AU2013245571B2

AU2013245571B2 - Submarine

Info

Publication number: AU2013245571B2
Application number: AU2013245571A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philipp Riechel
Original assignee: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
Current assignee: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH
Priority date: 2012-10-22
Filing date: 2013-10-21
Publication date: 2017-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2033-10-21
Also published as: PL2722268T3; ES2676722T3; TR201810817T4; EP2722268A1; KR20140051077A; DE102012219266B3; KR101639399B1; EP2722268B8; AU2013245571A1; EP2722268B1

Abstract

Datum Blatt Anmelde-Nr: Date 16.05.2017 Sheet 1 Application No: 13 185 635.3 Date Feuille Demande n': Der PrOfung werden folgende Anmeldungsunterlagen zugrunde gelegt: Beschreibung, Seiten 1,3-12 urspringliche Fassung 2, 2a eingereicht am 14-10-2014 in elektronischer Form Anspruche, Nr. 1-9 eingereicht am 14-10-2014 in elektronischer Form Zeichnungen, Blstter 1/3-3/3 eingegangen am 31-10-2013 mit Schreiben vom 31-10-2013 1 Das der Seite 3, Zeilen 1-6 der Beschreibung entnommene Merkmal "welche eine in der Notausstiegsschleuse (6) befindliche Person wshrend des Flutens der Notausstiegsschleuse (6) gegen die Auftriebskraft in einer gewQnschten Position hslt" betrifft die Verwendung der Haltevorrichtung bzw. des Unterseeboots. Die Anderung wird von der PrOfungsabteilung so ausgelegt, dass die Haltevorrichtung zwar geeignet sein muss, eine Kraft gegen die Auftriebskraft in der Notausstiegsschleuse auszuben, jedoch nicht notwendigerweise auf solche Weise verwendet wird. GemAB D1 wird eine Person (31) in einem Unterseebootrettungsanzug in der Notausstiegsschleuse (10) in Position gehalten durch ein Ober eine obere Rolle (15) laufendes Seil (16), das mit einem Haken (17) Ober ein Verbindungselement (20) mit dem Unterseebootrettungsanzug verbunden ist. Ein zweites Seil (30) verbindet einen in eine Ausnehmung des Verbindungselements (20) gefihrten Stift (29) mit der Notausstiegsschleuse. Wenn mit dem Fluten der Notausstiegsschleuse begonnen wird, bleibt die Person in der in Figur 1 gezeigte Position. Sobald das Wasser das untere Ende des Unterseebootrettungsanzugs erreicht, wirkt eine stetig zunehmende Auftriebskraft auf den Unterseebootrettungsanzug, so dass die Person durch eine aus der abw~rts gerichteten Kraft im Seil (30) und der aufw~rts gerichteten Kraft im Seil (16) resultierende Kraft gegen die vertikal nach oben gerichtete Auftriebskraft in ihrer Position im Notausstiegsschleuse gehalten wird. Erst wenn eine vorbestimmte Auftriebskraft (siehe Seite 1, Zeilen 56-62: "when the person reaches a certain buoyancy") gegen die durch die EPA Form 2906 01.91TRI Datum Blatt Anmelde-Nr: Date 16.05.2017 Sheet 2 ApplicationNo: 13 185 635.3 Date Feuille Demande n': Stiftfthrung ausgeObte Reibungskraft wirkt, 16st sich der Stift (29) von dem Verbindungselement (20), was eine Aufw~rtsbewegung der Person und die Entkoppelung des ersten Seils bewirkt. Die Haltevorrichtung (29, 30) ist somit geeignet, wenigstens w~hrend eines Teils der Flutung, eine in der Notausstiegsschleuse befindliche Person gegen die Auftriebskraft in einer gewOnschten Position zu halten. Das Argument der Anmelderin, dass die Haltevorrichtung nach D1 nicht in der Lage wAre, die Auftriebskraft entgegenzuwirken, kann nicht nachvollzogen werden. Wenn dies der Fall wAre, wOrde das Ansetzen der Auftriebskraft, sobald das Wasser den Unterseebootrettungsanzug erreicht hat, sofort den Stift (29) aus ihrer FOhrung ziehen, was unmittelbar die Verbindung zwischen dem Unterseebootrettungsanzug und dem Haken (17) aufheben wo rde, so dass die (bewusstlose oder verletzte) Person in der Notausstiegsschleuse zu Fall kommen wOrde. Somit ist der Gegenstand des ge~nderten Anspruchs 1 nicht neu (Art. 54(1) und (2) EPU). 2 Was D2 angeht, ist die PrOfungsabteilung zwar der Meinung, dass die in Figur 2 gezeigte Haltevorrichtung (o, r) mit bootsseitig festgelegten Haltemitteln (r) sich in der Notausstiegsschleuse (a) befindet. Die Haltevorrichtung wird aber, trotz der verwirrenden Bemerkungen auf Seite 3 und Seite 4 der Anmeldungsbeschreibung, nicht von einer Steuerungseinrichtung selbstt~tig gel6st. 3 Um den Erfindungsgegenstand von dem in D1 offenbarten Lehre in nicht naheliegende Weise zu unterscheiden, mOsste nach Auffassung der PrOfungsabteilung die Haltevorrichtung und die Steuerungseinrichtung im Hauptanspruch erlutert werden. Dazu scheinen die in Anspruch 5 (in Verbindung mit Anspruch 2) definierten zwei Zugmittel erfindungswesentlich. D1 zeigt zwar ein erstes Zugmittel (16), welches an seinem freien Ende einen Beschlag (17) aufweist, und ein zweites Zugmittel (30), welches ein Verschluss (29) ausbildet, die Haltevorrichtung, die gegen die Auftriebskraft wirkt, wird durch das zweite Zugmittel gebildet. Das erste Zugmittel (16) alleine ist nicht in der Lage, eine in der Notausstiegsschleuse befindliche Person w~hrend des Flutens gegen die Auftriebskraft in einer gewonschten Position zu halten. 4 Es steht dem Anmelder frei, einen neuen Anspruchssatz gemAB dem in Punkt 3 erw~hnten Vorschlag einzureichen. Auf die Zweiteilform nach Regel 43(1) EPU wird hingewiesen. EPA Form 2906 01.91TRI Datum Blatt Anmelde-Nr: Date 16.05.2017 Sheet 3 ApplicationNo: 13 185 635.3 Date Feuille Demande n': Dieser Vorschlag soll den Anmelder lediglich bei seiner Entscheidung Ober das weitere Vorgehen unterstOtzen. Er schlieBt keineswegs eine BerOcksichtigung alternativer L6sungen aus, die der Anmelder einreicht. For die Bestimmung des Wortlauts der Anmeldung (Artikel 113 (2) EPU) und insbesondere for die Festlegung des Gegenstands des Schutzbegehrens ist weiterhin der Anmelder verantwortlich. Urn die Erfordernisse des Artikels 84 EPU und der Regel 42(1) c) EPU zu erfOllen, sollte der Anmelder die Beschreibung an die ge~nderten AnsprOche anpassen. Bei den Anspruchs~nderungen und bei der Uberarbeitung der Beschreibung ist darauf zu achten, dass der Gegenstand nicht Ober den Inhalt der Anmeldung in der ursprOnglich eingereichten Fassung hinausgeht (Artikel 123 (2) EPU). EPA Form 2906 01.91TRI

Description

SUBMARINE

Description

This disclosure relates to a submarine and an emergency evacuation system for a submarine.

With regard to military submarines, it is counted as belonging to the state of the art, to provide these with emergency exit locks, via which the crew can leave the submarine in the case of an underwater accident. For the emergency exit out of the submarine, usually a person enters into the emergency exit lock, whereupon the emergency exit lock is flooded, and after a pressure compensation between the outer environment of the submarine and the inside of the emergency exit lock, a cover otherwise closing the emergency exit lock to the outside is opened. The person located in the emergency exit lock can now float out of the open emergency exit lock to the surface of the water.

The crew members of the submarine during the emergency exit usually wear submarine rescue suits. Such submarine rescue suits which are described for example in DE 10 2010 023 518 A1 and GB 2 441 959 A are mostly full body suits with a hood covering the head of the user and with a collar filled with air as a buoyancy body. The hood of the submarine rescue suit is likewise filled with air and serves as a respiratory air reservoir as well as a further buoyancy body.

The filling of the collar and the hood of the submarine rescue suit is effected in the emergency exit lock. For this, the emergency exit lock is provided with an air supply device, to which an air supply connection designed on the submarine rescue suit is connected. During the flooding of the emergency exit lock, the air flowing from the air supply device into the submarine rescue suit gives the submarine rescue suit considerable buoyancy. A floating-up in the emergency exit lock is however not desirable, since hereby the air supply connection of the submarine rescue suit can separate from the air supply device in the emergency exit lock. This entails a huge physical effort on the part of a person located in the emergency exit lock, in order to prevent this, and this creates significant health risks, particularly with an emergency exit at a great depth.

It is against this background and the problems and difficulties associated therewith that the present invention has been developed.

Certain objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

According to a first aspect, there is disclosed a submarine comprising at least one emergency exit lock, a holding device for releasably fastening on a submarine rescue suit, the holding device comprising a holding means fixed with respect to the submarine in the emergency exit lock, a first tension means which is connected to the submarine, the holding device comprising a winch on which the tension means is wound, where the first tension means comprises a free end which comprises a fitting which is fastenable on the submarine rescue suit, the holding device further comprising a second tension means, which is fastenable to the submarine, and which is connected to a closure formed on the fitting of the first tension means, wherein a control device is provided for the automatic release of the holding means, and wherein the winch comprises a retrieval device for the automatic winding of the tension means on the winch.

In one form, the winch comprises a manually actuatable brake.

In one form, the brake is hydraulic.

In one form, the second tension means is shorter than the first tension means.

In one form, the retrieval device comprises a spring element.

In one form, the fitting fastened on the first tension means is a snap shackle.

In one form, the first tension means comprises a cable or a strap.

In one form, the second tension means comprises a further cable or a strap. lock.

The submarine according to the invention comprises at least one emergency exit lock, via which the crew can leave the submarine in the case of an underwater accident. The idea on which the invention is based, lies in arranging a holding device with holding means fixed on the part of the submarine, which is to say fixed with regard to the submarine or fixed on the submarine side, in the emergency exit lock for the releasable fastening on a submarine rescue suit, with which the holding means of the holding device prevent a person located in the emergency exit lock from floating up during the flooding of the emergency exit lock. Instead, this person is held in the emergency exit lock in a desired position against the buoyancy force, without any physical effort on the part of this person being required, since his submarine rescue suit is fixedly connected to the submarine structure via the holding means. The holding device can be a fixed constituent of the emergency exit lock or, with the presence of suitable coupling means in the emergency exit lock and on the holding device for a rapid fastening of the holding device in the emergency exit lock, it can also be stored at another location in the submarine, wherein in the later case, before an emergency evacuation of the submarine via the emergency exit lock, it must be brought into the emergency exit lock and fastened there.

The holding means are to be released from the submarine rescue suit for leaving the emergency exit lock. For this, according to the invention, a control device is provided, which is designed for the automatic release of the holding means. Advantageously, the control device can be activated by the opening, outer cover of the emergency exit lock, so that when this cover is pivoted into its position releasing the exit opening of the emergency exit lock, the control device is activated and the release of the holding means is initiated, i.e. the connection of the submarine rescue suit to the submarine structure is released. Further advantageously, a design is also conceivable, with which the control device can be actuated manually by the person in the emergency exit lock.

The automatic release of the holding means by the control device is preferably effected at the submarine rescue suit, so that the holding means remain in the emergency exit lock and is available in the emergency exit lock to further persons still located in the submarine, for their emergency exit out of the submarine. However, it is to be noted that basically a design is also conceivable, with which the holding means are released on the submarine side, thus the holding means are separated from the submarine structure, wherein they are still connected to the submarine rescue suit.

In principle, any means which creates a fixed connection of the submarine rescue suit to the submarine structure and in this manner holds a person in the emergency exit lock in a predefined position can be used as a holding means. The holding device of the submarine according to the invention and which is arranged in the emergency exit lock as a holding means however preferably comprises a tension means (pull means) which is connectable to the submarine structure and which at its free end comprises a fitting fastenable to a submarine rescue suit. With regard to the tension means, it can be the case for example of a belt, a strap or a cable which have the advantage of being flexible transversely to their longitudinal extension and therefore of not essentially restricting the freedom of movement of persons located in the emergency exit lock and of only preventing a movement in the direction of a tensile loading of the tension means. All attachment devices which permit a releasable connection to a submarine rescue suit and preferably have a releasable closure for this are to be considered as a fitting which is fixedly connected to the tension means. Thus with regard to the attachment device it can be the case for example of a karabiner or of a snap shackle which in a simple manner can be hooked on a tab formed on the submarine rescue suit and then ensure a secure connection between the tension means and the submarine rescue suit, wherein the connection however can be rapidly released with a suitable actuation of the closure or snap part of the fitting.

In one form, the holding device comprises a winch, on which the tension means is wound. This is particularly advantageous if, as is preferably envisaged, the holding means on leaving the emergency exit lock is still to be connected in the emergency exit lock to the submarine rescue suit of the person floating upwards and is only to be released just after the beginning of the floating-up procedure, by way of the control device envisaged for this. During the flooding of the emergency exit lock and during the subsequent pressure compensation therein, the tension means is wound so far on the winch that with the person standing on the floor of the emergency exit lock and on whose submarine rescue suit the tension means is fastened via its fitting, the tensile means is tensioned and securely holds the person in this position. The winch in this situation is typically fixed by way of suitable means. The fixation of the winch is released for leaving the emergency exit lock, so that the tension means, when the person begins to float up, is wound off the winch, before the tension means is released from the submarine rescue suit of the floating-up person.

The winch for its fixation preferably comprises a manually actuatable brake. This brake is preferably designed in a hydraulically acting manner, i.e. a braking body which is arranged in the brake arranged in the holding device in a stationary manner, is pressed onto a rotationally movable part of the winch by way of being subjected to a hydraulic fluid, for fixing the winch. The design of the brake is otherwise infinite.

For the release of the tension means fastened on the submarine rescue suit, the holding device of the submarine according to the invention advantageously comprises a second tension means which is fastenable to the vessel structure of the submarine and which is connected to a closure formed on the fitting of the first tension means. This second tension means, which as with the first tension means fastened on the submarine rescue suit can be a belt, a strap or a cable, is designed with such a length that when the person located in the emergency exit lock and standing on the floor of the emergency exit lock waits for the end of the flooding and the end of the pressure compensation therein, it is connected in a limp manner to the closure formed on the fitting of the first tension means, thus is not tensioned, wherein this closure is also to be understood as a release mechanism of this closure. If this person floats up in the emergency exit lock for leaving the submarine, the second tension mean is tensioned, by which means a tensile force is exerted on the closure or on the release mechanism of the closure and this force opens the closure, so that the first tension means releases from the submarine rescue suit and the person in the submarine rescue suit can float freely out of the emergency exit lock to the surface. For this, the second tension means is usefully shorter than the first tension means.

After a person has left the submarine via the emergency exit lock, the tension means wound off when leaving the emergency exit lock should be available to a subsequent person to be brought out via the emergency exit lock, in a length which prevents this person for floating up in the emergency exit lock during the flooding of this. For this purpose, the winch, on which the first tension means is wound, according to a further advantageous development of the invention, comprises a retrieval device for automatic winding of the tension means on the winch.

This retrieval device is advantageously formed by a spring element which preferably on the one hand is connected to a rotatable part of the winch and on the other hand is connected to a stationary part of the holding device, or as the case may be, to the submarine body. Advantageously, with regard to the spring element, is can be the case of a cantilever element which is tensioned when the first tension means is wound off amid the rotation of the winch when a person floats up in the emergency exit lock, and is relaxed when the first tension element is released from the submarine rescue suit, by which means the winch is set into a rotation movement, with which the tension means is again wound onto the winch.

The invention is hereinafter explained in more detail by way of one embodiment shown in the drawings. In the drawings are shown in:

Fig. 1 in a schematically greatly simplified basic sketch, a submarine with an emergency exit lock designed therein,

Fig. 2 in a schematically greatly simplified basic sketch, a person in a submarine rescue suit in an emergency exit lock of submarine, during the flooding of the emergency exit lock,

Fig. 3 the representation according to Fig. 1, with the person on exit out of the emergency exit lock,

Fig. 4 in a perspective sectioned view, a holding device in a schematically simplified manner.

The submarine 2 represented in Fig. 1 at its upper side comprises a tower 4. An emergency exit lock 6 is formed in the tower 4, and the crew can leave the submarine 2 via this emergency exit lock in the case of an underwater accident. For this, the emergency exit lock 6 which in Fig. 1 is not shown in the correct size ratio to the submarine, but is enlarged for this, forms a path from the inside of a pressure hull of a submarine 2 which is not shown, to the outside of the submarine 2. The emergency exit lock 6 extends vertically in the tower 4 from a lower end of the tower 4 to its upper end 8. At its lower end, the emergency exit lock 6 is closed in a pressure tight manner to the pressure hull of the submarine 2 by a cover 10. An exit opening 12 of the emergency exit lock 6 which designed at the upper end of the tower 4 is closed in a pressure-tight manner by a cover 14.

As is clear from the Figures 2 and 3, a holding device 16 is arranged in the inside of the emergency exit lock 6 and this serves for securely holding a person 18 located in the emergency exit lock 6 for the emergency exit, in his standing position in the emergency exit lock 6 during the flooding of the emergency exit lock 6. This person 18 wears a submarine rescue suit 20 as is usual with an emergency exit out of a submerged submarine which is subject to an accident.

The holding device 16 comprises a tension means in the form of a cable 22 wound on a winch 24 which is fastened in a stationary manner in the emergency exit shaft 6, this however not being evident in the drawing. A snap shackle 26 as a fitting is fastened at the free end of the cable 22. During the flooding of the emergency exit lock 6, and the subsequent pressure compensation in the emergency exit lock 6, the snap shackle 26 is fastened on a tab 28 arranged on the submarine rescue suit 20 in a region surrounding the waist of the person 18 located therein.

The snap shackle 26 comprises a closure 30, on which two bows 32 and 34 are arranged at the two sides which are away from one another. The cable 22 is fastened on the bow 32. The bow 34 serves for the releasable fastening of the snap shackle 26 on the tab 28 of the submarine rescue suit 20 and for this is designed in a two-part manner, wherein one bow section 36 is fixedly connected to the closure 30, and the bow section 38, which is articulately connected via a joint 40 to the bow section 36, is releasable fastenable on the closure. An actuation lever 42 is provided on the closure 30 for releasing the bow section 38 from the closure 30.

The winch 24 during the flooding of the emergency exit lock 6 and during the pressure compensation therein is to be fixed for holding the person 18 in the previously described position in the emergency exit lock 6. A brake 44 serves for this and is symbolised in Figures 2 and 3 by two brake pads 46 arranged on the outer side of the winch 24, wherein the shown brake pads 46 however are not to indicate any specific constructional form of the brake 44. What is not evident from the drawing is that with regard to the brake 44, it is the case of a manually actuatable hydraulically acting brake 44, which is shown in a more detailed manner in Fig. 4.

Apart from the cable 22, a second tension means in the form of a cable 48 is fastened on the bow 32 of the snap shackle 26. This cable 48 is fastened at its other end on the holding device 16 in a fixed manner. The cable 48 is shorter than the cable 22.

The manner of functioning of the holding device 16 represented in Figures 2 and 3 is as follows:

For emergency exit, the person 18 in the submarine rescue suit 20 enters the emergency exit lock 6 and closes the lower hatch to the pressure hull by way of a cover 10. Thereafter, he connects himself to the holding device 16 by way of him hooking the open bow 34 of the snap shackle 26 into the tab 28 provided on the submarine rescue suit 20 and pivoting the bow section 38 into the closure position, in which the bow section 38 is fixed on the closure 30 of the snap shackle 26. The submarine rescue suit 20 is then connected to the cable 22 wound on the winch 24. The person 18 actuates the brake 44 by way of actuation means which are not shown in the drawing, so that the cable 22 cannot be wound off from the winch 24.

The person 18 then connects an air supply connection provided on the submarine rescue suit 20 to an air supply device which is located in the emergency exit lock 6 and which as is the case with the air supply connection of the submarine rescue suit 20, is not represented in the drawing for a better overview. The flooding of the emergency exit lock 6 and a pressure compensation therein with the outer atmosphere of the submarine 2 is subsequently effected. The submarine rescue suit 20 due to its air filling in the collar and hood tends to float up in the emergency exit lock 6 during the flooding and the pressure compensation. This however is advantageously prevented by way of the cable 22 of the holding device 16 being fastened on the submarine rescue suit, and the person 18 in the submarine rescue suit 20 thus being held in his prescribed position in the emergency exit lock 6.

After the pressure compensation in the emergency exit lock 6 has been completed, the upper cover 14 of the emergency exit lock 6 is opened and pivoted into a position releasing the exit opening 12. The brake 44 on the winch 24 is subsequently released. The person 18 in the submarine rescue suit 20 now floats up in the emergency exit lock 6, wherein the cable 22 is wound off from the winch 24. The cable 48 which firstly hangs in a limp manner, is tensioned by way of this, and in this manner exerts a tension force on the actuation lever 42 of the closure 30 of the snap shackle 26, by which means the closure 30 releases the bow section 38 of the bow 34 of the snap shackle 26. This can now pivot open, by which means the snap shackle 26 releases at the tab 28 on the submarine rescue suit 20. The person 18 from now on is no longer connected to the holding device 16 and can float up through the exit opening 12 of the emergency exit lock 6 to the surface of the water.

During the winding of the cable 22 from the winch 24, a spring element which is not represented in the drawing and which forms a retrieval device for the automatic winding of the cable 22 on the winch 24, is tensioned. After releasing the connection of the cable 22 to the submarine rescue suit 20, this spring element relaxes, by which means the cable 22 is again wound onto the winch 24 and thus again has the desired short length for holding a person subsequently entering the emergency exit lock 6.

Throughout the specification and the claims it will be be understood that the term “comprise” and any of its derivatives (eg comprises, comprising) as used in this specification is to be taken to be inclusive of features to which it refers, and is not meant to exclude the presence of any additional features unless otherwise stated or implied.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all such modifications in its scope.

List of reference numerals 2 submarine 4 tower 6 emergency exit lock 8 end 10 cover 12 exit opening 14 cover 16 holding device 18 person 20 submarine rescue suit 22 cable 24 winch 26 snap shackle 28 tab 30 closure 32 bow 43 bow 36 bow section 38 bow section 40 joint 42 actuation lever 44 brake 46 brake pad 48 cable

Claims

Claims

1. A submarine comprising at least one emergency exit lock, a holding device for releasably fastening on a submarine rescue suit, the holding device comprising a holding means fixed with respect to the submarine in the emergency exit lock, a first tension means which is connected to the submarine, the holding device comprising a winch on which the tension means is wound, where the first tension means comprises a free end which comprises a fitting which is fastenable on the submarine rescue suit, the holding device further comprising a second tension means, which is fastenable to the submarine, and which is connected to a closure formed on the fitting of the first tension means wherein a control device is provided for the automatic release of the holding means, and wherein the winch comprises a retrieval device for the automatic winding of the tension means on the winch.
2. The submarine according to claim 1, wherein the winch comprises a manually actuatable brake.
3. The submarine according to claim 2, wherein the brake is hydraulic.
4. The submarine according to claim 3, wherein the second tension means is shorter than the first tension means.
5. The submarine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retrieval device comprises a spring element.
6. The submarine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fitting fastened on the first tension means is a snap shackle.
7. The submarine as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first tension means comprises a cable or a strap.
8. The submarine as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second tension means comprises a further cable or a strap.
9. The submarine as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control device is activated by opening an outer cover of the emergency exit lock.