Tie-back alignment tool for steel cable connector
By designing a combination tool of lever components and clamping assemblies, the lever principle is used to amplify the buoyancy torque, enabling rapid adjustment of steel cable joints. This solves the problem of low efficiency in steel cable joint reconnection operations in deep-sea environments and reduces equipment redundancy and safety risks.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520566150.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-23
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-03-26
AI Technical Summary
In deep-sea environments, cable splice reconnection operations are inefficient, traditional methods are time-consuming and involve redundant equipment, posing high safety risks.
Design a tool for adjusting and reconnecting steel cable joints. It adopts a combination of lever components and clamping components, and uses the lever principle to amplify buoyancy torque. With the help of a single floating bag, it can achieve rapid adjustment, replacing the need for multiple tools to work together.
It significantly shortens the reconnection time of steel cable joints, reduces equipment usage and diver operation steps, lowers operational risks, and improves operational efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN223821939U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to ocean engineering equipment technical field especially, relate to a kind of steel cable joint back connection alignment tool. BACKGROUND
[0002] The development, production and storage of offshore oil and gas fields often cannot be separated from floating production storage and offloading (FPSO). The conventional FPSO single point mooring system is composed of 9 anchor legs, which are divided into 3 groups at 120° to each other, with 3 anchor legs in each group, spaced 5° apart, and each anchor leg is about 720m long. The horizontal distance between the anchor pile and the single point STP is about 695.9m. During the operation of the FPSO, extreme weather such as typhoons may cause the FPSO single point mooring system to shift and the pipe cable to break. To ensure the rapid recovery of offshore facilities, the anchor leg back connection of the single point mooring system becomes a top priority, and the back connection of the steel cable on the anchor leg is even more important. However, in the deep sea (-50m to -125m) environment, during the process of back connecting the steel cable joint on the anchor leg to the single point mooring system, the steel cable is too long, which easily causes the steel cable joint to twist 0 to 90°. Due to the lack of fixed fulcrum underwater and the narrow working space, the traditional steel cable joint back connection operation relying on manpower and simple machinery is inefficient and has high safety risks.
[0003] In the prior art, the "multi-tool cooperative alignment method" is commonly used, which involves installing tools such as shackles, slings, hoists, and buoyancy bags at limited hanger positions by divers, and adjusting the position and angle of the joint by hand-operated hoists and buoyancy bags to gradually align the pin hole. This method is complicated to operate and requires repeated adjustments, with a single operation taking up to 30 hours and requiring redundant equipment.
[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a tool that can quickly align the angle of the steel cable joint, shorten the operation time, reduce the amount of equipment used, and reduce the intensity of underwater work. UTILITY MODEL CONTENTS
[0005] Therefore, the utility model provides a steel cable joint back connection alignment tool to solve the problems of low efficiency and equipment redundancy in the prior art.
[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model adopts one technical scheme to provide a steel cable joint back connection alignment tool, which comprises:
[0007] a lever member having at least one mounting hole for mounting a buoyancy bag; and
[0008] The clamping assembly is provided with two connecting holes which are opposite and used for mounting and connecting the lifting lugs of the steel cable joint, and the clamping assembly is connected with the bottom wall of the lever piece.
[0009] The clamping assembly is located at the middle part of the bottom wall of the lever piece, the mounting hole is located at the side wall of the lever piece, the bottom wall is adjacent to the side wall, and the length of the lever piece is greater than the length of the clamping assembly.
[0010] As an embodiment of the utility model, the clamping assembly comprises two clamping pieces and a bearing plate piece, the bearing plate piece is connected with the bottom wall of the lever piece, the two clamping pieces are parallel to each other and connected with the bearing plate piece, the two connecting holes are located at the corresponding positions of the two clamping pieces respectively, the bearing plate piece is located at the middle part of the bottom wall of the lever piece, and the length of the lever piece is greater than the length of the bearing plate piece.
[0011] As an embodiment of the utility model, the bearing plate piece is a plate body structure and has a first wall surface and a second wall surface, the first wall surface is opposite to the second wall surface, the first wall surface is connected with the bottom wall of the lever piece so that the lever piece is perpendicular to the first wall surface, and the second wall surface is connected with the two clamping pieces perpendicularly.
[0012] As an embodiment of the utility model, the two clamping pieces are symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis of the second wall surface.
[0013] As an embodiment of the utility model, the clamping assembly further comprises at least one reinforcing plate rib piece, the reinforcing plate rib piece has a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall is adjacent to the second side wall and perpendicular to each other, the first side wall is connected with the side wall of the lever piece, and the second side wall is connected with the first wall surface of the bearing plate piece so that the reinforcing plate rib piece is perpendicular to the lever piece and the bearing plate piece.
[0014] As an embodiment of the utility model, the lever piece is a long strip-shaped plate body structure.
[0015] As an embodiment of the utility model, the length of the lever piece is a preset length.
[0016] As an embodiment of the utility model, the thickness of the lever piece is a preset thickness.
[0017] As an embodiment of the utility model, the adjusting tool further comprises a connecting assembly which passes through the two connecting holes and is used for fixing the steel cable joint.
[0018] As an embodiment of the utility model, the connecting assembly includes a male piece and a female piece, the male piece passes through two connecting holes and protrudes from the connecting holes to form an extension, and the female piece is detachably connected with the extension.
[0019] Compared with the prior art, the utility model discloses a kind of steel cable joint back connection correction tools, with the following advantages: the correction tool provided by the utility model is provided with lever piece, and the clamping assembly is connected with the bottom wall of lever piece and located in the middle of bottom wall, the length of lever piece is greater than the length of clamping assembly, so that lever piece forms a lever arm on clamping assembly, in addition, two connecting holes of clamping assembly can be used to install steel cable joint, and the buoyancy torque is amplified by the lever principle of lever piece, and then a single float bag is connected to the mounting hole of lever piece, which can quickly complete the large-angle torsion and correction of steel cable joint, and align with pin shaft hole, which has very obvious effect in saving labor, greatly shortens the time of steel cable joint back connection work, therefore, the correction tool provided by the utility model can complete the correction work of cable joint by using a single float bag and correction tool, instead of traditional multiple tools, reducing the use amount of float bag and hand-operated hoist and the operation steps of diver, simplifying the steel cable joint back connection work process, reducing the operation time and physical exertion of diver under water, reducing operation risk, greatly shortening the time of single steel cable back connection, and reducing the total operation time, effectively solving the problems of low efficiency and equipment redundancy in the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme in the embodiments of the utility model or prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the following embodiment or prior art description will be briefly introduced, and obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the utility model, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creating labor.
[0021] Among them:
[0022] Figure 1 The application scenario structure schematic diagram of the correction tool provided by the first embodiment of the utility model is shown.
[0023] Figure 2 The three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of the correction tool provided by the first embodiment of the utility model is shown.
[0024] Figure 3 The side view structure schematic diagram of the correction tool provided by the first embodiment of the utility model is shown.
[0025] Figure 4 The front view structure schematic diagram of the correction tool provided by the first embodiment of the utility model is shown.
[0026] Brief Description of the Drawings
[0027] 1. adjustment tool; 2. float bag; 3. steel cable joint;
[0028] 11. lever member; 12. clamping assembly; 13. connecting assembly; 31. lifting lug;
[0029] 111. mounting hole; 112. side wall; 121. connecting hole; 122. clamping member; 123. bearing plate member;
[0030] 124. reinforcing plate rib member; 131. male member; 132. female member;
[0031] 1231. first wall surface; 1311. extension portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] For the purpose of the present application, the following detailed description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show preferred embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete. It is noted that the scope of the application is defined by the appended claims.
[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in the description of the application herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.
[0034] It is to be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is also to be understood that the term "including" or "comprising" or "having" or the like, as used herein, means the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
[0035] It should be noted that when one element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only. In this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for better description of this invention and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the above terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.
[0036] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "equipped with," "connected," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.
[0037] Please see Figure 1 As shown, the first embodiment of this utility model discloses a steel cable joint 3 reconnection and adjustment tool 1, which is used to replace the traditional multi-tool collaborative operation in the reconnection of anchor legs of a single-point mooring system in deep sea (-50 meters to -125 meters) to quickly adjust the angle of the steel cable joint 3.
[0038] In some implementation methods, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the adjustment tool 1 includes a lever 11 and a clamping assembly 12. The lever 11 has at least one mounting hole 111 for mounting the float 2. The clamping assembly 12 has two connecting holes 121 facing each other and for mounting on the lug 31 of the upper steel cable connector 3. The clamping assembly 12 is connected to the bottom wall of the lever 11. The clamping assembly 12 is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the lever 11, and the mounting hole 111 is located on the side wall 112 of the lever 11. The bottom wall and the side wall 112 are adjacent to each other. The length of the lever 11 is greater than the length of the clamping assembly 12.
[0039] It is understandable that by setting up a lever 11 and connecting the clamping assembly 12 to the bottom wall of the lever 11 and placing it in the middle of the bottom wall, and by making the length of the lever 11 greater than the length of the clamping assembly 12, the lever 11 forms a lever arm on the clamping assembly. In addition, the two connecting holes 121 of the clamping assembly 12 can be used to install the steel cable joint 3. By amplifying the buoyancy torque through the lever principle of the lever 11, and with the single float 2 connected to the mounting hole 111 of the lever 11, the steel cable joint 3 can be quickly twisted and adjusted at a large angle and aligned with the pin hole. This has a very significant effect on saving effort, greatly shortening the time for reconnecting the steel cable joint 3, improving efficiency, and effectively solving the problems of low efficiency and equipment redundancy in the reconnection operation of steel cable joints in the prior art.
[0040] In some embodiments, the lever 11 is a long strip-shaped plate structure.
[0041] Specifically, the lever 11 is the main structure of the adjustment tool 1. It is a long strip plate structure used to amplify the torque generated by the buoyancy provided by the float 2. Its length is greater than the length of the clamping assembly 12 to ensure sufficient torque to adjust the cable connector. At least one mounting hole 111 is opened on the plate surface of the lever 11 and near the four edges for mounting the float 2. The buoyancy generated after the float 2 is inflated is converted into the torque required to adjust the cable connector through the lever 11. In addition, the design of the mounting hole 111 also facilitates the binding and fixing of the float 2.
[0042] More specifically, the float 2 is connected to the mounting hole 111 by binding or other fixing methods, wherein the inflation amount of the float 2 can be dynamically adjusted according to the length of the lever 11 to generate sufficient buoyancy to drive the lever 11 to rotate, thereby adjusting the angle of the cable joint.
[0043] This utility model is specifically described using the example of seven mounting holes 111, but this should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model. Please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 3 As shown, the lever 11 of the plate structure has two mounting holes 111 at both ends. This can be understood as the position where the lever arm of the lever 11 is the longest, which is the position where the effort is least required. The two mounting holes 111 can facilitate the suspension of the float bag 2 or the hand-cranked hoist. Three mounting holes 111 are evenly arranged on the plate surface of the lever 11 of the plate structure opposite to the clamping assembly 12, so that the user can adjust the length of the lever arm according to actual needs, which improves the versatility of the adjustment tool 1.
[0044] Specifically, the clamping assembly 12 is used to install and fix the steel cable joint 3. The clamping assembly 12 has two connecting holes 121, which are arranged opposite to each other and are used to connect with the lifting lug 31 of the steel cable joint 3 by bolts or other connecting parts. The clamping assembly 12 is connected to the bottom wall of the lever 11 and is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the lever 11 to ensure stability and balance during adjustment. The design of the clamping assembly 12 enables the adjustment tool 1 to firmly clamp the steel cable joint 3 and prevent it from slipping or falling off during the adjustment process.
[0045] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly 12 includes two clamping members 122 and a support plate 123. The support plate 123 is connected to the bottom wall of the lever member 11. The two clamping members 122 are parallel to each other and are both connected to the support plate 123. Two connecting holes 121 are located at corresponding positions of the two clamping members 122. The support plate 123 is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the lever member 11. The length of the lever member 11 is greater than the length of the support plate 123.
[0046] In some embodiments, the supporting plate 123 is a plate structure with a first wall 1231 and a second wall. The first wall 1231 is opposite to the second wall and is connected to the bottom wall of the lever 11 so that the lever 11 is perpendicular to the first wall 1231. The second wall is perpendicularly connected to both clamping members 122.
[0047] In some embodiments, the two clamping members 122 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the second wall.
[0048] Specifically, the first wall surface 1231 is connected to the bottom wall of the lever 11, making the lever 11 perpendicular to the first wall surface 1231 of the bearing plate 123. The second wall surface is perpendicularly connected to both clamping members 122. The two clamping members 122 are parallel to each other and are both connected to the bearing plate 123. The two connecting holes 121 are located at corresponding positions of the two clamping members 122, and are used to install the lifting lug 31 of the steel cable joint 3. The bearing plate 123 is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the lever 11 to ensure stability and balance during adjustment.
[0049] In some embodiments, the length of the lever 11 is a preset length.
[0050] Optionally, the preset length can be 1m, 1.15m, 1.3m, or 1.45m. Different thicknesses adapt to different torque requirements. Please refer to the embodiments of this utility model. Figure 3 As shown, the preset length C is 1.15mm, but it should not be regarded as a limitation of this utility model. The lever 11 can be extended to a total length of 1.15 meters to 4 meters, which can be configured as needed. The formula for calculating the target torque is L (preset length) = T (torque) / F (buoyancy).
[0051] In some embodiments, the thickness of the lever 11 is a preset thickness.
[0052] Optionally, the preset thickness can be 5mm, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, or 35mm. Different thicknesses are suitable for the strength and stiffness requirements corresponding to different torques. For an embodiment of this utility model, please refer to... Figure 4 As shown, the preset thickness H is 20mm, but it should not be regarded as a limitation of this utility model. When the thickness of the lever 11 is 20mm, the maximum load of the lifting lug formed by the two clamping parts 122 is 10t (tons). In addition, after the lever 11 is reinforced by the rib plate, the maximum load can be increased to 15t.
[0053] In some embodiments, the lever 11, the clamping member 122, and the bearing plate 123 are all metal parts, which can be carbon steel parts. Preferably, a titanium alloy-carbon steel composite structure can also be used to improve corrosion resistance while reducing weight.
[0054] Specifically, after testing, the lever 11 deformed by less than 0.5 mm under a tensile force of 10t. After galvanizing, the carbon steel lever 11, clamping part 122 and bearing plate 123 have a theoretical service life of more than 10 years in a salt spray environment.
[0055] Specifically, the length C and wall thickness H of lever 11 can be adjusted according to actual needs. The longer the length, the greater the amplified torque; the thicker the wall, the higher the strength and rigidity of lever 11. By adjusting the length and wall thickness of lever 11, underwater cable joint 3 reconnection operations with different torque requirements can be adapted.
[0056] In some embodiments, the lever 11 is telescopic, and the telescopic lever 11 is provided with a telescopic spring (not shown in the figure) inside. The operator can extend or retract the lever 11 to the required length according to the actual torque requirements.
[0057] In some implementations, the lever 11 is a segmented assembly type, allowing workers to combine two or more segments of the lever 11 on-site to form a lever 11 of the required length according to torque requirements. Specifically, the two or more segments of the lever 11 are connected and fixed by welding or bolts.
[0058] In some embodiments, a hydraulic push rod (not shown) is installed at the end of the lever 11 to assist the float 2 in making fine angle adjustments.
[0059] In some implementations, sensors and an automatic inflation system (not shown) are integrated on the lever 11 to provide real-time torque feedback and optimize buoyancy.
[0060] In some implementation methods, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the clamping assembly 12 further includes at least one reinforcing rib 124, which has a first sidewall 112 and a second sidewall 112. The first sidewall 112 and the second sidewall 112 are adjacent to each other and perpendicular to each other. The first sidewall 112 is connected to the sidewall 112 of the lever 11, and the second sidewall 112 is connected to the first wall surface 1231 of the bearing plate 123, so that the reinforcing rib 124 is perpendicular to the lever 11 and the bearing plate 123.
[0061] Specifically, the reinforcing rib 124 is a triangular carbon steel plate, welded to the connection between the lever 11 and the bearing plate 123, to enhance the stability and robustness of the connection between the lever 11 and the clamping assembly 12.
[0062] Specifically, this utility model is illustrated using an example of six reinforcing ribs 124, but this should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model. Please refer to the relevant documentation. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, six reinforcing ribs 124 are evenly distributed at the connection between the lever 11 and the bearing plate 123, further enhancing the stability and robustness of the connection between the lever 11 and the clamping assembly 12.
[0063] In some embodiments, the adjustment tool 1 further includes a connecting component 13 that passes through two connecting holes 121 for securing the steel cable joint 3.
[0064] In some embodiments, the connecting assembly 13 includes a male component 131 and a female component 132. The male component 131 passes through two connecting holes 121 and protrudes from the connecting holes 121 to form a protrusion 1311. The female component 132 is detachably connected to the protrusion 1311.
[0065] To facilitate understanding, the traditional alignment process for the steel cable joint 3 and the alignment process using the adjustment tool 1 provided by this invention are described in detail below. The traditional alignment process involves: first, installing the shackle, then connecting the hoist, then securing the float bag 2, and coordinating multiple tightening and adjustment steps, finally aligning the pin hole. This method takes 12 to 15 hours. The alignment process using the adjustment tool 1 provided by this invention is as follows: first, install the adjustment tool 1, then secure the float bag 2 and inflate it for adjustment, allowing direct alignment of the pin hole. Only four steps are required: tool installation, float bag 2 securing, adjustment, and disassembly. The total time is only 2 to 3 hours, significantly reducing working time. Therefore, the adjustment tool 1 provided by this invention replaces the traditional multi-tool approach, simplifies the steel cable joint 3 reconnection process, greatly reduces the time for a single steel cable reconnection, and reduces the total operation time, solving the problem of low efficiency in existing steel cable joint reconnection operations.
[0066] Specifically, the adjustment tool 1 of this utility model was used to test an emergency repair project in an oilfield cluster (water depth of -70 to -90 meters). The test procedure was as follows: Select the tool length, specifically calculated according to the above-mentioned target torque calculation formula; lock the clamping part 122 of the adjustment tool 1 to the lifting lug 31 of the steel cable joint 3 through the pin; tie the float 2 to the mounting hole 111 of the lever 11 and inflate the float 2 to the target buoyancy value; after the cable joint angle is adjusted, disassemble the tool and retrieve the float 2. The final test results were: tool output torque error <5%; single steel cable reconnection operation efficiency increased by 30-40%; diver physical exertion reduced by 50%; underwater tool requirements reduced by 50%; the operation requirements of the lifting lug 31 position of the steel cable joint 3 were greatly reduced, and only one tool is needed to meet the torque requirements.
[0067] 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.
[0068] 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 utility model patent. 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 protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A tool for reconnecting and adjusting steel cable joints, characterized in that: The adjustment tools include: A lever element, wherein the lever element has at least one mounting hole for mounting a float; and A clamping assembly has two opposing connection holes for mounting and connecting to a lifting lug of a steel cable connector. The clamping assembly is connected to the bottom wall of the lever member. The clamping assembly is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the lever, the mounting hole is located in the side wall of the lever, the bottom wall is adjacent to the side wall, and the length of the lever is greater than the length of the clamping assembly.
2. The adjustment tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping assembly includes two clamping members and a support plate. The support plate is connected to the bottom wall of the lever. The two clamping members are parallel to each other and are both connected to the support plate. The two connecting holes are located at corresponding positions of the two clamping members. The support plate is located in the middle of the bottom wall of the lever. The length of the lever is greater than the length of the support plate.
3. The adjustment tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The supporting plate is a plate structure with a first wall and a second wall. The first wall is opposite to the second wall and is connected to the bottom wall of the lever so that the lever is perpendicular to the first wall. The second wall is perpendicularly connected to both clamping members.
4. The adjustment tool according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two clamping members are symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis of the second wall surface.
5. The adjustment tool according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping assembly further includes at least one reinforcing rib, the reinforcing rib having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the first sidewall being adjacent to and perpendicular to the second sidewall, the first sidewall being connected to the sidewall of the lever, and the second sidewall being connected to the first wall of the bearing plate, so that the reinforcing rib is perpendicular to the lever and the bearing plate.
6. The adjustment tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lever is a long, strip-shaped plate structure.
7. The adjustment tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the lever is a preset length.
8. The adjustment tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the lever component is a preset thickness.
9. The adjustment tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment tool also includes a connecting component that passes through the two connecting holes for securing the steel cable joint.
10. The adjustment tool according to claim 9, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a male component and a female component. The male component passes through the two connecting holes and protrudes from the connecting holes to form a protrusion. The female component is detachably connected to the protrusion.