provided by the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 Schematic perspective structural diagram of the joint core in an embodiment of the underwater pipe fitting provided by the present utility model.

[0020] In the figure: 1. First rotary joint; 2. Sealing washer; 3. Adapter; 4. Outer pipe; 5. Inner pipe; 6. Straton; 7. End cover; 8. Outer shell; 9. Joint core; 10. Glyd ring; 11. Second rotary joint; 12. Hexagonal hole; 13. Annular boss; 14. Radial through-hole. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0021] The features and performance of the present utility model will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0022] When conducting deep-sea operations, after the system is started, the medium is transported to the actuator through the pipe fitting. The actuator will start to act according to the preset program or external control signal, and achieve various functions such as grasping and adjustment through precise swinging actions. Based on this, the present utility model provides a brand-new underwater pipe fitting to meet the requirements in the above-mentioned prior art.

[0023] The overall design concept of the underwater pipe fitting provided by the present utility model is as follows:

[0024] As Figure 1As shown in the figure, the underwater pipe fitting includes a rigid inner pipe 5 and an outer pipe 4. One end of the inner pipe 5 is slidably and sealingly inserted into the outer pipe 4. Rotating joints are respectively installed at the ends of the inner pipe 5 and the outer pipe 4 that are away from each other. The structures of the rotating joints are the same. For the convenience of description, it is defined that the end of the inner pipe protruding from the outer pipe is connected to the first rotating joint 1, and the other end of the outer pipe 4 is connected to the second rotating joint 11. The rotating joint includes a housing 8 and a joint core 9 rotatably assembled in the housing. The inner cavity of the inner pipe 5 serves as a part of the channel for conveying the medium. There are naturally channels for conveying the medium on the two rotating joints communicating with the inner cavity of the inner pipe 5. On the housing 8 and the joint core 11 of the rotating joint, a medium inlet is provided on one of them, and a medium outlet is provided on the other. And a medium channel connecting the medium outlet and the medium inlet is provided along the housing 8 and the joint core 9. The rotation axes of the two rotating joints are parallel to each other and are both perpendicular to the inner pipe 5 and the outer pipe 4.

[0025] When performing underwater operations, the first rotating joint 1 is used to connect the actuating element, and the second rotating joint 11 is used to connect the system interface. The actuating element requires a medium to perform its predetermined actions. After the system interface is activated, the medium enters the inner pipe 5 through the second rotating joint 11 and is conveyed to the actuating element through the first rotating joint 1. When the actuating element swings, it will pull the inner pipe 5 through the first rotating joint 1. The inner pipe 5 can be pulled out of the outer pipe 4, and both the second rotating joint 11 and the first rotating joint 1 can rotate around the joint core 9 of the other party. By providing an underwater pipe fitting with multiple degrees of freedom, it can thus adapt to the swinging operation requirements of the actuating element, enabling the actuating mechanism to perform response actions more flexibly and quickly and accurately perform predetermined actions in multiple directions, adapting to different working environments and operation requirements, thereby improving the efficiency of deep-sea operations. In addition, this new type of pipe fitting with multiple degrees of freedom can make adjustments faster due to the swing of the actuating element, has a higher safety performance, and the pipe fitting is less worn, and the influence on the actuating element during the swinging process is also reduced, reducing the risk of failures, and thus improving the safety and stability of the entire deep-sea operation system.

[0026] Based on the above overall introduction of the underwater pipe fitting of the present invention, the following provides a more specific embodiment on the basis of the overall introduction:

[0027] This embodiment focuses on a detailed description of the rotating joint.

[0028] As Figures 1 - 3As shown, on the basis of the above-defined first and second rotary joints, both rotary joints are screwed onto the inner pipe 5 and the outer pipe 4. The inner pipe 5 is screwed to the first rotary joint 1. To save processes and costs, in this embodiment, the outer pipe 4 is screwed to the second rotary joint 11 through an adapter 3. The adapter 3 has a flow-through channel inside to ensure the normal transportation of the medium. The addition of the adapter 3 ensures that the rotary joints at both ends of the pipe fittings are the same, avoiding the situation of setting up another production line due to different sizes at the connection of the inner and outer pipes 4, thus increasing costs. Of course, in other embodiments, the rotary joints can also be directly screwed onto the inner and outer pipes.

[0029] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 、 Figure 2 shown, the medium channel on the rotary joint includes a central channel axially opened in the joint core along the axial direction of the joint core, and a radial channel radially opened on the outer shell 8 communicating with the central channel. The medium channel can connect the medium inlet and the medium outlet on the rotary joint to form a complete channel for the medium to pass through the rotary joint. At the corresponding positions of the central channel and the radial channel on the outer wall of the joint core 9, an annular guide groove is provided for the medium entering from the medium inlet to flow out from the medium outlet after passing through the annular guide groove. And in this embodiment, the annular guide groove is opened on the outer wall of the joint core 9, reducing the processing difficulty and improving the manufacturing efficiency to a certain extent.

[0030] Of course, in other embodiments, the annular guide groove can also be opened on the inner wall of the outer shell, and the specific opening position is also at the corresponding positions of the central channel and the radial channel. Or annular guide grooves can also be opened on both the outer shell 8 and the joint core 9. More specifically, a plurality of radial through holes 14 are opened on the joint core corresponding to the annular guide groove, so as to connect the central channel and the radial channel through the radial through holes 14 for medium transportation, so that the actuator performs corresponding swinging actions according to signals.

[0031] As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 shown, the outer shell 8 is a tee outer shell. The two ends of the joint core 9 respectively correspond to two opposite ports of the tee outer shell. Specifically, one end of the joint core 9 is provided with a thread for connecting a system interface or an actuator, and the other end is provided with a tool mating structure for screwing the joint core 9. Except for one end of the joint core 9 of the tee outer shell, a thread is opened for connecting the inner pipe 5 or the outer pipe 4. To facilitate the connection between the joint core and external devices such as a system interface or an actuator, a square hole is axially extended and opened at one end of the joint core, and the square hole forms a tool mating structure to facilitate the insertion of a square wrench. The operator only needs to rotate the square wrench to drive the joint core to rotate and connect it to the external device. As Figure 3As shown, in a more preferred embodiment, the tool mating structure is a hexagonal hole 12 formed in the joint core 9. The hexagonal hole 12 can firmly hold the hexagonal wrench, thus having a more stable rotational torque and reducing the possibility of slipping during operation.

[0032] In this embodiment, a housing step surface is provided in the housing 8 of the rotating joint, and a core step surface is provided on the joint core 9. A stop fit is achieved between the core step surface and the housing step surface. At the same time, an end cap 7 is also arranged on the joint core 9, which can limit the joint core 9 within the housing 8 to prevent the joint core 9 from disengaging from the housing 8 and affecting the operation safety.

[0033] Specifically, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 shown, a ring-shaped boss 13 is provided on the joint core. During the installation process of the joint core 9, one side surface of the ring-shaped boss 13 is in stop fit with the housing stop surface. When the joint core 9 is blocked by the housing step surface, it can be known that the joint core 9 has been installed in place. At this time, only the end cap 7 needs to be installed. The end cap 7 cooperates with the other side surface of the joint core 9 to block the joint core 9 within the housing 8. At this time, one of the two side surfaces of the ring-shaped boss 13 is in stop fit with the end cap 7, and the other side surface constitutes the core step surface in stop fit with the housing step surface. When installing the end cap 7, a threaded hole can be formed in the housing 8. At the same time, a corresponding through hole is designed on the end cap 7. The countersunk head screw passes through the through hole on the end cap and is screwed into the threaded hole in the housing 8 until the end cap 7 is firmly fixed on the housing 8. The head of the countersunk head screw can be completely sunk into the end cap 7, which can provide a firm fastening force to ensure the tight and reliable connection between the end cap 7 and the housing 8 and prevent the joint core 9 from falling off the housing 8. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the housing and the end cap can also be connected by bolts.

[0034] To improve the sealing performance of the rotating joint in deep-sea operations and extend the service life of the rotating joint, a sealing structure is provided between the joint core 9 and the housing 8. Specifically, as Figure 1 、 Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, a sealing ring installation groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the joint core 9 that is rotatably fitted with the outer shell 8 for installing a sealing ring, and two sealing rings are installed at positions near both axial ends of the joint core 9 to further improve the sealing effect. The sealing ring is preferably a Gleitring 10, specifically composed of an O-ring made of synthetic rubber and a square ring made of filled polytetrafluoroethylene used in an overlapping manner. Due to the wear resistance and high-pressure resistance of the Gleitring 10, it is beneficial for the use of the pipe fittings under the deep sea, and helps to reduce the frictional loss during the rotation of the joint core 9 in the outer shell 8, having a long service life. In addition, the Gleitring 10 provided at both ends of the joint core 9 can block, to a certain extent, to ensure that the medium will not leak into the external environment when passing through the rotating joint. Or, in other embodiments, the sealing ring can be installed in the sealing ring installation groove provided on the outer shell, and the sealing ring can be a simple O-ring, or a better-sealing Struthers seal can also be selected.

[0035] In this embodiment, both the inner pipe 5 and the outer pipe 4 are rigid circular pipes, and the inner pipe 5 and the outer pipe 4 are rotatably fitted around their coincident axes, further ensuring that during the swinging process of the inner pipe 5 due to the actuator, the pipe fittings can swing smoothly with the actuator, avoiding the occurrence of twisting, thereby improving the safety of deep-sea operations.

[0036] Based on the above overall introduction of the underwater pipe fittings of the present invention, or on the basis of the embodiments of the present invention introduced above, the following provides a more specific embodiment:

[0037] This embodiment focuses on a detailed description of the sealing structure provided for the pipe fittings for deep-sea operations.

[0038] During the swinging process of the actuating element, it can drive the inner tube 5 to extend or retract from the outer tube 4. To prevent seawater from entering between the inner tube 5 and the outer tube 4 during operation, which may affect the sliding fit between the inner tube 5 and the outer tube 4, and also to prevent the leakage of the medium entering the pipe fittings, sealing rings are axially spaced at one end of the outer tube 4 close to the inner tube 5. And based on the two action processes of the inner tube 5 extending into and out of the outer tube 4, to improve the sealing effect, at least two sealing rings are provided between the inner tube 5 and the outer tube 4. The sealing ring can be an O-ring with a simple structure, which is easy to install and maintain. In this embodiment, a Struthers seal 6 composed of a rubber O-ring and a polytetrafluoroethylene ring is installed between the inner tube 5 and the outer tube 4. The Struthers seal 6 can perform dynamic sealing and is more suitable for the operation process of the inner tube 5 extending into and out of the outer tube 4. More preferably, two groups of Struthers seals 6 are installed back-to-back between the inner tube 5 and the outer tube 4. This can not only form a double seal, but even if one of the seals is slightly worn or fails, the other seal can still maintain the sealing performance, thus improving the sealing reliability of the entire pipe fitting. More importantly, the two groups of Struthers seals 6 installed back-to-back can form a two-way sealing effect, effectively preventing the medium from leaking in two directions, and can ensure the sealing effect in both directions during the two processes of the inner tube 5 extending and retracting from the outer tube 4.

[0039] On the basis of the above connection between the outer tube 4 and the second rotary joint 11 through the adapter 3, sealing washers 2 are provided at both ends of the adapter 3 to ensure the sealed assembly between the adapter 3 and the outer tube 4 and the second rotary joint 11.

[0040] Based on the above overall introduction of the underwater pipe fitting of the present utility model, or on the basis of the embodiments of the present utility model introduced above, the following provides a more specific embodiment:

[0041] This embodiment focuses on a detailed description of the specific structure of the outer tube.

[0042] The outer surface of the outer tube 4 has a protective layer. In this embodiment, a rubber vulcanized layer is provided on the outer surface of the outer tube 4. The vulcanized rubber layer has high wear resistance and can effectively protect the outer tube 4 from mechanical wear and corrosion. The rubber layer has good elasticity and buffering effect, can absorb and disperse the external impact energy, and reduce the risk of damage to the outer tube 4. At the same time, through vulcanization treatment, a hard rubber protective layer is formed on the surface of the outer tube 4, which can resist the erosion and damage of the external environment, improve the overall performance and reliability of the outer tube 4, and thus extend the service life of the outer tube 4.

[0043] Alternatively, in other embodiments, an anti-corrosion layer such as an alloy coating can also be electroplated on the outer tube surface to improve its corrosion resistance and hardness, so as to be stably applied to underwater operations for a longer time. Or, a wear-resistant coating can also be formed on the outer tube surface by thermal spraying to enhance the corrosion resistance of the outer tube and improve its service life for deep-sea operations.

[0044] It should be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without conflict. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present utility model will not separately describe various possible combination methods.

[0045] In addition, any combination can be made between various different embodiments of the present utility model, as long as it does not violate the idea of the present utility model, and it should also be regarded as the content disclosed by the present utility model.

[0046] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. The patent protection scope of the present utility model is subject to the claims. Any equivalent structural changes made by using the description and drawings of the present utility model should be equally included in the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An underwater pipe fitting, characterized in that: It comprises a rigid inner tube and an outer tube, one end of the inner tube is inserted into the outer tube in a sliding seal, a rotating joint is respectively installed at the ends of the inner and outer tubes away from each other, the rotating joint comprises an outer shell and a joint core body rotatably assembled in the outer shell, one of the outer shell and the joint core body is provided with a medium inlet, the other is provided with a medium outlet, a medium channel connecting the medium inlet and the medium outlet is provided along the outer shell and the joint core body, and the rotation axes of the joint core bodies of the two rotating joints are perpendicular to the axes of the inner and outer tubes and are parallel to each other.

2. The underwater pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that: The medium channel includes a central channel opened in the joint core along the axial direction of the joint core and a radial channel opened on the outer shell along the radial direction and connected to the central channel. An annular guide groove is provided on the inner wall of the outer shell and / or the outer wall of the joint core at a position corresponding to the central channel and the radial channel.

3. The underwater pipe according to claim 2, characterized in that: The joint core is provided with more than two radial through holes corresponding to the annular guide groove, and the central channel is connected with the radial channel through the radial through holes.

4. The underwater pipe according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The shell is a three-way shell, and the two ends of the joint core body correspond to two opposite ports of the three-way shell respectively. One end of the joint core body is provided with a thread for connecting an external device, and the other end is provided with a tool matching structure for screwing the joint core body.

5. The underwater pipe according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: A shell step surface is arranged in the shell, a core step surface which cooperates with the shell step surface is arranged on the joint core body, and the joint core body cooperates with the shell axially through an end cover arranged at one end of the shell to prevent it from falling off.

6. The underwater pipe according to claim 5, characterized in that: The core body step surface is formed by one side surface of an annular boss arranged on the joint core body, and the other side surface of the annular boss cooperates with the end cover.

7. The underwater pipe according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The inner tube and the outer tube are rotationally matched around their coincident axes.

8. The underwater pipe according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: At least two sealing rings are arranged at intervals along the axial direction at one end of the outer tube close to the inner tube, and the outer tube is sealed with the inner tube through the sealing rings.

9. The underwater pipe according to claim 8, characterized in that: The sealing ring is a step seal.

10. The underwater pipe according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The outer surface of the outer tube is provided with an anti-corrosion layer.

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