Omnidirectional underwater vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807348-B2
Application number	US-202318320626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2021
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

An omnidirectional underwater vehicle includes an open-frame mechanism including a frame with top thrusters at four corners of a top end of the frame; mechanical arms disposed at a front end of the frame; and a rotary holder disposed in the frame and including a motor fixing plate, an upper bearing fixing plate and a lower bearing fixing plate. A cylindrical roller bearing is fixed between the upper bearing fixing plate and the lower bearing fixing plate, and an inner edge of the cylindrical roller bearing is provided with two bearing clip inner plates from top to bottom. A servo motor is fixed on the motor fixing plate, a bottom end of the bearing clip inner plate at the bottom is fixedly connected to a steering gear fixing plate, and a top end of the steering gear fixing plate is provided with fully waterproof steering gears installed with underwater thrusters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An omnidirectional underwater vehicle, comprising:
an open-frame mechanism, comprising a frame ( 1 ), wherein top thrusters ( 2 ) are arranged at four corners of a top end of the frame ( 1 ) respectively;
mechanical arms ( 3 ), disposed at a front end of the frame ( 1 );
a rotary holder, disposed in the frame ( 1 ), comprising a motor fixing plate ( 4 ), an upper bearing fixing plate ( 5 ) and a lower bearing fixing plate ( 6 ) sequentially and fixedly connected in that order from top to bottom; wherein a cylindrical roller bearing ( 7 ) is fixed between the upper bearing fixing plate ( 5 ) and the lower bearing fixing plate ( 6 ), an inner edge of the cylindrical roller bearing ( 7 ) is sequentially disposed with two bearing clip inner plates ( 8 ) from top to bottom, the two bearing clip inner plates ( 8 ) are fixedly connected, and outer edges of the two bearing clip inner plates ( 8 ) are in interference fit with the inner edge of the cylindrical roller bearing ( 7 ); a servo motor ( 9 ) is fixed on the motor fixing plate ( 4 ), and the bearing clip inner plate ( 8 ) at the top is fixedly connected to an output shaft of the servo motor ( 9 ); a bottom end of the bearing clip inner plate ( 8 ) at the bottom is fixedly connected to a steering gear fixing plate ( 10 ), a top end of the steering gear fixing plate ( 10 ) is provided with a plurality of waterproof steering gears ( 11 ), the plurality of waterproof steering gears ( 11 ) are provided with underwater thrusters ( 12 ), and the underwater thrusters ( 12 ) are uniformly distributed at a bottom end of the steering gear fixing plate ( 10 );
wherein the motor fixing plate ( 4 ) and the upper bearing fixing plate ( 5 ), the upper bearing fixing plate ( 5 ) and the lower bearing fixing plate ( 6 ) are respectively fixed by a plurality of hexagonal bolts ( 15 ), and the two bearing clip inner plates ( 8 ) are fixed by a plurality of copper posts ( 16 ).

2. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an upper aluminum alloy plate ( 13 ) and a lower aluminum alloy plate ( 14 ) are respectively fixed at an upper end and a lower end of the frame ( 1 ), and the frame ( 1 ) comprises a plurality of aluminum profiles ( 101 ) fixed between the upper aluminum alloy plate ( 13 ) and the lower aluminum alloy plate ( 14 ), and the plurality of aluminum profiles ( 101 ) are fixedly connected through connecting corner braces ( 102 ).

3. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the top thrusters ( 2 ) are fixedly installed at four corners of a top end of the upper aluminum alloy plate ( 13 ).

4. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the motor fixing plate ( 4 ) is fixed with the upper aluminum alloy plate ( 13 ) through a plurality of hexagonal bolts ( 15 ).

5. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein bottom ends of the underwater thrusters ( 12 ) are disposed with a plurality of pressure proof tanks ( 20 ) sequentially spaced from each other, the plurality of pressure proof tanks ( 20 ) are located at a top of the lower aluminum alloy plate ( 14 ), the plurality of pressure proof tanks ( 20 ) are fixed on the frame ( 1 ), and a camera ( 21 ) and a control circuit board ( 22 ) are placed in the pressure proof tank ( 20 ).

6. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the servo motor ( 9 ) is fixedly connected to the motor fixing plate ( 4 ) through a motor reinforcing pad ( 17 ), and the output shaft of the servo motor ( 9 ) is fixedly connected to the bearing clip inner plate ( 8 ) through a connecting flange ( 18 ).

7. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the steering gear fixing plate ( 10 ) is fixedly connected to the bearing clip inner plate ( 8 ) through a plurality of copper posts ( 16 ), the waterproof steering gear ( 11 ) is fixed with a thruster clamp ( 19 ) through a connecting flange ( 18 ), and the underwater thruster ( 12 ) is installed in the thruster clamp ( 19 ).

8. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the underwater thrusters ( 12 ) is four, and the four underwater thrusters ( 12 ) are uniformly distributed around a bottom surface of the steering gear fixing plate ( 10 ).

9. The omnidirectional underwater vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of underwater searchlights ( 23 ) are fixed at the front end of the frame ( 1 ).

Assignees

• Univ Guangdong Ocean

Inventors

• Yv Guoyan
• Chen Zejia
• Su Jinping
• Chen Qibo
• Chen Shuaixing
• Chen Zile
• Li Zhuoheng

Classifications

• B63G8/001 Primary

  Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations (self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42) · CPC title

• B63G8/08 Primary

  Propulsion ({schnorkels B63G8/36;} nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12) · CPC title

• B63G8/20

  Steering equipment (B63G8/16, B63G8/18 take precedence; steering of vessels in general B63H25/00) · CPC title

• B63C11/52 Primary

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

• B63G8/16

  by direct use of propellers or jets · CPC title