An adaptive shore-access joint for ship drainage outlets

Abstract

This utility model discloses an adaptive shore-connecting connector for a ship's ballast water discharge outlet. Its outer shell has a window and a water guide, and an external connector is movably mounted inside the shell. The external connector has an expandable and retractable expansion body. When the external connector moves outward from the window to a first position, it protrudes through the window and can connect with the ship's ballast water discharge outlet. The expansion body expands to lock the external connector and the ship's ballast water discharge outlet together, creating a sealed connection. Ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge outlet can then be discharged through the external connector and the water guide. The expansion body achieves locking and sealing between the external connector and the ship's ballast water discharge outlet, with reliable fixation and sealing. Thus, by allowing the expansion body to expand and lock with the ship's ballast water discharge outlet, the same external connector can adapt to ballast water discharge outlets of different sizes, achieving adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water treatment technology, and in particular to an adaptive shore-access connector for ship drainage outlets. Background Technology

[0002] Ballast water is seawater or freshwater loaded onto ships during navigation or berthing to adjust their stability, balance, and draft. Ballast water loaded by ships in different sea areas may contain native organisms (such as bacteria, plankton, fish eggs, etc.). Direct discharge of untreated ballast water can cause a series of harms, such as damage to marine ecosystems, frequent red tides, invasive species impacting the marine life of dock areas, and economic losses to marine aquaculture. To avoid the impact of invasive species on the marine life of dock ballast waters, untreated ballast water must not be discharged indiscriminately at docks.

[0003] When ships are sailing, the discharge of ballast water must comply with the standards of relevant conventions. Therefore, all ships are equipped with ballast water treatment systems. These systems allow ballast water to be discharged as needed, regardless of time or location. However, some ships do not have ballast water treatment equipment. For ships without such equipment, or for ships with such equipment experiencing temporary system malfunctions, ballast water can be treated at the dock or via barge ballast water treatment facilities.

[0004] However, due to differences in ship type, different ships have ballast water discharge outlets with different diameters. Even within the same series of pipe diameters, different pipe standards result in different dimensions. This necessitates that the ballast water connectors on dockside or barge ballast water treatment devices, used to connect to the ship's ballast water discharge outlets, possess strong adaptability and be able to accommodate ballast water discharge outlets of varying sizes. However, such ballast water connectors do not exist in the current technology. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides an adaptive shore-access connector for ship ballast water outlets, which solves the technical problem that existing ballast water connectors cannot adapt to ballast water discharge outlets of different sizes.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an adaptive shore-access connector for a ship's drainage outlet, comprising a housing, a window and a water guide opening on the housing, an external connector movably disposed within the housing, and an expandable and retractable expansion body on the external connector;

[0007] When the external connector moves out of the window to the first position, the external connector extends out of the window and can connect with the ship's ballast water discharge port. The expansion body can expand to lock the external connector and the ship's ballast water discharge port together and seal them in a continuous connection. Then, the ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge port can be connected to the water guide through the external connector, thereby allowing the ballast water to be discharged.

[0008] Furthermore, the expandable body is an expandable bladder, which can expand by filling with a medium and contract by discharging the medium;

[0009] The expansion bladder is connected to a medium channel for injecting or draining a medium into the expansion bladder.

[0010] Furthermore, as the expansion body contracts, the external connector can be moved to a second position within the housing;

[0011] The external connector can reciprocate between the first position and the second position under the action of the driving device.

[0012] Furthermore, the external connector is provided with a conical head at one end facing the ship's ballast water discharge port, and a sliding ball is rotatably provided on the outer surface of the conical head, the rolling surface of the sliding ball being used to contact the wall of the ship's ballast water discharge port.

[0013] Furthermore, an internal connector is movably disposed within the outer casing, and the internal connector moves synchronously with the external connector;

[0014] When the external connector moves to the first position, the internal connector moves to the window and seals the gap between the window and the external connector. Then, the ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge port can be connected to the water guide through the external connector, the internal connector, and the water guide to export the ballast water.

[0015] Furthermore, the shore connector also includes a limiting device for the external connector, which is triggered when the external connector is in the first position and / or the second position.

[0016] The shore connection also includes a controller, the signal input terminal of which is connected to the limiting device for receiving signals sent by the limiting device, and the signal output terminal of which outputs a first control signal for controlling the drive equipment.

[0017] Furthermore, the drive device includes a lead screw and a motor disposed within the housing, and a nut passing through the center of the internal connector. One end of the lead screw is threadedly connected to the nut, and the other end is coaxially and fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the motor.

[0018] When the lead screw rotates under the action of the motor, the nut moves along the axial direction of the lead screw, and drives the internal connecting member and the external connecting member to reciprocate linearly between the first position and the second position.

[0019] Furthermore, the conical head includes an end portion, the diameter of which is smaller than the outer diameter of the external connector. The end portion is connected to the external connector by a plurality of connecting rods spaced apart circumferentially along the external connector, and the sliding ball is rotatably fitted onto the connecting rods.

[0020] Furthermore, a central rod is provided between the end and the external connector, and the central rod is slidably sleeved on the lead screw; the central rod, the lead screw, and the connecting rod are hollow inside, forming an axial cavity for the central rod, an axial cavity for the lead screw, and an axial cavity for the connecting rod, respectively;

[0021] The outer casing is also provided with a first medium flow channel, one end of which forms a medium inlet, and the other end is connected to one end of the axial cavity of the lead screw.

[0022] The external connector is provided with a second medium flow channel. One end of the second medium flow channel is connected to the axial cavity of the connecting rod, and the other end is connected to the expansion bladder.

[0023] A third medium flow channel is provided at the end, and the third medium flow channel connects the axial cavity of the central rod and the axial cavity of the connecting rod.

[0024] The first medium flow channel, the lead screw axial cavity, the center rod axial cavity, the third medium flow channel, the connecting rod axial cavity, and the second medium flow channel are sequentially connected to form the medium channel for injecting or discharging medium into the expansion bladder.

[0025] Furthermore, the limiting device includes a first limiting switch and a second limiting switch respectively disposed on the inner wall of the housing, and a contact disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the internal connector, wherein the first limiting switch and the second limiting switch are respectively located on the movement trajectory of the contact.

[0026] When the contact point moves to trigger the first limit switch, the external connector and the internal connector are located in the first position; when the contact point moves to trigger the second limit switch, the external connector and the internal connector are located in the second position.

[0027] The limiting device further includes a controller, the signal input terminal of which is connected to the first limit switch and the second limit switch respectively, for receiving signals sent by the first limit switch and the second limit switch, and the signal output terminal of the controller outputs the first control signal, which is used to control the motor.

[0028] Furthermore, the expansion bladder can be connected to the medium cavity through the medium channel and the suction and discharge power device. The medium cavity is used to store the medium. The expansion bladder expands by absorbing the medium in the medium cavity or contracts by discharging the medium into the medium cavity through the suction and discharge power device.

[0029] The inflation bladder is also equipped with a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure generated by the inflation bladder;

[0030] The shore connection also includes a controller, the signal input terminal of which is connected to the pressure sensor to receive pressure information collected by the pressure sensor, and the signal output terminal of which outputs a second control signal to control the suction and discharge power equipment.

[0031] Furthermore, the shore-connecting joint also includes an underwater automatic cruise system, which includes a thruster and a camera;

[0032] The shore access joint also includes a controller. The signal input terminal of the controller is connected to the camera and is used to receive the image information collected by the camera. The signal output terminal of the controller outputs a third control signal, which is used to control the propeller. The propeller propels the shore access joint so that the shore access joint moves to the ballast water discharge outlet of the ship.

[0033] Furthermore, the outer surface of the outer shell is covered or partially covered with floats.

[0034] Furthermore, the shore connector also includes a magnetic suction device that can be slidably attached to the outer wall of the hull.

[0035] The magnetic attraction device includes an obstacle avoidance turntable rotatably disposed on the front end of the housing, and a suction cup rotatably disposed on the outer end face of the obstacle avoidance turntable, the suction cup being magnetic;

[0036] The outer end face of the suction cup is rotatably provided with a suction cup ball, and the rolling surface of the suction cup ball extends beyond the outer end face of the suction cup;

[0037] The suction cup will adhere to the outer wall of the hull, and the suction cup ball prevents the outer end face of the suction cup from directly contacting the outer wall of the hull, so as to allow the suction cup to slide on the outer wall of the hull.

[0038] As described above, this utility model discloses an adaptive shore-connecting connector for a ship's ballast water outlet, comprising a housing with a window and a water guide. An external connector is movably mounted inside the housing, and the external connector has an expandable and retractable expansion body. When the external connector moves outward from the window to a first position, it protrudes through the window and can connect with the ship's ballast water outlet. The expansion body expands to lock the external connector and the ship's ballast water outlet tightly together, creating a sealed connection. Ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water outlet can then be discharged through the external connector and the water guide. The expansion body achieves locking and sealing between the external connector and the ship's ballast water outlet, with reliable fixation and sealing. Thus, by expanding the expansion body to lock tightly with the ship's ballast water outlet, the same external connector can adapt to ballast water outlets of different sizes, achieving adaptability, effectively improving practicality, and solving the problems in the prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of the present invention (when the external connector is moved to the second position);

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of the present invention (when the external connector is moved to the first position);

[0042] Figure 3 This is a front view of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of this utility model;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a side view of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of the present invention (when the external connector is moved to the second position);

[0044] Figure 5 This is a side view of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of the present invention (when the external connector is moved to the first position);

[0045] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of the present invention (when the external connector is moved to the second position);

[0046] Figure 7This is a cross-sectional view of the through-shore connector in one embodiment of the present invention (when the external connector is moved to the first position);

[0047] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the adsorption module in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 9 This is a front view of the adsorption module in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 10 This is a side view of the adsorption module in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shore-connecting joint in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0051] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shore-connecting joint in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0052] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the external connector in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the internal connecting member in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0054] This application provides an adaptive shore-access connector for ship ballast water outlets, which solves the technical problem that existing ballast water connectors cannot adapt to ballast water discharge outlets of different sizes.

[0055] To better understand the above technical solutions, the following will provide a detailed explanation of the technical solutions in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0056] like Figures 1-7 As shown, one or more embodiments of this application provide a ship drain outlet adaptive shore connection connector for connecting to ship ballast water discharge outlet A, thereby exporting the ballast water discharged from ship ballast water discharge outlet A to a dock ballast water treatment device or a barge ballast water treatment device for treatment.

[0057] like Figures 1-7As shown, taking the direction of the shore connection in its working state as a reference, the shore connection includes a housing 100, a window 110 is opened at the front end of the housing 100 along the axial direction, and a water guide 120 is also provided on the housing 100; an external connector 210 and an internal connector 220 are movably provided inside the housing 100, and the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 can move synchronously back and forth along the axial direction. When the shore-connector needs to connect to the ship's ballast water discharge port A, the internal connector 220 and the external connector 210 move towards the window 110, with the external connector 210 extending through the window 110 and sealingly communicating with the ship's ballast water discharge port A. The internal connector 220 moves towards the window 110 and seals the gap between the window 110 and the internal connector 220. Thus, the ship's ballast water discharge port A is connected to the guide port 120 via the external connector 210, the internal connector 220, and the outer shell 100, allowing the ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge port A to be guided through the shore-connector to the dock ballast water treatment device or the barge ballast water treatment device. Figure 2 , 5 As shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0058] It should be noted that, to facilitate the external connector 210 passing through or into the window 110, the outer diameter of the external connector 210 is smaller than the diameter of the window. Therefore, the external connector 210 needs to be sealed to prevent seawater from entering the outer casing 100. Additionally, the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 can also be moved in the opposite direction after operation to separate from the ship's ballast water discharge port A and retract into the outer casing 100, facilitating the retrieval of the shore access joint. Figure 1 , 4 As shown in Figure 6.

[0059] like Figures 2-7 As shown, the outer shell 100 is a hollow cylinder or approximately cylindrical shape, but it can also be other shapes. The window is a circular window, but it can also be other shapes, such as rectangular. The water inlet 120 can be disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer shell 100 to facilitate connection to a drain pipe, thereby discharging the ballast water discharged through the water inlet 120 to a dock ballast water treatment device or a barge ballast water treatment device.

[0060] like Figures 1-14As shown, the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 are both hollow cylinders, coaxially arranged within the housing 100, with the diameter of the internal connector 220 being larger than that of the external connector 210. The internal connector 220 does not need to be disassembled after installation within the housing 100, while the external connector 210 can be replaced according to the different sizes of the ship's ballast water discharge port A. Therefore, the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 are detachably connected to facilitate replacement of the external connector 210.

[0061] like Figure 13 , 14 As shown in one embodiment of this application, the front end face of the internal connector 220 is provided with a spiral groove 223 extending circumferentially along the internal connector 220. Insertion openings 224 are equally spaced along the circumferential direction on the spiral groove 223, and hooks are equally spaced along the circumferential direction inside the spiral groove 223. The rear end face of the external connector 210 is provided with a plurality of buckles 213 corresponding to the spiral groove 223. Each buckle 213 is provided with a slot 214, and each slot 214 corresponds one-to-one with a hook. Align the buckles 213 on the external connector 210 with the inserts 224 on the internal connector 220, and insert the buckles 213 into the inserts 224. Then rotate the external connector 210 to a certain angle to insert the buckles 213 into the corresponding spiral grooves 223. The hooks in the spiral grooves 223 then engage with the corresponding slots 214 on the buckles 213. The external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 are thus fixed by rotational engagement. Conversely, rotating the external connector 210 in the opposite direction by a certain angle will detach it from the internal connector 220. Therefore, the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 can be quickly assembled and disassembled, saving time and effort.

[0062] Furthermore, the end faces of the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 are respectively provided with a plurality of first water passages 212 and second water passages 222 that extend along their own axial direction. The first water passages 212 and the second water passages 222 are aligned and connected one by one. The first water passage 212 is used to connect to the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A, and the second water passage 222 is connected to the guide water outlet 120, so that the ballast water in the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A is guided to the guide water outlet 120 for discharge through the first water passages 212 and the second water passages 222.

[0063] The internal connector 220 and the external connector 210 achieve axial reciprocating movement through a ball screw structure. Figure 6 , 7As shown, the ball screw structure includes a screw 240 disposed within the housing 100, a motor 260, and a nut 250 coaxially passing through the center of the internal connector 220. Specifically, as... Figure 14 As shown, the internal connector 220 has a first central through hole 221 coaxially at its center, and the nut 250 is fixedly inserted through the first central through hole 221. The front end of the lead screw 240 coaxially passes through the nut 250, and the rear end is coaxially fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the motor 260. An outer helical groove is machined on the outer circumferential surface of the lead screw 240, and an inner helical groove matching the outer helical groove is machined on the inner wall of the nut 250. The outer helical groove and the inner helical groove form a closed loop path for the sliding ball 233. Therefore, when the lead screw 240 rotates under the action of the motor 260, the sliding ball 233 rolls between the outer helical groove and the inner helical groove, pushing the nut 250 to move along the axial direction of the lead screw 240, converting the rotational motion into linear motion, thereby synchronously driving the internal connector 220 and the external connector 210 to achieve reciprocating linear motion. Because ball screws have the advantages of high efficiency, high precision and long life, they can accurately drive the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 to move, which is very reliable.

[0064] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, the outer casing 100 is provided with a waterproof partition 130, which divides the inner cavity of the outer casing 100 into a water inlet space that communicates with both the window 110 and the water inlet 120, and a waterproof space that does not communicate with either the window 110 or the water inlet 120. A motor cavity 140 is provided within the waterproof space, and the motor cavity 140 is mounted on the waterproof partition 130. The motor 260 is mounted within the motor cavity 140. A motor shaft hole is coaxially provided on the rear end of the lead screw 240, and the rear end of the lead screw 240 passes through the motor cavity 140. The motor shaft is inserted into the motor shaft hole and coaxially fixedly connected to the lead screw 240. Furthermore, a first sealing ring 160 is provided between the lead screw 240 and the motor cavity 140 to prevent ballast water in the water inlet space from entering the waterproof space, thus preventing water from entering the motor 260 and damaging it. Furthermore, the motor 260 is a stepper motor 260, which has high-precision positioning and low-speed, high-torque characteristics, making it suitable for the application of this application.

[0065] To facilitate knowing the moving direction and moving distance of the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220, the shore connector also includes limiting devices respectively disposed at both ends of the moving trajectories of the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220.

[0066] like Figure 6As shown, the limiting device includes a first limit switch 330 and a second limit switch 320 respectively disposed on the inner wall of the housing 100, and a contact 310 disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the internal connector 220. The first limit switch 330 and the second limit switch 320 are both located on the movement trajectory of the contact 310. The limiting device also includes a controller. The signal input terminal of the controller is connected to the first limit switch 330 and the second limit switch 320 respectively, for receiving signals from the first limit switch 330 and the second limit switch 320. The signal output terminal of the controller outputs a first control signal, which is used to control the motor 260.

[0067] When the internal connector 220 and the external connector 210 move forward to the first position, the internal connector 220 seals the window 110 and the external connector 210, and the external connector 210 extends out of the window 110 to a predetermined position (a position that can be completely inserted into the ship's ballast water discharge port A). The contact 310 on the internal connector 220 aligns with the first limit switch 330, and the contact 310 triggers the first limit switch 330. The first limit switch 330 sends a signal to the controller, and the controller determines that the external connector 210 has extended out of the window 110 and controls the motor 260 to stop rotating in the first direction.

[0068] When the internal connector 220 moves backward to the second position, both the internal connector 220 and the external connector 210 are fully retracted into the housing 100. The contact 310 on the internal connector 220 aligns with the second limit switch 320, triggering the second limit switch 320. The second limit switch 320 sends a signal to the controller, which determines that the external connector 210 has been retracted into the housing 100 and controls the motor 260 to stop rotating in the second direction. The first direction is opposite to the second direction, for example, clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively.

[0069] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the front end of the external connector 210 is also provided with a conical head 230. The diameter of the conical head 230 gradually decreases from back to front, and sliding balls 233 are rotatably provided on the outer surface of the conical head 230. Thus, when the shore connector attempts to dock with the ship's ballast water discharge port A, the ball screw pushes the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220 forward, and the conical head 230 contacts the ship's ballast water discharge port A. Several sliding balls 233 continuously slide and adjust their posture to prevent the shore connector from getting stuck in the ship's ballast water discharge port A.

[0070] Specifically, the conical head 230 includes a centrally located end 232, which is coaxially arranged with the external connector 210, and the diameter of the end 232 is smaller than the outer diameter of the external connector 210. A plurality of connecting rods 231 are evenly spaced circumferentially between the end 232 and the front end of the external connector 210. The front end of each connecting rod 231 is fixedly connected to the outer edge of the end 232, and the rear end is fixedly connected to the external connector 210. Sliding balls 233 are rotatably mounted on each connecting rod 231. As the conical head 230 moves forward following the external connector 210, it slowly inserts into the ship's ballast water discharge port A. Upon collision with the inner wall of the ship's ballast water discharge port A, the sliding balls 233 continuously slide, adjusting their posture to prevent the shore connector from getting stuck inside the ship's ballast water discharge port A.

[0071] It should be noted that, as Figure 11 As shown, the gap 235 between adjacent connecting rods 231 allows ballast water to pass through.

[0072] like Figures 6-7 As shown, to enable the external connector 210 to adapt to various diameters of ship ballast water discharge outlets A, an expansion bladder 270 is fixedly provided on the outer circumferential surface of the external connector 210. This expansion bladder 270 can expand (increase in volume) by filling with a medium and contract (decrease in volume) by discharging the medium. Specifically, when the shore connector enters the ship ballast water discharge outlet A, compressed air, water, and / or oil are injected into the expansion bladder 270, causing it to expand until it is in close contact with the ship ballast water discharge outlet A. That is, the friction between the expansion bladder 270 and the inner wall of the ship ballast water discharge outlet A achieves the fixation and sealing between the external connector 210 and the ship ballast water discharge outlet A, and the fixation and sealing effect is reliable. Thus, by injecting a medium that causes the expansion bladder 270 to expand and lock with the ship's ballast water discharge port A (generally, the expansion bladder 270 generates a pressure of 0.5 to 1 MPa, which can ensure that the expansion bladder 270 and the ship's ballast water discharge port A are expanded and locked), the same external connector 210 can adapt to different sizes of ship ballast water discharge ports A, achieving adaptability, effectively improving practicality, and solving the problems in the background art.

[0073] Furthermore, an annular groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the external connector 210, and the expansion bladder 270 is snapped and fixed inside the expansion bladder 270. This allows the expansion bladder 270 and the external connector 210 to be relatively thin when the expansion bladder 270 contracts, thus expanding the adaptability range of the shore-connecting interface. In addition, at least one end of the expansion bladder 270 along the axial direction can be fixed to the groove wall of the annular groove by fasteners to increase the fixation of the expansion bladder 270 on the external connector 210 and prevent displacement.

[0074] Furthermore, the expansion bladder 270 is connected to a medium channel for injecting or discharging a medium into or from the expansion bladder 270. The medium channel includes a central rod 234 coaxially connecting the end 232 and the external connector 210. The external connector 210 has a second central through hole 211 coaxially at its center. The rear end of the central rod 234 extends into the second central through hole 211. The central rod 234 is hollow, and its inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the lead screw 240. The lead screw 240 passes through the nut 250 and extends into the central rod 234. The central rod 234 can slide axially back and forth on the lead screw 240. Thus, when the lead screw 240 rotates, the central rod 234 slides axially on the lead screw 240 to move synchronously with the external connector 210 and the internal connector 220.

[0075] like Figure 7 As shown. The central rod 234, the lead screw 240, and the connecting rod 231 are hollow inside, forming an axial cavity p4 for the central rod, an axial cavity p3 for the lead screw, and an axial cavity p6 for the connecting rod, respectively.

[0076] The motor cavity 140 has a first medium flow channel p2 on its wall surface. The rear end of the first medium flow channel p2 forms a medium inlet p1 that is exposed on the wall surface of the motor cavity 140 and located in the waterproof space. The front end of the first medium flow channel p2 is connected to the rear end of the lead screw axial cavity p3.

[0077] The external connector 210 is provided with a second medium flow channel p7. The front end of the second medium flow channel p7 is connected to the axial cavity p6 of the connecting rod, and the rear end of the second medium flow channel p7 is connected to the expansion bladder 270.

[0078] A third medium flow channel p5 is provided on the end 232, and the third medium flow channel p5 connects the central rod 234 and the connecting rod 231;

[0079] Thus, the medium inlet p1, the first medium flow channel p2, the lead screw axial cavity p3, the center rod axial cavity p4, the third medium flow channel p5, the connecting rod axial cavity p6, and the second medium flow channel p7 are sequentially connected to form a medium channel for injecting or discharging medium into the expansion bladder 270.

[0080] The medium inlet p1 is connected to the medium cavity t via a suction / discharge pump. The medium cavity t can store the medium. The expansion bladder 270 expands by absorbing the medium in the medium cavity t or contracts by discharging the medium into the medium cavity t via the suction / discharge pump. For example, in one embodiment of this application, the medium cavity t can be disposed inside the outer shell, and the medium cavity t for storing the medium is sealed and enclosed within the waterproof space. The medium cavity t is connected to the medium inlet p1 via the suction / discharge pump.

[0081] In addition, a pressure sensor can be provided on the wall of the expansion bladder 270 to detect the pressure generated by the expansion bladder 270.

[0082] The controller's signal input terminal is connected to the pressure sensor to receive pressure information collected by the pressure sensor. The controller's signal output terminal outputs a second control signal to control the suction and discharge pump. For example, during docking, the controller controls the suction and discharge pump to draw medium into the expansion bladder 270. When the controller detects that the pressure collected by the pressure sensor reaches a first preset value, the controller stops the suction and discharge pump from drawing in the medium. After the ship's ballast water discharge is completed, the controller controls the suction and discharge pump to discharge the medium from the expansion bladder 270. When the controller detects that the pressure collected by the pressure sensor reaches a second preset value, the controller stops the suction and discharge pump from discharging the medium, so that the external connector 210 can subsequently exit from the ship's ballast water discharge port A.

[0083] Furthermore, a second sealing ring 150 is provided between the end face of the central rod 234 and the external connector 210. The second sealing ring 150 is sleeved on the lead screw 240 to prevent the medium from leaking out.

[0084] To ensure the shore access joint functions properly in seawater, it is necessary to balance the weight and buoyancy of the shore access joint as much as possible to maintain a stable posture.

[0085] The materials of the main body of the shore connector described in this application embodiment (e.g., outer shell 100, internal connector 220, external connector 210, conical head 230, partition plate, etc.) can be non-metallic materials with a density between 0.9 and 1.5 kg / cm2, such as PA66 (polyamide 66), UHMW-PE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), UPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride), POM (polyoxymethylene), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), PEEK (polyether ether ketone), etc., to ensure that the mass of the shore connector described in this application embodiment is not too large.

[0086] At the same time, such as Figures 1-5 As shown, the shore access joint described in this application embodiment can also be equipped with a float 600 to adjust the gravity and buoyancy balance of the shore access joint. For example, in one embodiment of this application, the outer surface of the outer shell 100 is wrapped or partially wrapped with a float 600, which is made of a low-density material, such as EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer), EPP (expanded polypropylene), PU Foam (polyurethane foam), etc.

[0087] To enable the shore access joint to reach the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A underwater, an underwater automatic cruise system is also installed at the bottom of the shore access joint. For example... Figures 1-5 As shown, the underwater automatic cruise system includes a thruster 500 and a camera 410. The signal input terminal of the controller is connected to the camera 410 to receive image information collected by the camera 410. The signal output terminal of the controller outputs a third control signal, which controls the thruster 500 to advance the shore connector, moving it to the ballast water discharge outlet A of the ship for docking. It should be noted that the specific method for generating and controlling the operation of the thruster 500 based on the image information collected by the camera 410 is not within the scope of this application and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0088] Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, a base 400 is provided at the bottom of the outer shell 100, and the shore access connector is provided with six sets of thrusters 500, symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the base 400, with three sets on each side. The thrusters 500 are controlled by a controller to realize the omnidirectional movement and rotation of the shore access connector. The camera 410 is disposed inside the base 400.

[0089] Furthermore, the shore access connector is also equipped with lighting. For example, in one embodiment of this application, the shore access connector is equipped with four sets of high-lumen LED underwater lights to provide illumination, making it clearly visible underwater.

[0090] Furthermore, the shore access connector is also equipped with a battery 420 for powering the electrical equipment of the shore access connector (such as lighting, thruster 500, camera 410, motor 260, controller, etc.). The battery 420 is disposed within the base 400.

[0091] like Figures 1-5 As shown, in order to facilitate the docking of the shore connector m with the ballast water discharge outlet A of the ship, the shore connector m is also equipped with a magnetic attraction device 800 that can be slidably and magnetically adsorbed onto the outer wall of the ship to be treated for ballast water.

[0092] like Figures 8-10 As shown, the magnetic attraction device 800 includes an obstacle avoidance turntable 810, which is rotatably mounted on the outer casing 100 and exposed at the front end of the float 600. At least one pair of suction cups 820 are symmetrically arranged on the outer end face of the obstacle avoidance turntable 810. The suction cups 820 are rotatably mounted on the obstacle avoidance turntable 810, and their outer end faces 821 are magnetic, for example, they are magnets. Suction cup balls 822 are rotatably arranged on the outer end faces 821 of the suction cups, and the rolling surface of the suction cup balls 822 extends beyond the outer end face of the suction cups 820 and the outer end face of the float 600. On the outer end face of the outer shell 100, when the shore connector m connects to the ballast water discharge outlet A of the ship, the magnetic force of the suction cup 820 on the obstacle avoidance turntable 810 will attract the shore connector m to the outer wall of the ship (which is a steel plate). At the same time, since the rolling surface of the suction cup ball 822 extends beyond the outer end face of the suction cup 820, there is a gap between the suction cup 820 and the outer wall of the ship, which can prevent the suction cup 820 from directly contacting the outer wall of the ship. This allows the shore connector m to slide on the outer wall of the ship through the suction cup ball 822, achieving "dynamic adsorption". In this way, after the shore connector m is adsorbed on the outer wall of the ship, the lifting module 20 moves up and down, the carrier moves back and forth, and the propeller 500 propels the shore connector m to perform a "V" shaped scan, adjust its attitude, and find the position of the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A.

[0093] Furthermore, due to the dynamic draft changes of the ship's ballast water, the ballast water discharge outlet A may change to a state of being above water, semi-submerged, or fully submerged. The discharge outlet will change its position during operation with changes in discharge and tides. That is, the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A may be above or below the water surface. Due to the "dynamic adsorption" between the shore connector m and the hull wall achieved by the magnetic attraction device 800, a balancing effect can be achieved, overcoming the external forces caused by wind, waves, tides, and water ingress into the hose and water hose on the shore connector m. It can dynamically adapt to the position changes of the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A, further improving adaptability and effectiveness.

[0094] Specifically, the obstacle avoidance turntable 810 has a first central hole 812 at its center. The first central hole 812 is connected to the front end of the outer shell 100 through a first bearing. Since the obstacle avoidance turntable 810 rotates relative to the outer shell 100, it can avoid obstacles by rotating when it encounters them.

[0095] In addition, a suction cup shaft 813 is vertically provided on the outer end face of the obstacle avoidance turntable 810. The suction cup shaft 813 is threadedly connected to the obstacle avoidance turntable 810. The suction cup 820 is rotatably mounted on the suction cup shaft 813 through a second bearing to continuously adapt to the outer wall of the ship and attempt to dock the shore connector m with the ship's ballast water discharge port A. In this way, the magnetorheological adaptive sealing ring and the shore connector m are adsorbed on the hull for scanning and positioning.

[0096] To improve the adsorption force, a strong magnet can be used.

[0097] Furthermore, the obstacle avoidance turntable 810 is provided with weight reduction holes 811 to reduce its own weight.

[0098] An exemplary working process of the shore-connecting joint described in this application embodiment is as follows:

[0099] The underwater automatic cruise system will guide the shore-connector to the ship's ballast water discharge outlet A;

[0100] The controller drives the motor 260 to rotate in the forward direction, causing the cone-shaped head 230, the external connector 210, and the internal connector 220 to move towards the front end, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown;

[0101] Under the anti-jamming action of the conical head 230, the external connector 210 enters the ship's ballast water discharge port A, injecting a medium into the expansion bladder 270, causing the expansion bladder 270 to expand and generate a pressure of 0.5-1 MPa. The external connector 210 locks with the ship's ballast water discharge port A through the friction between the expansion bladder 270 and the ship's ballast water discharge port A, thus achieving expansion docking between the external connector 210 and the ship's ballast water discharge port A; the internal connector 220 seals the gap between the external connector 210 and the window 110, such as... Figure 7 As shown;

[0102] The ship's ballast water discharge port A is connected to the guide port 120 via the external connector 210, the internal connector 220, and the outer shell 100. The guide port 120 is connected to the dock ballast water treatment device or the barge ballast water treatment device. The ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge port A is led out to the dock ballast water treatment device or the barge ballast water treatment device via the shore connector. Figure 7 As shown;

[0103] After the ballast water discharge is completed, the medium in the expansion bladder 270 is extracted, causing the expansion bladder 270 to shrink and deflate, separating from the ship's ballast water discharge port A. The controller controls the motor to reverse, causing the conical head 230, external connector 210, and internal connector 220 to move backward until they retract into the outer casing 100. Figure 6 As shown.

[0104] It should be understood that although quantifiers such as "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various units, these units should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one unit from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first unit may be referred to as a second unit, and similarly, a second unit may be referred to as a first unit.

[0105] The directional terms such as "outer," "middle," and "inner" mentioned or potentially used in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the accompanying drawings. They are relative concepts and may therefore vary depending on their location and usage. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive.

[0106] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application in any form or substance. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and additions without departing from the method of this application, and these improvements and additions should also be considered within the protection scope of this utility model. Any modifications, alterations, and equivalent changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, based on the disclosed technical content, are equivalent embodiments of this application. Furthermore, any modifications, alterations, and evolutions made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of this application still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A self-adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet, characterized in that, It includes an outer shell, on which a window and a water inlet are provided, and an external connector is movably disposed inside the outer shell, the external connector being provided with an expandable and contractible expansion body; When the external connector moves out of the window to the first position, the external connector extends out of the window and can connect with the ship's ballast water discharge port. The expansion body can expand to lock the external connector and the ship's ballast water discharge port together and seal them in a continuous connection. Then, the ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge port can be connected to the water guide through the external connector, thereby allowing the ballast water to be discharged.

2. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The expandable body is an expandable bladder, which can expand by filling with a medium and contract by discharging the medium; The expansion bladder is connected to a medium channel for injecting or draining a medium into the expansion bladder.

3. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When the expansion body contracts, the external connector can be moved to a second position located inside the housing; The external connector can reciprocate between the first position and the second position under the action of the driving device.

4. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The external connector is provided with a conical head at one end facing the ship's ballast water discharge port. A sliding ball is rotatably provided on the outer surface of the conical head, and the rolling surface of the sliding ball is used to contact the wall of the ship's ballast water discharge port.

5. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 4, characterized in that, An internal connector is also movably disposed within the outer casing, and the internal connector moves synchronously with the external connector. When the external connector moves to the first position, the internal connector moves to the window and seals the gap between the window and the external connector. Then, the ballast water discharged from the ship's ballast water discharge port can be connected to the water guide through the external connector, the internal connector, and the water guide to export the ballast water.

6. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The shore connector also includes a limiting device for the external connector, which is triggered when the external connector is in the first position and / or the second position. The shore connection also includes a controller, the signal input terminal of which is connected to the limiting device for receiving signals sent by the limiting device, and the signal output terminal of which outputs a first control signal for controlling the drive equipment.

7. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The drive device includes a lead screw and a motor disposed inside the housing, and a nut passing through the center of the internal connector. One end of the lead screw is threadedly connected to the nut, and the other end is coaxially and fixedly connected to the motor shaft of the motor. When the lead screw rotates under the action of the motor, the nut moves along the axial direction of the lead screw, and drives the internal connecting member and the external connecting member to reciprocate linearly between the first position and the second position.

8. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The conical head includes an end portion, the diameter of which is smaller than the outer diameter of the external connector. The end portion is connected to the external connector by a plurality of connecting rods spaced apart circumferentially along the external connector, and the sliding ball is rotatably fitted onto the connecting rods.

9. A ship drainage outlet adaptive shore-access joint as described in claim 8, characterized in that, A central rod is provided between the end and the external connector, and the central rod is slidably sleeved on the lead screw; the central rod, the lead screw, and the connecting rod are hollow inside, forming an axial cavity for the central rod, an axial cavity for the lead screw, and an axial cavity for the connecting rod, respectively; The outer casing is also provided with a first medium flow channel, one end of which forms a medium inlet, and the other end is connected to one end of the axial cavity of the lead screw. The external connector is provided with a second medium flow channel. One end of the second medium flow channel is connected to the axial cavity of the connecting rod, and the other end is connected to the expansion bladder. A third medium flow channel is provided at the end, and the third medium flow channel connects the axial cavity of the central rod and the axial cavity of the connecting rod. The first medium flow channel, the lead screw axial cavity, the center rod axial cavity, the third medium flow channel, the connecting rod axial cavity, and the second medium flow channel are sequentially connected to form the medium channel for injecting or discharging medium into the expansion bladder.

10. A ship drainage outlet adaptive shore-access joint as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The limiting device includes a first limiting switch and a second limiting switch respectively disposed on the inner wall of the housing, and a contact point disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the internal connector, wherein the first limiting switch and the second limiting switch are respectively located on the movement trajectory of the contact point; When the contact point moves to trigger the first limit switch, the external connector and the internal connector are located in the first position; when the contact point moves to trigger the second limit switch, the external connector and the internal connector are located in the second position. The limiting device further includes a controller, the signal input terminal of which is connected to the first limit switch and the second limit switch respectively, for receiving signals sent by the first limit switch and the second limit switch, and the signal output terminal of the controller outputs the first control signal, which is used to control the motor.

11. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The expansion bladder can be connected to the medium cavity through the medium channel and the suction and discharge power device. The medium cavity is used to store the medium. The expansion bladder expands by absorbing the medium in the medium cavity or contracts by discharging the medium into the medium cavity through the suction and discharge power device. The inflation bladder is also equipped with a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure generated by the inflation bladder; The shore connection also includes a controller, the signal input terminal of which is connected to the pressure sensor to receive pressure information collected by the pressure sensor, and the signal output terminal of which outputs a second control signal to control the suction and discharge power equipment.

12. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shore access joint also includes an underwater automatic cruise system, which includes a thruster and a camera. The shore access joint also includes a controller. The signal input terminal of the controller is connected to the camera and is used to receive the image information collected by the camera. The signal output terminal of the controller outputs a third control signal, which is used to control the propeller. The propeller propels the shore access joint so that the shore access joint moves to the ballast water discharge outlet of the ship.

13. The adaptive shore-access joint for a ship's drainage outlet as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shore access joint also includes a magnetic suction device that can be slidably attached to the outer wall of the hull. The magnetic attraction device includes an obstacle avoidance turntable rotatably disposed on the front end of the housing, and a suction cup rotatably disposed on the outer end face of the obstacle avoidance turntable, the suction cup being magnetic; The outer end face of the suction cup is rotatably provided with a suction cup ball, and the rolling surface of the suction cup ball extends beyond the outer end face of the suction cup; The suction cup will adhere to the outer wall of the hull, and the suction cup ball prevents the outer end face of the suction cup from directly contacting the outer wall of the hull, so as to allow the suction cup to slide on the outer wall of the hull.

Images