JPH0145287B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cable terminal coupling device for suspending a heavy underwater object such as a cable-type submersible, an underwater observation device, or an underwater robot from a work boat or the like on the surface of the water.

In recent years, with the increase in underwater construction work centered on offshore oil fields, the need to accurately observe the ocean and seabed has increased.

Until now, the main method of underwater observation has been using manned submersibles, but recently the use of unmanned submersibles has been attracting attention.

The unmanned underwater vehicle is equipped with propulsion thrusters, so that it can be moved by remote control from a mother ship (work boat) at sea.
It can be called an underwater robot, equipped with an underwater camera for image transmission, sonar, and other audio equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to connect the submersible and the mother ship with long power cables and communication cables, and these power cables and communication cables must not be damaged.

On the other hand, the depth and range of observation targets are becoming deeper and wider every year, and when connecting a submersible with a mother ship, it is important to improve the maneuverability of the submersible without compromising high-precision information transmission. It is necessary to be able to hold large weights without damaging them.

Conventionally, the connection between a heavy underwater object such as a submersible and the end of a cable for suspending the object is as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. That is, a low-strength cable such as the power/communication cable 1 is fixed to the terminal of a high-strength cable 2 containing a built-in cable with the cable terminal hardware 03, and this hardware 03 and the heavy object 7 are connected to the power/communication cable 1 of the heavy object 7. The cable 1 is connected by a pivot pin 13 provided on an eye plate 12 fixed to an inlet 11 of the cable 1, thereby preventing the load of the heavy object 7 from being applied directly to the cable 1.

However, in the case of such a conventional device, when the heavy object 7 and the cable 2 move relative to each other, the cable terminal hardware 0
The power/communication cable 1 from 3 to the heavy object inlet 11 is bent more than the allowable value, and is subjected to repeated local bending loads at the outlet of the cable terminal hardware 03, making it difficult to transmit information with high precision. In addition, there was a drawback that the power/communication cable 1 was easily damaged.

In addition, since the hardware 03 and the heavy object 7 are connected by a single pivot pin 13, the cable 2 and the heavy object 7
There was also the drawback that the relative movement with the machine had a degree of rotational freedom only around one axis, which impaired the maneuverability of heavy objects.

For the heavy object 7, which is subjected to external forces due to tidal currents, etc., this lack of rotational freedom includes the problem of fatal damage to the connection between the cable 2 and the heavy object 7.

The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional devices described above, and connects a plurality of metal parts rotatable around two axes perpendicular to each other between a cable terminal metal part that fixes the end of a cable and a heavy object to locally attach electric wires, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable end coupling device that can significantly improve the degree of freedom of relative movement between a cable and a heavy object without bending the cable.

For this reason, the cable terminal coupling device of the present invention has power and communication cables such as power lines and optical fiber units coaxially built inside, and a heavy object is suspended from the end of the cable, and the cable is connected to a heavy object. In the device, a cable terminal metal fitting fixed to the cable end, a first connecting metal fitting whose upper part is fixed to the cable terminal metal fitting, a lower part and an upper part of the first connecting metal fitting are pivotally connected, and the lower part is pivoted. A second connecting hardware that is orthogonal to the upper pivot axis and pivotally connected to the upper part of the subsequent connecting hardware, and the lower part of the second connecting hardware is connected to its upper part, and the lower part is fixed to the heavy object inlet 11. The third
The power/communication cable built into the cable is passed along the axis of each of the hardware to be introduced into the heavy object.

Hereinafter, the device of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. Fig. 2 is a side view showing a part of the cable end coupling device as an embodiment of the cable end coupling device of the present invention in a broken section;
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the second connecting metal fitting constituting the device of the present invention in a broken surface, and FIG. 4 is a side sectional view thereof.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a power/communication system consisting of an optical fiber unit, copper wire, etc., for transmitting information from the heavy object 7 during diving to the mother ship on the water surface (not shown), or for transmitting operation signals or power from the mother ship to the heavy object 7. Cable 2 is a cable made of special fiber or the like that coaxially surrounds the power/communication cable 1 and has sufficient strength to suspend and support a heavy object 7; 3 is a cable terminal hardware fixed to the end of the cable 2; A power/communication cable 1 penetrates along this axis. Reference numeral 4 denotes a first connecting hardware having a substantially truncated conical shape, the upper part of which is fitted and fixed to the lower part of the cable terminal fitting 3, and the power/communication cable 1 passing through the cable terminal fitting 3 inside.
The structure is such that it can pass through.

5 is a second connecting metal fitting 4 having almost the same shape as the first connecting metal fitting 4;
The upper part of the connecting hardware is rotatably connected to the lower part of the first connecting hardware 4 by a first pivot shaft 8, and the lower part is connected to a second connecting hardware provided almost orthogonally to the pivot shaft 8. It is rotatably connected to the next connecting hardware 5 by a pivot shaft 9. As will be described later, the second connecting metal fittings 5 are a plurality of pieces arranged and connected so that the upper part thereof fits into the lower part of the preceding metal fittings 4 and 5 in order to protect the power/communication cable 1 passing through the second connecting metal fittings 5. Consisting of Therefore, depending on the properties of the power/communication cable 1, one cable may be sufficient, or if a large bending radius is required, a large number of cables may be used. A large amount of placement concatenation is required.

The upper part of 6 is pivotally attached to the lower part of the second connecting hardware 5, and the lower mounting part 10 is connected to the inlet 1 for the heavy object 7.
This is the third connecting hardware fixed to 1. The third connecting hardware 6 has almost the same shape as the first hardware 4, and has a mounting portion at its lower end attached to the inlet 11 of the power/communication cable 1 of the heavy object 7 to prevent sudden bending at the inlet 11. 10 is welded and fixed.

Like the first connecting hardware 4, the second connecting hardware 5 and the third connecting hardware 6 have a structure that allows the power/communication cable 1 to pass along their axes, and are connected to each other by pivot shafts. 8 and 9 are arranged avoiding the axis.

When the cable 2 is about to bend relative to the heavy object 7, the first connecting hardware 4, the second connecting hardware 5, and the third connecting hardware 6 are connected to the following or preceding hardware at a, b, and c, respectively. and is restricted from bending beyond a predetermined angle.

Therefore, the power/communication cable 1 passing along the axes of these hardware 4 to 6 can be introduced into the mother ship, the cable 2, and the heavy object 7 without being locally bent by a predetermined bending radius R or more. It becomes possible to do so.

In addition, since the pivot shafts 8 and 9 are provided alternately orthogonally, the cable 1 can be bent in all directions around the heavy object 7, so that the force applied to the heavy object 7 does not act locally, thereby breaking or cutting the connection part. etc. can be prevented.

As described in detail above, the cable end coupling device of the present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional device by the simple structure shown in the claims, does not impair the mobility of heavy objects, and can also handle large loads. It has the advantage of being able to suspend and hold heavy objects.

Furthermore, since excessive bending does not occur in the power/communication cables that connect the heavy objects and the mother ship, there are advantages in that damage to the cables can be reliably prevented and information can be transmitted with high accuracy. Further, the device of the present invention has the advantage that it is constructed of simple members, is inexpensive, and can be easily maintained and inspected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a conventional cable end coupling device.
Fig. 2 is a side view showing a partially broken section of a cable end coupling device as an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a partially broken side view showing a part of the second connecting hardware constituting the device of the present invention. The plan view and FIG. 4 are side sectional views thereof. 1...Power/communication cable, 2...Cable,
3... Cable terminal hardware, 4... First connecting hardware, 5...
...Second connecting hardware, 6...Third connecting hardware, 7...
...Heavy object, 8...First pivot shaft, 9...Second pivot shaft, 10...Mounting portion, 11...Introduction port, 12...
...Eye plate, 13... Pivot pin.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a device for connecting a cable with a heavy object, in which a power/communication cable such as a power line or an optical fiber unit is built coaxially and a heavy object is suspended from the end of the cable, a device fixed to the end of the cable is used. The cable terminal hardware, the first connecting hardware whose upper part is fixed to the cable terminal hardware, and the lower part and the upper part of the first connecting hardware are pivotally connected, and the lower part is perpendicular to the upper pivot axis to connect the subsequent A second connecting hardware pivotably connected to the upper part of the connecting hardware; and a third connecting hardware whose lower part and the upper part are connected and whose lower part is fixed to the heavy object inlet.
1. A cable terminal coupling device comprising connecting metal fittings, characterized in that a power/communication cable built into the cable is passed along the axis of each of the metal fittings in order to be introduced into the inside of a heavy object.