A guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of ocean exploration, in particular to a guide rail mechanism for lowering an ocean exploration node, which comprises a support platform, a belt conveying device is installed on one side of the upper end of the support platform, nodes are placed at equal intervals on the upper end surface of the belt conveying device, a rope sleeve is installed at the top end of the node, a slide groove is arranged on the support platform on one side of the tail end of the belt conveying device, a guide mechanism is arranged between the belt conveying device and the slide groove, a pay-off mechanism is arranged at the front end of the slide groove, and a reciprocating movement mechanism is arranged on the support platform on one side of the slide groove away from the belt conveying device. The application realizes automatic lowering and efficient recovery of the node, improves the laying efficiency and safety by using the design of multi-stage guidance, rolling friction reduction, gravity acceleration and staged buffering, and reduces human intervention; the cooperation and structural optimization of key components effectively reduce the impact and pollution, and guarantee the long-term stable operation of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of marine exploration technology, and in particular to a guide rail mechanism for lowering marine exploration nodes. Background Technology

[0002] In the current deployment process of marine exploration nodes, the connection between the ropes and the nodes is mostly done manually, which makes it difficult to guarantee the accuracy and stability of the connection position. This can easily lead to situations where the ropes loosen or the connection is not properly secured during the node's descent. At the same time, the nodes lack effective guiding and pushing structures when sliding, often relying on thrust in one direction for transmission. This causes the nodes to sway, deviate, or even get stuck in the track, which not only affects the deployment accuracy but also reduces the overall deployment efficiency.

[0003] Furthermore, traditional water slides often employ a fixed-angle structure, lacking a segmented deceleration design during the lowering of nodes. This results in a significant impact force upon entry into the water, easily damaging the nodes or causing rope breakage. During retrieval, there is a lack of buffering and stabilizing support structures; nodes are directly dragged ashore, making them susceptible to hard impact damage. Moreover, the operation is highly dependent on manual labor, leading to poor safety and controllability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned shortcomings in the existing technology by proposing a guide rail mechanism for lowering marine exploration nodes.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node includes a support platform. A belt conveyor is installed on one side of the upper end of the support platform. Several nodes are evenly spaced on the upper surface of the belt conveyor. Rope ferrules are installed at the top of each node. A slide groove installed on the support platform is provided on one side of the end of the belt conveyor. A guide mechanism is provided between the belt conveyor and the slide groove. An unwinding mechanism is provided at the front end of the slide groove. A reciprocating moving mechanism installed on the support platform is provided on the side of the slide groove away from the belt conveyor for moving the node.

[0007] Preferably, the guiding mechanism includes a guiding device installed at the end of the belt conveyor, a longitudinal push plate is installed at the working end of the guiding device, a limit plate is rotatably installed at the end of the guiding device near the slide groove, and a first motor is fixedly installed on the guiding device to drive the limit plate to rotate.

[0008] Preferably, the unwinding mechanism includes an unwinding device fixedly installed on the support platform. The working end of the unwinding device winds up a nylon rope, which is unwound and wound along the slide groove and cooperates with the rope clamp to fix the node.

[0009] Preferably, the reciprocating moving mechanism includes a reciprocating screw mounted on a support platform. The working end of the reciprocating screw is provided with a sliding block. A telescopic rod is mounted on the side surface of the sliding block near the node. The telescopic end of the telescopic rod is connected to a track trolley. The track trolley moves along an arc-shaped guide rail provided on the support platform. A transverse push plate and a rope pusher plate are installed sequentially from front to back on the side surface of the track trolley near the node. The transverse push plate contacts the node and is used to push the node to move. The rope pusher plate is used to push the nylon rope into the buckle on the rope clamp.

[0010] Preferably, the front and rear ends of the arc-shaped guide rail are far from the slide groove, while the middle section is close to the slide groove.

[0011] Preferably, baffles are provided on both the left and right sides of the slide groove, and several ball bearings are rotatably installed on the baffle on the side of the slide groove closest to the belt conveyor.

[0012] Preferably, the end of the slide groove is designed to be inclined and rotatably connected to a rotating plate. The rotating plate is driven by a third motor fixedly installed on the support platform. A grid plate is slidably installed inside the rear half of the rotating plate. The grid plate is made of a material that can be attracted by magnetic force. An electromagnet is installed inside the rotating plate. The electromagnet is used to attract the grid plate.

[0013] Preferably, the upper surface of the rear half of the rotating plate is provided with multiple rubber pads, which allow the node to decelerate segment by segment during the downward movement.

[0014] Preferably, an electric telescopic rod is rotatably mounted on a support platform below the third motor. A rubber rod is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod, and the rubber rod is located below the rotating plate. The electric telescopic rod is driven to rotate by a second motor fixedly mounted on the support platform.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are:

[0016] 1. This utility model, through the cooperation of the guiding device and the unwinding device, enables the nylon rope to automatically engage in the buckle of the rope sleeve during the movement of the node, thereby achieving precise fixation of the node and the rope, reducing manual intervention and improving operational efficiency; at the same time, the coordinated cooperation of the longitudinal push plate and the transverse push plate enables the node to smoothly change direction in the slide groove, facilitating automated deployment.

[0017] 2. This utility model sets a ball bearing structure on the side wall of the slide groove to form rolling contact, which significantly reduces the frictional resistance between the rope sleeve and the groove wall, and greatly improves the stability of the node during the guiding and sliding process. Compared with the traditional sliding friction method, rolling contact not only improves the transmission efficiency, but also effectively extends the service life of the device.

[0018] 3. This utility model uses a segmented design with large and small tilt angles on the rotating plate to first use gravity to achieve rapid acceleration of the node, and then to reduce the tilt angle and rubber pads to achieve graded deceleration, effectively reducing the impact force when the node enters the water. This structure avoids the problem of difficulty in controlling the water entry speed under a single tilt angle, making the lowering process more stable and safe.

[0019] 4. In the recycling process, the rubber rod forms a flexible buffer for the nylon rope during the recycling node, avoiding damage to the node and rope from hard impacts; at the same time, in conjunction with the linkage between the electric telescopic rod and the grid plate, the node can achieve continuous connection of the three stages of buffering, fixing and draining during the recycling process, reducing the risk of manual operation and improving recycling efficiency.

[0020] 5. The process of draining water after node recycling in this utility model can effectively prevent impurities such as water plants and mud from contaminating the rotating plate, which helps maintain the overall cleanliness and sliding performance of the device, reduces the maintenance frequency, and extends the service life. At the same time, the grid plate enables the node to be placed stably, which facilitates subsequent inspection, maintenance and re-lowering.

[0021] In summary, this utility model achieves automatic deployment and efficient retrieval of nodes. By utilizing multi-stage guidance, rolling friction reduction, gravity acceleration, and graded buffering design, it improves deployment efficiency and safety while reducing human intervention. Through the coordination and structural optimization of key components, it effectively reduces impact and pollution, ensuring long-term stable operation of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node proposed in this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view of a guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node proposed in this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher plate of a guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node proposed in this utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a full cross-sectional schematic diagram of the rotating plate of the guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node proposed in this utility model.

[0026] Reference numerals: 1. Belt conveyor; 2. Unwinding device; 3. Longitudinal push plate; 4. Guide device; 5. Limiting plate; 6. First motor; 7. Track trolley; 8. Rope ferrule; 9. Telescopic rod; 10. Sliding block; 11. Reciprocating screw; 12. Arc guide rail; 13. Ball bearing; 14. Slide groove; 15. Support platform; 16. Second motor; 17. Electric telescopic rod; 18. Third motor; 19. Rotating plate; 20. Rubber pad; 21. Nylon rope; 22. Transverse push plate; 23. Rope pusher seat plate; 24. Node; 25. Grid plate; 26. Rubber rod; 27. Electromagnet. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain this application and not to limit it. For those skilled in the art, this application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples.

[0028] See appendix Figures 1 to 4 A guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node includes a support platform 15. A belt conveyor 1 is installed on one side of the upper end of the support platform 15. Several nodes 24 are placed at equal intervals on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 1. A rope clamp 8 is installed at the top of the node 24 for subsequent fixation of the node 24. A guide device 4 is installed at the end of the belt conveyor 1. A longitudinal push plate 3 is installed at the working end of the guide device 4. The longitudinal push plate 3 can move on the guide device 4, thereby pushing the node 24 to move and causing the node 24 to detach from the belt conveyor 1.

[0029] A slide groove 14 is provided on one side of the end of the belt conveyor 1 and installed on the support platform 15. A limit plate 5 is rotatably installed on one end of the guide device 4 near the slide groove 14. A first motor 6 is fixedly installed on the guide device 4 to drive the limit plate 5 to rotate, so that when the node 24 moves from the belt conveyor 1 to the slide groove 14, the limit plate 5 can limit the node 24. A unwinding device 2 is fixedly installed on the support platform 15 at the front end of the slide groove 14. A nylon rope 21 is wound up at the working end of the unwinding device 2 and the nylon rope 21 is wound up and unwound along the slide groove 14.

[0030] A reciprocating screw 11 is mounted on a support platform 15 on the side of the slide groove 14 away from the belt conveyor 1. A sliding block 10 is located at the working end of the reciprocating screw 11. A telescopic rod 9 is mounted on the surface of the sliding block 10 near node 24. The telescopic end of the telescopic rod 9 is connected to a track trolley 7. The track trolley 7 moves along an arc-shaped guide rail 12 on the support platform 15. The front and rear ends of the arc-shaped guide rail 12 are away from the slide groove 14, while the middle section is close to the slide groove 14. A transverse push plate 22 and a rope-pushing seat plate 23 are sequentially mounted from front to back on the surface of the track trolley 7 near node 24. The transverse push plate 22 contacts node 24 and is used to push node 24 to move. The rope-pushing seat plate 23 is used to push the nylon rope 21 into the buckle on the rope clamp 8. Baffles are provided on both the left and right sides of the slide groove 14. Several ball bearings 13 are rotatably mounted on the baffles on the side of the slide groove 14 near the belt conveyor 1.

[0031] The end of the slide chute 14 is designed to be inclined and is rotatably connected to a rotating plate 19. The rotating plate 19 is driven by a third motor 18 fixedly installed on the support platform 15, thereby controlling the tilt angle of the rotating plate 19. Multiple rubber pads 20 are provided on the upper surface of the rear half of the rotating plate 19. The rubber pads 20 allow the node 24 to decelerate segment by segment during the descent, and finally enter the water at a low speed. A grid plate 25 is slidably installed inside the rear half of the rotating plate 19. The grid plate 25 is made of a material that can be attracted by magnetic force. An electromagnet 27 is installed inside the rotating plate 19. The electromagnet 27 is used to attract the grid plate 25. Below the third motor 18, there is an electric telescopic rod 17 rotatably installed on the support platform 15. The telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod 17 is fixedly connected to a rubber rod 26. The rubber rod 26 is located below the rotating plate 19. The electric telescopic rod 17 is driven to rotate by a second motor 16 fixedly installed on the support platform 15.

[0032] In use, the node 24 is first placed inside the rope sleeve 8 and fixed with bolts. Then, the node 24 is placed on the belt conveyor 1. When the node 24 needs to be lowered into the sea, the guide device 4 is activated, and the longitudinal push plate 3 pushes the node 24 onto the slide groove 14. Due to the limiting of the nylon rope 21 by the unwinding device 2 and the limiting plate 5, the nylon rope 21 will be caught in the buckle on the rope sleeve 8 during the movement of the node 24. Then, the reciprocating screw 11 is activated. During the movement of the sliding block 10, the track trolley 7 will also move on the arc guide rail 12 through the telescopic rod 9. The track trolley 7 is fixedly installed with a transverse push plate 22, so when the track trolley 7 moves, the node 24 will also move through the transverse push plate 22. When the track trolley 7 moves on the arc-shaped guide rail 12, the distance between the track trolley 7 and the node 24 will first be closer and then farther. During this process, the rope pusher plate 23 on the track trolley 7 will push the nylon rope 21 into the buckle on the rope clamp 8, and then the buckle will lock the nylon rope 21. Then the rope pusher plate 23 will move away from the node 24.

[0033] Multiple ball bearings 13 are installed on the side wall of the slide groove 14. During the process of the pusher plate 23 engaging the nylon rope 21, the pusher plate 23 applies a lateral force to the rope clamp 8, causing the rope clamp 8 to press against the side wall of the slide groove 14. The row of ball bearings 13 installed on the side wall ensures that when the rope clamp 8 slides on the side wall of the slide groove 14, the actual contact becomes a rolling contact between the ball bearings 13 and the rope clamp 8, effectively reducing sliding resistance. Subsequently, the transverse pusher plate 22 continues to push the node 24 to slide on the slide groove 14 until the node 24 moves onto the rotating plate 19. When node 24 is pushed away by the transverse push plate 22, the first motor 6 will drive the limiting plate 5 to rotate clockwise to prevent the limiting plate 5 from blocking the movement path of node 24. When node 24 continues to slide on the slide groove 14 and has not yet been lowered, the limiting plate 5 will rotate counterclockwise until it returns to its original position. At this time, the unwinding device 2 and the limiting plate 5 continue to limit the nylon rope 21 to ensure the accuracy of the buckle on the next rope clamp 8 engaging the nylon rope 21.

[0034] The initial tilt angle of the rotating plate 19 is relatively large. When node 24 slides onto the rotating plate 19, the large tilt angle provides sufficient gravitational force, allowing node 24 to accelerate rapidly under gravity. During this stage, no additional power source is needed; efficient descent is achieved solely by gravity, shortening the total time from node 24's release to its entry into the water. When node 24 slides to the middle section of the rotating plate 19, the third motor 18 is activated to rotate the rotating plate 19, reducing its tilt angle and thus decreasing the impact force of node 24 upon its final entry into the water. Furthermore, multiple rubber pads 20 are installed on the rear half of the rotating plate 19, allowing node 24 to gradually decelerate during its descent, ultimately entering the water at a low speed. If a low-angle rotating plate 19 were used initially, node 24 might directly impact the water surface at a high speed, causing the impact pressure to concentrate at the moment of entry. The device initially uses the large tilt angle of the rotating plate 19 for acceleration, while the second stage uses the reduced tilt angle of the rotating plate 19 and the rubber pad 20 to achieve graded deceleration. This significantly reduces the impact pressure before entering the water, avoiding the problem of insufficient sliding power or slow speed caused by an initial tilt angle that is too small.

[0035] When node 24 needs to be retrieved, the nylon rope 21 can be wound up by the unwinding device 2. When node 24 emerges from the sea surface, the electric telescopic rod 17 is activated to drive the rubber rod 26 forward until the rubber rod 26 touches the nylon rope 21. The rubber rod 26 forms a flexible buffer to avoid hard impact damage to the nylon rope 21 and node 24. The nylon rope 21 then continues to wind up. When the rope ferrule 8 abuts against the rubber rod 26, the winding stops, and the second motor 16 is started to drive the electric telescopic rod 17 to rotate. During this process, the node 24 will gradually be lifted above the rubber pad 20. At this time, while ensuring that the rotating plate 19 is tilted, the electromagnet 27 is disconnected, which causes the grid plate 25 to slide out part of the inside of the rotating plate 19. Then, the second motor 16 drives the electric telescopic rod 17 to rotate, causing the node 24 to slowly fall onto the grid plate 25. Subsequently, the node 24 begins to drain water on the grid plate 25. At this time, the operator can use a special tool to open the buckle on the rope ferrule 8 and remove the node 24. This operation can effectively prevent water plants or mud on the node 24 from contaminating the surface of the rotating plate 19 and reduce the subsequent impact on the sliding of the node 24.

[0036] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape, and principle of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node, comprising a support platform (15), wherein a belt conveyor (1) is installed on one side of the upper end of the support platform (15), and a plurality of nodes (24) are evenly spaced on the upper surface of the belt conveyor (1), and a rope ferrule (8) is installed at the top of each node (24), characterized in that: The belt conveyor (1) has a slide groove (14) installed on the support platform (15) on one side of its end. A guide mechanism is provided between the belt conveyor (1) and the slide groove (14). An unwinding mechanism is provided at the front end of the slide groove (14). A reciprocating moving mechanism is provided on the side of the slide groove (14) away from the belt conveyor (1) and installed on the support platform (15) to drive the node (24) to move.

2. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guiding mechanism includes a guiding device (4) installed at the end of the belt conveyor (1). A longitudinal push plate (3) is installed at the working end of the guiding device (4). A limit plate (5) is rotatably installed at one end of the guiding device (4) near the slide groove (14). A first motor (6) is fixedly installed on the guiding device (4) to drive the limit plate (5) to rotate.

3. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unwinding mechanism includes an unwinding device (2) fixedly installed on a support platform (15). The working end of the unwinding device (2) is wound with a nylon rope (21). The nylon rope (21) is wound and unwound along the slide groove (14) and cooperates with the rope clamp (8) to fix the node (24).

4. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reciprocating moving mechanism includes a reciprocating screw (11) mounted on a support platform (15). The working end of the reciprocating screw (11) is provided with a sliding block (10). A telescopic rod (9) is mounted on the side surface of the sliding block (10) near the node (24). The telescopic end of the telescopic rod (9) is connected to a track trolley (7). The track trolley (7) moves along the arc-shaped guide rail (12) provided on the support platform (15). A transverse push plate (22) and a rope pusher plate (23) are installed sequentially from front to back on the side surface of the track trolley (7) near the node (24). The transverse push plate (22) contacts the node (24) and is used to push the node (24) to move. The rope pusher plate (23) is used to push the nylon rope (21) into the buckle on the rope clamp (8).

5. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 4, characterized in that: The front and end of the arc-shaped guide rail (12) are far away from the slide groove (14), while the middle section is close to the slide groove (14).

6. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 4, characterized in that: The slide groove (14) is provided with baffles on both the left and right sides. Several balls (13) are rotatably installed on the baffle of the slide groove (14) near the belt conveyor (1).

7. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the slide groove (14) is designed to be inclined and is rotatably connected to a rotating plate (19). The rotating plate (19) is driven by a third motor (18) fixedly installed on the support platform (15). A grid plate (25) is slidably installed inside the rear half of the rotating plate (19). The grid plate (25) is made of a material that can be attracted by magnetic force. An electromagnet (27) is installed inside the rotating plate (19). The electromagnet (27) is used to attract the grid plate (25).

8. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 7, characterized in that: The upper surface of the rear half of the rotating plate (19) is provided with multiple rubber pads (20), which allow the node (24) to decelerate segment by segment during the downward movement.

9. The guide rail mechanism for lowering a marine exploration node according to claim 7, characterized in that: Below the third motor (18) is an electric telescopic rod (17) rotatably mounted on the support platform (15). The telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod (17) is fixedly connected to a rubber rod (26). The rubber rod (26) is located below the rotating plate (19). The electric telescopic rod (17) is driven to rotate by the second motor (16) fixedly mounted on the support platform (15).

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