Self-draining oil buoyancy regulating device for underwater robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308334-B2
Application number	US-201515326475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

The present invention provides a self-draining oil buoyancy regulating device for underwater robots, wherein the accumulator, lower hatch cover, hatch trunk, upper hatch cover and bladder are connected; the water-proof connector is fixed on the upper hatch cover; the depth-pressure sensor is settled on the lower hatch cover; the upper valve block, hydraulic-operated check valve and lower valve block are connected; the lower valve block is fixed on the lower hatch cover; the pump outlet pressure sensor and the accumulator pressure sensor are on the lower valve block; the directional valve and the upper valve block are connected; the hydraulic pump motor assembly and the relief valve are both connected with the lower valve block; the depth-pressure sensor, pump outlet pressure sensor and accumulator pressure sensor are all connected with the control panel; the control panel is connected with the external power supply and the host computer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-draining oil buoyancy regulating device for underwater robots, comprising: an accumulator ( 1 ), a lower hatch cover ( 2 ), a lower valve block ( 3 ), a hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ), an upper valve block ( 5 ), a pump outlet pressure sensor ( 19 ), an accumulator pressure sensor ( 20 ), a depth-pressure sensor ( 21 ), a hydraulic pump motor assembly ( 22 ), a directional valve ( 23 ), a relief valve ( 24 ), a control circuit board ( 25 ), a hatch shell ( 30 ), an upper hatch cover ( 31 ), a bladder ( 32 ), a water-proof connector ( 33 ) and a host computer, wherein:
the accumulator ( 1 ), the lower hatch cover ( 2 ), the hatch shell ( 30 ), the upper hatch cover ( 31 ) and the bladder ( 32 ) are fixedly connected in sequence; the water-proof connector ( 33 ) is fixed on the upper hatch cover ( 31 );
the depth-pressure sensor ( 21 ) is mounted on the lower hatch cover ( 2 ) to measure an underwater pressure; the upper valve block ( 5 ), the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ) and the lower valve block ( 3 ) are connected through piping in sequence; the lower valve block ( 3 ) is fixed on the lower hatch cover ( 2 );
the pump outlet pressure sensor ( 19 ) and the accumulator pressure sensor ( 20 ) are mounted on the lower valve block ( 3 ); the directional valve ( 23 ) and the upper valve block ( 5 ) are connected through piping; the hydraulic pump motor assembly ( 22 ) and the relief valve ( 24 ) are both connected with the lower valve block ( 3 ) through piping;
the depth-pressure sensor ( 21 ), the pump outlet pressure sensor ( 19 ) and the accumulator pressure sensor ( 20 ) are all connected with the control circuit board ( 25 ); the control circuit board ( 25 ) is connected with an external power supply and the host computer respectively by the water-proof connector ( 33 ).

2. The self-draining oil buoyancy regulating device for the underwater robots, as recited in claim 1 , wherein on a top surface of the lower valve block ( 3 ) there are a lower valve block 10 th port ( 44 ), a lower valve block 11 th port ( 45 ) and a lower valve block 12 th port ( 46 ); on sides of the lower valve block ( 3 ) there are a lower valve block 2 nd port ( 36 ), a lower valve block 3 rd port ( 37 ), a lower valve block 4 th port ( 38 ), a lower valve block 5 th port ( 39 ), a lower valve block 6 th port ( 40 ), a lower valve block 7 th port ( 41 ), a lower valve block 8 th port ( 42 ) and a lower valve block 9 th port ( 43 ); on a bottom surface of the lower valve block ( 3 ) there is a lower valve block 1 st port ( 35 ); inside the lower valve block ( 3 ) there are runners, wherein the lower valve block 2 nd port ( 36 ), the lower valve block 3 rd port ( 37 ), the lower valve block 9 th port ( 43 ) and the lower valve block 12 th port ( 46 ) are connected by a first runner; the lower valve block 1 st port ( 35 ), the lower valve block 7 th port ( 41 ), the lower valve block 8 th port ( 42 ) and the lower valve block 11 th port ( 45 ) are connected by a second runner; the lower valve block 4 th port ( 38 ), the lower valve block 5 th port ( 39 ), the lower valve block 6 th port ( 40 ) and the lower valve block 10 th port ( 44 ) are connected by a third runner;
wherein the lower valve block 1 st port ( 35 ) is connected with the accumulator ( 1 ) through the lower hatch cover ( 2 ); the lower valve block 2 nd port ( 36 ) is connected with an oil draining outlet of the hydraulic pump motor assembly ( 22 ); the lower valve block 3 rd port ( 37 ) is connected with an oil inlet of the relief valve ( 24 ); the lower valve block 4 th port ( 38 ) is connected with an oil outlet of the relief valve ( 24 ); the lower valve block 5 th port ( 39 ) is connected with an oil return outlet of the hydraulic pump motor assembly ( 22 ); the lower valve block 6 th port ( 40 ) is connected with the bladder ( 32 ); the lower valve block 7 th port ( 41 ), the lower valve block 8 th port ( 42 ) and the lower valve block 9 th port ( 43 ) are blocked; the lower valve block 10 th port ( 44 ) is connected with an oil return outlet of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ); the lower valve block 11 th port ( 45 ) is connected with a first working port of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ); the lower valve block 12 th port ( 46 ) is connected with an oil inlet of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ).

3. The self-draining oil buoyancy regulating device for the underwater robots, as recited in claim 2 , wherein on the upper valve block ( 5 ) there are an upper valve block 1 st port ( 47 ), an upper valve block 2 nd port ( 48 ), an upper valve block 3 rd port ( 49 ), an upper valve block 4 th port ( 50 ); wherein a second working port of the directional valve ( 23 ) is connected with a second working port of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ) through the upper valve block 1 st port ( 47 ); an oil outlet of the directional valve ( 23 ) is connected with an oil return outlet of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ) through the upper valve block 2 nd port ( 48 ); a first working port of the directional valve ( 23 ) is connected with the first working port of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ) through the upper valve block 3 rd port ( 49 ); an oil inlet of the directional valve ( 23 ) is connected with the oil inlet of the hydraulic-operated check valve ( 4 ) through the upper valve block 4 th port ( 50 ).

4. The self-draining oil buoyancy regulating device for the underwater robots, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuit board ( 25 ) further comprises: a first power supply module, a second power supply module, a communication drive module, a voltage reference stabilizing module, a first filter module, a second filter module, a third filter module, an AD (Analog-to-digital) converter module and single-chip microcomputer; wherein the first power supply module transfers an external 12V power supply to an internal 12V power supply inside the control panel; the second power supply module transfers the internal 12V power supply inside the control panel to a 5V power supply for the single-chip microcomputer; the first power supply module is connected to the second power supply module and the voltage reference stabilizing module respectively; input ends of a power supply of the pump outlet pressure sensor ( 19 ), the accumulator pressure sensor ( 20 ), the depth-pressure sensor ( 21 ), the hydraulic pump motor assembly ( 22 ) and the directional valve ( 23 ) are all connected with the second power supply module; a signal cable of the depth-pressure sensor ( 21 ) is connected with the first filter module; a signal cable of the pump outlet pressure sensor ( 19 ) is connected with the second filter module; a signal cable of the accumulator pressure sensor ( 20 ) is connected with the third filter module; the first filter module, the second filter module, the third filter module and the voltage reference stabilizing module are all connected with the AD converter module; the AD converter module is connected with an input end of the single-chip microcomputer; control cables of the hydraulic pump motor assembly ( 22 ) and the directional valve ( 23 ) are connected with an output end of the single-chip microcomputer; the communication drive module is connected with the single-chip microcomputer; the first power supply module is connected with the external power supply through a power cord of the water-proof connector ( 33 ); the communication drive module is connected with the host computer through a signal cable of the water-proof connector ( 33 ).

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Kang Changlin
• Zhou Chunlin
• Xiong Rong
• Zhu Qi
• Zhu Qiuguo
• Liu Yong

Classifications

• B63C11/52

  Tools specially adapted for working underwater, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B63G8/24 Primary

  Automatic depth adjustment; Safety equipment for increasing buoyancy, e.g. detachable ballast, floating bodies · CPC title

• B63G8/22

  Adjustment of buoyancy by water ballasting; Emptying equipment for ballast tanks ({conduits for emptying or ballasting on vessels in general B63B13/00;} stabilising vessels using ballast tanks B63B43/06) · CPC title

• F04B49/065

  and making use of computers · CPC title