Towed Antenna Coupling Device Automatic Overload Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling devices for towed antennas and watercraft, such as submarines, face challenges in quickly releasing the plug element during overload situations, which can lead to damage and unpredictable signal interference due to manual release mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device with a locking system featuring drivingly connected locking elements and shear pins allows for a defined and automatic release of the plug element in overload conditions, ensuring stability and minimal signal disruption by matching torsional rigidity and using pivotable locking fingers with deformation areas for uniform load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manual release mechanism is used for the plug element, then the coupling device can be operated, but the release cannot be performed quickly and consistently in overload situations
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is designed to automatically detect overload conditions through the deformation of shear pins and autonomously trigger the release mechanism without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by using the overload condition directly to activate the release through the driver shaft and locking element mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual release mechanism is replaced with an automatic mechanical trigger system where shear pins deform under overload to directly actuate the driver shaft, which then moves the locking elements to release the plug element. This substitutes human operation with a mechanical sensing and actuation system.
2Reliability
If the locking system is made robust to prevent accidental release, then stability is improved, but the response to overload situations becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is divided into separate functional components: shear pins for overload sensing, a driver shaft for actuation, and locking elements for engagement. This segmentation allows the robust locking elements to remain stable while the shear pins provide a sensitive trigger mechanism that responds quickly to overload conditions without affecting the overall locking stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shear pins are pre-positioned and pre-loaded within the locking system during normal operation. When an overload condition occurs, the pins are already in place to immediately deform and trigger the release mechanism, eliminating any delay that would occur with detection and actuation systems that must be activated from a standby state.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the plug element is firmly locked to prevent movement, then signal transmission stability is improved, but the ability to release in overload situations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system transitions from a static locked state to a dynamic release state through the deformation of shear pins under overload. The locking elements remain firmly engaged during normal operation to maintain plug element stability, but the system dynamically responds to overload by allowing the shear pins to deform and trigger the release mechanism, providing both stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shear pins act as an intermediary between the overload condition and the locking elements. During normal operation, the pins maintain the locked state by preventing movement of the driver shaft. Under overload, the pins deform to mediate the transition from locked to released state, allowing the locking elements to remain stable during normal use while enabling release when needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a reliable and automatic release of the plug element in overload situations, preventing damage and maintaining signal integrity by ensuring consistent overload conditions and uniform load distribution across shear pins.
Implementation Method 1
The locking finger (56) is prevented from pivoting by a shear pin (62) arranged offset to the pivot axis S and between the locking finger (56) and the base body (54). If, as a result of an overload situation of the first plug element (20), the shear pin (62) shears off, the locking finger (56) is able to pivot about the pivot axis S
Implementation Method 2
The locking finger (56) has a deformation region (64) which allows deformation of the locking finger (56). The slot (64) extends essentially radially relative to the axis A of the drive shaft (46)
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a coupling device for a releasable plug connection between a towed antenna and a water vehicle, comprising a first plug element and a second plug element for coupling the towed antenna and the water vehicle and comprising a locking system, by means of which the one plug element of the first and second plug elements can be transferred between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein the locking system puts the one plug element into the locked position by means of a first and a second bar element.