High-strength light-weight watertight umbilical cable device

Abstract

The utility model relates to a high-strength light-weight watertight umbilical cable device, which comprises a signal cable, the signal cable is matched with a steel wire assembly, the two ends of the signal cable and the steel wire assembly are connected with corresponding junction boxes, each junction box comprises a box body, the box body is connected with a sealing cover made of high-strength aluminum alloy, and the sealing cover is provided with a sealing groove. Wire outlet channels are distributed at the upper end of the box body, wire inlet channels are distributed at the lower end of the box body, and first wire arranging assemblies are installed in the wire inlet channels. A spacing mechanism is distributed in the box body, the spacing mechanism divides the interior of the box body into a steel wire channel and a cable wiring area, a plurality of positioning assemblies are distributed in the steel wire channel, and the junction box is wrapped by a polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell. Therefore, collaborative optimization of light weight and high strength can be met. And the high-strength aluminum alloy sealing cover is matched with the compartment type box body. Compared with a traditional all-steel structure scheme, the breaking force reaches 20.5 kN to 22.3 kN, a separate bin isolation mode is achieved, and physical isolation of the steel wire assembly and the signal cable is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a cable device, and more particularly to a high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of marine engineering, umbilical cable assemblies are needed to connect equipment such as ships, helicopters, or drones to towed signalers. However, existing umbilical cable assemblies have various drawbacks, including heavy weight, easy breakage of signal cables, easy cracking at the connection between the cable and the junction box, and susceptibility to water ingress.

[0003] Meanwhile, in harsh marine environments, the large waves cause significant oscillations between the ship and the deployed signal devices, which can lead to the breakage of the umbilical cable assembly modules due to impact. To address this, some umbilical cable assemblies use steel wires for connection assistance. However, these cables rely on bolts and wires for positioning, resulting in a loss of wire strength and a tendency to break at the connection point. Furthermore, the lack of necessary watertight structures at the interface allows moisture to seep into the junction box, shortening its lifespan.

[0004] Based on existing technology, the following shortcomings still exist:

[0005] 1. Excessive overall weight. Existing technology CN203311871U discloses an all-steel structure junction box that uses a steel wire armor layer as the load-bearing unit, resulting in an overall density as high as 3.5-4.2g / cm³, which cannot meet the lightweight requirements of shipborne equipment.

[0006] 2. Prone to cable wear and seal failure. Existing technology CN112489869A, while proposing a tensile umbilical cable with a compartmentalized design, does not isolate the steel wire from the signal cable channel. During use, friction between the steel wire and the signal cable will still occur, causing damage. Furthermore, the use of only vulcanized rubber sealing makes it prone to cracking after repeated bending.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings, the designer actively researched and innovated in order to create a high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, making it more valuable for industrial applications. Utility Model Content

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device.

[0009] This utility model discloses a high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, comprising a signal cable equipped with a steel wire assembly. Both ends of the signal cable and the steel wire assembly are connected to corresponding junction boxes. The junction box includes a box body with a high-strength aluminum alloy cover. The upper end of the box body has an outlet channel, and the lower end has an inlet channel, through which a first cable assembly is installed. A spacing mechanism is distributed within the box body, dividing the interior into a steel wire channel and a cable routing area. Several positioning components are distributed within the steel wire channel. The lower end of the steel wire channel and the cable routing area... The lower end of the cable routing area is connected to the inlet channel, and the upper end of the cable routing area is connected to the outlet channel. The signal cable is connected to the first ribbon cable assembly, passes through the cable routing area, and exits from the outlet channel. The exit portion is connected to a watertight connector. The steel wire assembly is connected to the first ribbon cable assembly, enters the steel wire channel, and is connected to the positioning assembly. The junction box is wrapped with a polyurethane vulcanized shell, the thickness of which is 5 to 8 millimeters. The polyurethane vulcanized shell extends to a tapered tail, in which a second ribbon cable assembly is wrapped. The tapered tail partially covers the signal cable and steel wire assembly located on the outside of the junction box, and the tapered tail constitutes a flexible connection structure.

[0010] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the positioning component includes several support columns distributed in the wire channel. One side of each support column is connected to several wire pressing blocks via fastening bolts. A locking mechanism is distributed below each wire pressing block. The wire assembly is wound around the support column, and the end of the wire assembly contacts the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism has a contact surface with serrated patterns.

[0011] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the steel wire assembly is wound at least three times around the support column at a winding angle of 5 to 15 degrees; the serrations of the serrated pattern have an inclination angle of 45 degrees; the contact surface is covered with a silicone layer; the joint area between the support column and the box body has several reinforcing ribs; and the surface of the support column has spiral grooves.

[0012] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the signal cable has a buffer length reserved in the box body, the buffer length being greater than or equal to eight times the diameter of the signal cable, and the buffer length is arranged in a curved state in the box body.

[0013] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the spacing mechanism is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insulating strip, and the thickness of the PTFE insulating strip is 2 to 5 millimeters.

[0014] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, both the first and second cable assembly include a wiring guide plate, and the wiring guide plate is provided with a plurality of wire guide holes and cable guide holes.

[0015] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, cable bundle positioning posts are distributed in pairs between the cable routing area and the outgoing channel, forming a routing space between the cable bundle positioning posts, and the signal cable enters the outgoing channel after passing through the routing space; the cross-section of the cable bundle positioning post is elliptical, and the cable bundle positioning post is coated with a silicone damping layer.

[0016] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the box body is located outside the cable outlet channel and has paired end protection plates.

[0017] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the steel wire assembly is composed of several stranded steel wire units.

[0018] Furthermore, in the aforementioned high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, the extension length of the tapered tail is ≥30 mm of the total length of the junction box, and the tapered angle is 15 to 25 degrees.

[0019] By means of the above solution, this utility model has at least the following advantages:

[0020] 1. It achieves a synergistic optimization of lightweight design and high strength. A high-strength aluminum alloy cover (density ≤3g / cm³, tensile strength ≥300MPa) is used in conjunction with the compartmentalized box body. Compared to traditional all-steel structure solutions, the overall weight is reduced by 40%-45%, while the breaking force reaches 20.5 to 22.3kN, meeting the dual requirements of shipborne equipment for the weight and strength of cable assemblies.

[0021] 2. It can meet the requirements of multi-level stress dispersion. By fixing the steel wire assembly by wrapping it around the support column at a 5-15° angle for three turns and then pressing it, the stress uniformity of a single steel wire is improved by 70% compared with the direct bolt locking method.

[0022] 3. Implement compartmentalized isolation to achieve physical isolation between the wire assembly and the signal cable, avoiding friction between the wire assembly and the signal cable, which would cause wear.

[0023] 4. The tapered tail structure achieves flexible sealing, ensuring that the signal cable will not crack under moderate bending and preventing external moisture from seeping in.

[0024] 5. The signal cable has a buffer length to cope with sudden tension conditions and will not break due to abnormal tension.

[0025] 6. The overall structure is simple, which facilitates the routing of signal cables and steel wire components.

[0026] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal wiring structure of the junction box.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a front structural diagram of the junction box combined with the polyurethane vulcanized shell.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a side view diagram of the junction box combined with the polyurethane vulcanized shell.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the first ribbon cable assembly.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the pressure block and the steel wire assembly.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device. (Note that during implementation, after installation, different materials will be wrapped around the steel wire assembly and signal cable, causing the steel wire assembly and signal cable to not be displayed independently.)

[0033] The meanings of the labels in the figures are as follows.

[0034] Detailed Implementation

[0035] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit its scope.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 6A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device includes a signal cable 1, which is equipped with a steel wire assembly 2. Both ends of the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 are connected to corresponding junction boxes. In this way, the steel wire assembly 2 bears external stress, thus preventing the signal cable 1 from being damaged by pulling. Its unique feature is that the junction box includes a box body 3, on which a high-strength aluminum alloy cover 4 is connected. Its tensile strength is ≥300MPa, which can withstand the shock and vibration caused by huge waves during typhoons. Simultaneously, considering the routing of the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2, the upper end of the box body 3 has a cable outlet channel 5, and the lower end of the box body 3 has a cable inlet channel 6. During assembly, to prevent abnormal slippage of the signal cable 1, the cable outlet channel 5 can be designed with a gradually decreasing diameter opening structure, while the cable inlet channel 6 adopts a tapered flared structure. Furthermore, to achieve independent cable entry guidance for the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2, a first cable assembly 7 is installed in the cable inlet channel 6.

[0037] During implementation, to prevent the steel wire assembly 2 from wearing down the signal cable 1 under stress, a spacing mechanism 8 is distributed inside the box body 3. The spacing mechanism 8 divides the interior of the box body 3 into a steel wire channel 9 and a cable routing area 10. This ensures that the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 are arranged independently and do not come into contact with each other within the box body 3. Specifically, several positioning components are distributed within the steel wire channel 9. The lower end of the steel wire channel 9 and the lower end of the cable routing area 10 are connected to the inlet channel 6, and the upper end of the cable routing area 10 is connected to the outlet channel 5. During assembly, the signal cable 1 is connected to the first cable assembly 7, passes through the cable routing area 10, and exits from the outlet channel 5. The exit portion is connected to a watertight connector 11. The type of watertight connector 11, such as the number of pins, is adapted according to the actual number of signal cables 1. The steel wire assembly 2 is connected to the first cable assembly 7 and then enters the steel wire channel 9, where it connects to the positioning components.

[0038] To achieve overall watertight protection and meet the requirements of use under high tensile stress, a polyurethane vulcanized shell 12 with a thickness of 5 to 8 millimeters is wrapped around the junction box. Simultaneously, to protect the weaker connection portion of the signal cable 1, the polyurethane vulcanized shell 12 extends into a tapered tail 13. Furthermore, a second cable assembly 14 is encased within the tapered tail 13 to prevent abnormal bulging and cracking of the tapered tail 13 due to improper wiring. During manufacturing, the tapered tail 13 partially covers the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 located on the outside of the junction box, forming a flexible connection structure.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the positioning component includes several support columns 15 distributed in the wire channel 9. Simultaneously, several pressure blocks 16 are connected to one side of each support column 15 via fastening bolts 23. To effectively restrain and limit the end of the wire assembly 2, a locking mechanism 17 is distributed below the pressure blocks 16. During installation, the wire assembly 2 is wound around the support columns 15, and the end of the wire assembly 2 contacts the locking mechanism 17. To increase the compressive friction on the outside of the wire assembly 2, the locking mechanism 17 has a serrated contact surface, preventing slippage after locking. During installation, the wire assembly 2 is wound around the support columns 15 at least three times, with a winding angle of 5 to 15 degrees. This allows for multi-point fixation, avoiding concentrated stress on a single point and reducing the risk of breakage. Furthermore, the serrated surface has a 45-degree inclination angle, which precisely clamps the wire assembly 2. For specific anti-slip requirements, a silicone layer can be applied to the contact surface to increase contact damping. Furthermore, several reinforcing ribs (not shown in the figure) are distributed at the junction of the support column 15 and the box body 3. This improves the overall load-bearing capacity of the support column 15, preventing abnormal deformation such as bottom bending under extreme load conditions. Moreover, to guide the wire assembly 2 to wind at a suitable angle and number of turns, spiral grooves (not shown in the figure) are distributed on the surface of the support column 15. This ensures that as long as the wire assembly 2 is within the spiral grooves during winding, a 45-degree three-turn winding layout is achieved. Of course, for certain special operating environments, the winding angle and number of turns of the wire assembly 2 can be adjusted adaptively, such as a 30-degree angle or four turns. After installation, it ensures that each wire assembly 2 is evenly stressed, and the tension is shared by the fastening bolt 23 and the support column 15, enabling it to withstand greater tensile forces.

[0040] Furthermore, the signal cable 1 has a buffer length 22 reserved in the housing 3, which is no less than eight times the diameter of the signal cable 1. Moreover, the buffer length 22 is arranged in a curved manner within the housing 3. This way, even if sudden external stress causes the signal cable 1 to straighten, the buffer length 22 can offset the maximum tensile deformation of the cable, preventing excessive stress on the signal cable 1 located at the upper and lower ends of the housing 3. Of course, different buffer lengths 22 can be reserved depending on the actual application environment of the watertight umbilical cable device, such as 100 mm or more than 10 times the diameter of the signal cable.

[0041] In practical implementation, the spacing mechanism 8 used is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insulating strip with a thickness of 2 to 5 millimeters. This provides adequate support and wear resistance. For optimized implementation, a mesh reinforcement strip can be added to the surface of the PTFE insulating strip. Furthermore, to facilitate independent insertion guidance for each wire assembly 2 and signal cable 1 during assembly, both the first cable assembly 7 and the second cable assembly 14 of this invention include a wiring guide plate with several wire guide holes 18 and cable guide holes 19. This allows different types of signal cables 1 to be inserted sequentially into their corresponding cable guide holes 19 according to a pre-set configuration. The wire assembly 2 can also be inserted into its corresponding wire guide hole 18 based on its actual length or diameter, ensuring correct installation and meeting wiring guidance requirements.

[0042] Furthermore, to achieve centralized outgoing guidance of the signal cable 1, cable tie posts 20 are paired between the cable routing area 10 and the outgoing channel 5, forming a routing space between them. During assembly, the signal cable 1 passes through this space and enters the outgoing channel 5. Simultaneously, the cross-section of the cable tie posts 20 is elliptical, and a silicone damping layer is applied to their exterior. This prevents the signal cable 1 from easily retracting inward after assembly, avoiding unnecessary drag stress on the cable itself during use. Moreover, to provide adequate protection at the junction of the watertight connector 11 and the signal cable 1, end protection plates 21 are paired on the outside of the housing 3 located in the outgoing channel 5.

[0043] Meanwhile, to cope with the stress experienced by the towed signal device during use, the breaking force of the wire assembly 2 is not less than 20kN, and it is composed of several stranded wire units. Furthermore, the extension length of the tapered tail 13 is ≥30 mm of the total length of the junction box, with a tapered angle of 15 to 25 degrees. This satisfies the requirements for moderate flexible connection, improves the bending life of the tapered tail 13, and reduces the risk of cracking. Moreover, the thickness of the cover 4 can be 3 to 5 mm, and the surface is anodized. The interface between the cover 4 and the main body is provided with a labyrinthine sealing groove, ultimately locked in place by screws, making it difficult to loosen and providing a moderate watertight effect. Considering that the wire assembly 2 can always protect the signal cable 1 from being pulled apart under high tensile force, the tensile force ratio between the wire assembly 2 and the signal cable 1 is 10:1 to 15:1.

[0044] The working principle of this utility model is as follows:

[0045] The polyurethane vulcanized outer shell 12 adopts a fully enclosed design, effectively preventing external moisture and other foreign objects from seeping into the junction box. Simultaneously, it also provides moderate pressure resistance, meeting the usage requirements at various water depths in the marine engineering field. When docking towed signalers with ships, helicopters, or drones, it ensures normal and stable operation. If large wave fluctuations during typhoons cause significant oscillations between the ship and the deployed signaler, a multi-strand steel wire assembly can bear the external stress. Furthermore, the spaced design ensures that even if the steel wire assembly deforms, it will not wear down the signal cable.

[0046] Furthermore, the directions or positional relationships described in this utility model are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or structure referred to must have a specific orientation, or to operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, comprising a signal cable (1), wherein the signal cable (1) is equipped with a steel wire assembly (2), and both ends of the signal cable (1) and the steel wire assembly (2) are connected to corresponding junction boxes, characterized in that: The junction box includes a box body (3), a high-strength aluminum alloy cover (4) connected to the box body (3), a cable outlet channel (5) distributed at the upper end of the box body (3), a cable inlet channel (6) distributed at the lower end of the box body (3), and a first cable assembly (7) installed in the cable inlet channel (6); a partition mechanism (8) is distributed inside the box body (3), the partition mechanism (8) divides the inside of the box body (3) into a wire channel (9) and a cable routing area (10), a number of positioning components are distributed inside the wire channel (9), the lower end of the wire channel (9) and the lower end of the cable routing area (10) are connected to the cable inlet channel (6), and the upper end of the cable routing area (10) is connected to the cable outlet channel (5); The signal cable (1) is connected to the first ribbon cable assembly (7), passes through the cable routing area (10), and exits from the outlet channel (5). The exiting part is connected to a watertight connector (11). The steel wire assembly (2) is connected to the first ribbon cable assembly (7), enters the steel wire channel (9), and is connected to the positioning assembly. The junction box is wrapped with a polyurethane vulcanized shell (12), the thickness of which is 5 to 8 mm. The polyurethane vulcanized shell (12) extends to a conical tail (13), in which a second ribbon cable assembly (14) is wrapped. The conical tail (13) partially covers the signal cable (1) and steel wire assembly (2) located outside the junction box. The conical tail (13) constitutes a flexible connection structure.

2. The high-strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The positioning component includes several support columns (15) distributed in the wire channel (9). One side of the support column (15) is connected to several pressure blocks (16) by fastening bolts (23). A locking mechanism (17) is distributed below the pressure block (16). The wire assembly (2) is wound around the support column (15). The end of the wire assembly (2) is in contact with the locking mechanism (17). The locking mechanism (17) has a contact surface with a serrated pattern.

3. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 2, wherein: The steel wire assembly (2) is wound around the support column (15) at least three times with a winding angle of 5 to 15 degrees; the serrations of the serration pattern have an inclination angle of 45 degrees; the contact surface is covered with a silicone layer; the joint area between the support column (15) and the box body (3) is provided with several reinforcing ribs; the surface of the support column (15) is provided with spiral grooves.

4. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The signal cable (1) has a buffer length (22) reserved in the box body (3). The buffer length (22) is greater than or equal to eight times the diameter of the signal cable (1). The buffer length (22) is arranged in a curved state in the box body (3).

5. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The spacer mechanism (8) is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) spacer strip with a thickness of 2 to 5 millimeters.

6. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: Both the first wiring assembly (7) and the second wiring assembly (14) include a wiring guide plate, and the wiring guide plate is provided with a plurality of wire guide holes (18) and cable guide holes (19).

7. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: Between the cable routing area (10) and the outgoing channel (5), there are pairs of cable bundle positioning posts (20), and the cable bundle positioning posts (20) form a routing space. The signal cable (1) passes through the routing space and enters the outgoing channel (5). The cross-section of the cable bundle positioning post (20) is elliptical, and the cable bundle positioning post (20) is coated with a silicone damping layer.

8. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The box body (3) is located outside the cable outlet channel (5) and has end protection plates (21) distributed in pairs.

9. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The steel wire assembly (2) is composed of several stranded steel wire units.

10. The high strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The extension length of the tapered tail (13) is ≥30 mm for the total length of the junction box, and the cone angle is 15 to 25 degrees.

Images