EP1770822A1 - coupling apparatus for a releasable attachment of a towing antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has antenna-sided and vehicle-sided mechanical connecting units and electrical and/or optical connecting units, where a lever and an elbow lever (22, 24) are provided for positive-fit coupling of the mechanical connecting units to each other. A helical spring and another lever (36, 44) are provided for force-fit coupling of the electrical and/or optical connecting units. The vehicle-sided mechanical connecting unit has a guide (4), where an antenna-sided connecting unit (6) is inserted in the guide and is latched in a coupling position.

Description

The invention relates to a coupling device for releasably connecting a towed antenna with a watercraft, in particular a submarine.

It is important in watercraft, especially in submarines, to use state-of-the-art guided towed antennas in the water. Accordingly, devices are known with which towed antennas attached to submarines or deployed from submarines and can be obtained.

Out DE 103 37 004 A1 is a submarine with towed antenna known. There, the towed antenna is wound up within the outer skin of the boat, with a fold-out guide is provided, which ensures that the towed antenna is extended with sufficient distance from the hull and thus can not get into the area of the propeller. The arrangement described there has the advantage that the towed antenna can also be deployed underwater and caught up if necessary, in which case, if the towed antenna is not needed, this protected including the guide lies within the outer skin of the boat and the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic properties of Bootes virtually unaffected. However, the device for winding the antenna on the one hand and for extending and retracting the guide including the other mechanism provided there is structurally complex and expensive. It also takes up a relatively large amount of space, both for the Tow antenna itself, which may have a length of a thousand meters or more, as well as the mechanism for extending and retracting the guide, for swinging the device covering flaps in the outer skin and for the Kappvorrichtung, which in an emergency, the towed antenna separates from the hull.

Against this background, the present invention seeks to provide a coupling device which is relatively simple in construction, preferably can be retrofitted to existing boats and with a towed antenna reliable and safe with a watercraft, especially a submarine is connectable.

This object is achieved by a coupling device with the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims and the following description and the drawing.

The coupling device according to the invention for releasably connecting a towed antenna with a watercraft, in particular a submarine, has both mechanical connection parts and electrical and / or optical connection parts, which are respectively provided on the antenna side and on the vehicle side. In this case, on the one hand means for positive coupling of the mechanical connection parts and means for non-positive coupling of the electrical and / or optical connection parts are provided.

In particular, when used on a submarine, the invention represents a cost effective alternative to the prior art described above, which makes it possible to couple a towed antenna to a submarine when needed. In this case, the coupling device according to the invention creates on the one hand a mechanical connection the towed antenna with the vessel and on the other hand, an electrical and / or optical coupling of the towed antenna, which is ensured due to the frictional coupling of the electrical and / or optical connection parts that even under load of positively coupled mechanical connection parts always the electrical and / or optical connections in Remain plant. The traction ensures that there is no relative movement between the antenna-side and the vehicle-side connecting parts, so that the signal transmission from or to the antenna in this way can not be interrupted by a moving apart of the connecting parts. Another advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that the towed antenna in an emergency situation can be separated quickly and easily from the vessel by only the positive connection of the mechanical coupling parts is repealed.

The basic idea of the present invention is therefore to functionally separate the mechanical coupling on the one hand and the electrical / optical connection on the other hand so that, for example, the mechanical connection of the coupling parts is formed for the purpose of coupling by establishing a positive connection, which is then determined within this mechanical one Clutch the actual connections are connected to each other and subjected to force, so that even when loading the mechanical connection due to the application of force always a secure electrical / optical connection of the connecting parts is guaranteed.

The electrical and / or optical connection parts are to be understood as the antenna-side and vehicle-side plug-type components which, when combined, produce an electrically and / or optically conductive connection from the towed antenna to the transmitting or receiving device. For example, the electrical and / or optical connector parts are formed by a designed as a plug part end of the towed antenna and also designed as a plug part end of a vehicle side connected to the transmitting and receiving device antenna cable, the antenna-side plug part and the vehicle-side plug part are so assembled that the ends of electrically conductive cable with each other electrically and / or the ends of optical fibers are optically interconnected. It is necessary, in particular for the optical connection, that even under load, the connecting parts, which are typically adjacent to one another on the front side, also do not stand out from each other for a short time, which would lead to the interruption of the optical connection. This is reliably ensured by a preferably acting in the joining direction of force of the connecting parts.

The electrical and / or optical connection parts are designed primarily for the electrical and / or optical coupling of the towed antenna to the vehicle-side antenna cable, and less for mechanically connecting the towed antenna with the vehicle-side antenna cable or with the watercraft. For this purpose, the mechanical connection parts are provided, which are arranged on the antenna side, preferably in the immediate vicinity of the connected end of the towed antenna and vehicle side of a medium or directly attached to the vessel receiving means for receiving this end of the towed antenna are formed.

The mechanical connection parts are used for fixing the towed antenna to the vessel and are designed such that they absorb the forces acting on the towed antenna and in particular the forces acting on the towed antenna during towing of the vessel pulling forces, whereby it flows a force on the electrical and / or optical connection parts prevent so that the tensile forces do not affect the signal transmitting coupling of the electric and / or optical connector parts can act. An antenna-side connection preferably has both the electrical and / or optical connection parts and the mechanical connection parts, while the mechanical and electrical and / or optical connection parts are independent of each other and spatially separated on the vehicle side.

Means are provided for coupling the mechanical connection parts which positively fix the antenna-side mechanical connection part to the vehicle-side mechanical connection part in the position required for coupling the electrical and / or optical connection parts or release a connection of the mechanical connection parts and thus the towed antenna from the watercraft. These means are expediently arranged on the vehicle side, which makes it possible, in particular in the case of a submarine with a corresponding configuration of the coupling device, to release the towed antenna from the pressure hull during underwater travel of the submarine in an emergency situation. Advantageously, the means for coupling the mechanical connection parts are also designed to move the antenna-side connection part into the coupling position and permit a positive connection of the antenna-side mechanical connection part and vehicle-side mechanical connection part.

In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle-side mechanical connection part has a guide into which the antenna-side connection part is insertable and can be moved in a coupling position and locked in this position. The guide is expediently designed such that the antenna-side connecting part can be easily inserted into the guide and fixed there before it is moved into a coupling position. The guide is preferably on the vessel parallel to its longitudinal axis and thus aligned in the direction of the pulling forces acting on the towed antenna. An advantage of this arrangement is that the towed antenna can be released in an emergency situation after releasing the locking produced by the means for coupling the mechanical connecting parts solely by the action of the tensile forces acting on the towed antenna.

Advantageously, the antenna-side mechanical connection part has at least one projection on its outer circumference and the guide has a preferably groove-like recess. In the recess, the projection of the antenna-side connecting part is movably guided in the joining direction. With this arrangement, the groove-like recess forms the actual guide for the antenna-side connection part, which also ensures that the antenna-side connection part part is arranged in the position required for the coupling of the electrical and / or optical connection parts. Starting from an insertion opening for insertion of the antenna-side connection part, the recess extends in the joining direction. Conveniently, projections and recesses are arranged in pairs and diametrically to each other.

In an advantageous embodiment, the projection on the antenna-side connection part and the recess on the guide are designed such that a part of the projection protrudes on the outside of the guide. For the positive coupling of the mechanical connection parts, a pivotally mounted lever is provided whose free end is fork-shaped for receiving the projection of the antenna-side connection part, and which is movable from a receiving position into a coupling position. In the receiving position, the projection in the fork-shaped end of the lever can be inserted and in the coupling position of the projection and thus the antenna-side connection part or the towed antenna is positively fixed.

Particularly advantageously, the lever with the fork-shaped end is designed and arranged such that it prevents a movement of the antenna-side connecting part beyond the receiving position in the receiving position and on the other hand leads by pivoting in the coupling position arranged on the antenna-side connecting part projection into the groove-like recess of the guide, and thus determines form-fitting.

Particularly suitably, the lever is designed as a two-armed lever with a load arm, which receives the projection of the antenna-side connecting part with its fork-shaped end, and a force arm, to which a drive preferably a lever of a toggle mechanism is connected. The toggle mechanism is for transmitting the actuating force for moving the lever from the receiving position to the locking position and in the reverse direction. The toggle mechanism has the advantage that, on the one hand, relatively high forces can be transmitted, in particular absorbed, and, moreover, that when the toggle mechanism is in the extended or overstretched position, a self-locking is present, that is, a locking is ensured, regardless of the force acting on the knee joint. As a result, the lever in the coupling position, d. H. set self-locking in the locking position of the antenna-side connection part of the toggle mechanism.

Preferably, the toggle lever of the toggle mechanism on a first vehicle side applied lever and a second applied to the power arm lever. At the knee joint connecting this lever knee lever is a linear drive, preferably a lifting cylinder hinged. This arrangement allows the application of large actuation forces in a relatively compact design.

As a linear drive, all vehicles suitable for moving the toggle lever, for example a spindle drive, are suitable for surface vehicles. In particular, when using the coupling device according to the invention on a submarine but the use of a hydraulically operated lifting cylinder is advantageous because it is less prone to interference by external influences.

In order to couple the electrical and / or optical connection parts in the joining direction with force or together with a pressing force, in an advantageous embodiment, the vehicle-side electrical and / or optical connector movable limited in a coupling position and in the coupling position spring force applied fixed. The antenna-side electrical and / or optical connection part is fixed rigidly in the coupling position by fixing the mechanical connection part of the towed antenna. The vehicle-side electrical and / or optical connection part is movable in the direction of the antenna-side connection part such that the two connection parts abut the front side and create the connections required for signal transmission. In this case, a spring is provided which exerts such a large pressing force of the vehicle-side connecting part on the antenna-side connecting part that a movement apart of the two connecting parts in the coupling state is reliably prevented.

For moving the vehicle-side connection part, an actuating lever is advantageously provided, which is articulated on the vehicle side and is coupled in a motion-coupled manner with the vehicle-side connection part. The actuating lever is preferably formed manually operable and arranged so that by pivoting the actuating lever, the vehicle-side electrical and / or optical connector is movable into the coupling position, in which the vehicle-side connector, the antenna-side connector contacted or rests against this.

Preferably, the actuating lever is coupled via a spring to the connecting part. In this way, the force required to move the vehicle-side connecting part is not introduced directly from the operating lever to this connecting part, but first to the spring and from there to the connecting part. In this case, a force is exerted on the spring by the actuating lever in the coupling position of the two connecting parts further, which causes the frictional connection between the two connection parts.

Particularly space-saving, the spring is designed as a helical spring which surrounds the connecting part, wherein it is supported on the coupling side coupling on a radially projecting from the lateral surface of the vehicle-side connecting part bearing shoulder and is attacked at the other end of the actuating lever.

In order to prevent release of the coupling between the electrical and / or optical connection parts, means for positive fixing of the vehicle-side electrical and / or optical connection part are expediently provided in the coupling position, for example, a hook over the operating lever.

The submarine according to the invention has a coupling device with the features described above. In this case, the coupling device is expediently attached to a submersible located in the submerged boat position on the submarine, since the towed antenna must be connected from the outside to the submarine. Thus, it is conceivable, for example, to attach the towed antenna at a location spaced from the propeller of the submarine, for example at the trailing edge of the tower or at the end of a vertical stabilizer fin or an upper rudder. Conveniently, for the coupling device a Cover provided, which can be removed when using the device or concealed when not in use, this device, so that the signature of the submarine is not significantly affected in this state.

• Fig. 1 eine Kupplungsvorrichtung in einer Seitenansicht mit gekuppelten Anschlussteilen,
• Fig. 2 eine Seitenansicht der Kupplungsvorrichtung gemäß Fig. 1 in vereinfachter kleinerer Darstellung vor dem Festlegen einer Schleppantenne,
• Fig.3 eine Seitenansicht der Kupplungsvorrichtung gemäß Fig. 2 bei gekuppelten mechanischen Anschlussteilen,
• Fig. 4 eine Seitenansicht der Kupplungsvorrichtung gemäß Fig. 2 bei gekuppelten mechanischen sowie elektrischen und/oder optischen Anschlussteilen,
• Fig. 5 eine Seitenansicht der Kupplungsvorrichtung gemäß Fig. 2 beim Lösen der Schleppantenne, und
• Fig. 6 eine Teilseitenansicht eines Unterseebootes mit er erfindungsgemäßen Kupplungsvorrichtung, angeordnet in einer vertikalen Stabilisierungsflosse.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. Show it:

• 1 shows a coupling device in a side view with coupled connecting parts,
• 2 is a side view of the coupling device according to FIG. 1 in a simplified, smaller representation prior to the definition of a towed antenna, FIG.
• 3 shows a side view of the coupling device according to FIG. 2 with coupled mechanical connecting parts, FIG.
• 4 shows a side view of the coupling device according to FIG. 2 with coupled mechanical and electrical and / or optical connection parts, FIG.
• Fig. 5 is a side view of the coupling device of FIG. 2 when loosening the towed antenna, and
• Fig. 6 is a partial side view of a submarine with he coupling device according to the invention, arranged in a vertical stabilizing fin.

The coupling device 1 shown in Fig. 1 has a support structure 2, which is fixedly mounted on a watercraft, not shown. On the support structure 2 are a guide 4 and a guide 8 arranged. The guide 4 serves to receive and lock a plug-like connection part 6 of a towed antenna. Through the guide 8 is also a plug-like design vehicle-side connector part 10 of an arranged on the vessel antenna cable (not shown) movably guided. The guides 4 and 8 are formed so that the connecting parts 6 and 10 arranged therein have a common longitudinal axis A. While the connection part 10 is constantly guided in the guide 8, the connection part 6 can optionally be introduced into the guide 4 or be removed from the guide 4.

The guides 4 and 8 are arranged on a common fastening plane 14 formed by the support structure 2. The guide 4 is formed by two mutually parallel walls which extend normal to the mounting plane 14 upwards. The walls of the guide 4 are each formed in two parts, wherein the two wall portions of each wall by means of connecting brackets 16 and 18 are connected to each other at their outer sides, that the wall sections are spaced from each other and on each wall, a groove-like longitudinal recess 20 is formed. The connecting straps 16 and 18 have an outwardly curved shape, such that they are spaced in the region of the longitudinal recess 20 from the walls of the guide 4 to the outside.

At the antenna-side connecting part 6, which is formed substantially cylindrical, two projections 12 are provided diametrically spaced from each other, which are formed by cylindrical guide pins, which extend radially outward starting from the lateral surface of the connecting part 6. When manually inserting the connecting part 6 into the guide 4, it is necessary to align the connecting part 6 so that the projections 12 engage in the longitudinal recesses 20. In this case, the connection part 6 is inserted so far into the guide 4, until the projections 12 are guided in the groove-like recesses 20 and in the free, forked ends of hinged to the support structure 2 levers 22 are (see Figure 2). By means of the lever 22, the connecting part 6 is then brought into a locked within the guide coupling position, as shown with reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4. Then, the antenna-side connector 6 is positively fixed within the guide and fixed on the projections 12 in this position. This is described in detail below.

Each lever 22 is pivotally mounted on the support structure 2. It is designed with two arms, with a lever arm 22a and a lever arm 22b extending in opposite directions, starting from its mounting. The end of the lever arm 22 a is fork-shaped in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the lever 22. In this case, this fork has a clear width, which substantially corresponds to the diameter of the projection 12, so that the fork of the lever arm 22a record the projection 12 almost free of play and can hold.

At the end of the lever arm 22b, a lever 24a of a toggle lever 24 is articulated. At the other end of this lever 24a, the second lever 24b of the toggle lever 24 is articulated via a knee joint 26. The lever 24b is attached at its other end via a hinge 28 to the support structure 2.

Further, a hinge rod 30 is hinged to the knee joint 26, which connects the extending part of a hydraulic lifting cylinder 32 articulated to the knee joint 26. By retracting or extending the lifting cylinder 32, the lever mechanism consisting of the lever 22, the toggle lever 24 and the connecting rod 30 can be actuated and the towed antenna can be moved with its connecting part 6 into a coupling position and can be locked there or released from the coupling position.

In the region of the end of the connecting part 10 to be coupled, starting from the lateral surface of the connecting part 10, a collar 34 extends radially outwardly. A coil spring 36, which is arranged surrounding the connecting part 10, is supported at one end on the end face of the collar 34 facing away from the end of the connecting part 10 to be coupled and is connected at its other end to a ring 38, which moves the connecting part 10 surrounds.

Of the ring 38, a bolt 40 extends radially outward, to which a hinge rod 42 is articulated, the other end is articulated at about half the length of a lever 44 which is pivotally mounted at one end via a hinge 46 to the support structure 2. At the other end of the lever 44, a lever extension 48 is hinged limited movable. The lever extension 48 is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, pivotable into a position in which it has a common longitudinal axis with the lever 44.

On the guide 4, a safety hook 50 is hinged, which is placed at coupled connection parts 6 and 10 to the fastening bolt 40 and this engages positively.

The mode of operation of the coupling device 1 according to the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. For reasons of clarity, the lever arm 22b as well as the articulated knee lever 24 and the articulated rod 30 are shown only schematically in these figures. It is understood, moreover, that the levers shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, with the exception of the toggle lever arrangement, are provided on both sides, ie in pairs, in order to ensure a symmetrical introduction of force.

2 shows the coupling device 1 when receiving the connecting part 6 in the guide 4. The lifting cylinder 32 is extended, whereby the lever 22 is pivoted via the toggle lever 24 in a position in which the projections 12 of a manual in the guide 4 inserted connecting part 6 engage in the longitudinal recesses 20 in the walls of the guide 4 and lie in the forks of the lever 22. By retracting the lifting cylinder 32, the lever 22 are pivoted about the toggle lever 24 in the direction of the connecting part 10 and the connecting part 6 is guided in the guide 4 in the direction of the connecting part 10 into a locking position. This condition is shown in FIG.

In the locking position, the toggle lever 24 is stretched, that is, the joint with which the lever 24a of the toggle lever 24 is articulated to the lever 22, the toggle joint 26 and the joint 28 with which the lever 24b of the bell crank 24 is attached to the support structure 2 , lie in a line. In this orientation, the toggle lever 24 is self-locking, in which forces acting on the lever 22, do not lead to movement of the lever 22, even if the lifting cylinder is depressurized.

In the locked state shown in FIG. 3, the connection part 6 is fixed in the guide 4 in such a way that its end encompassing the electrical and optical connections projects out of the guide 4 facing the connection part 10. However, the connection parts 6 and 10 are not yet connected to each other, that is, there is still no coupling of the electrical and optical connection parts.

The electrical and optical coupling of the connecting parts 6 and 10 takes place by actuating the lever 44 via an actuating lever which cross-connects the lever extensions 48. As a result, the connecting part 10, which is designed to rest on the connecting part 6, is moved in the direction of the connecting part 6 until the connecting part 6 on the Connecting part 10 is present and a signal-transmitting contact between the electrical and optical connections of the two connecting parts 6 and 10 consists. In this position, the coil spring 36 is tensioned and presses the connecting part 10 against the connecting part 6 and against the lever position of the lever 44 in the release direction. To secure the optical and electrical coupling of the connecting parts 6 and 10 of the safety hook 50 is folded as shown in Figure 4, so that it includes the bolt 40 and that connector 10 secures positively in this coupling position.

5 shows the coupling device 1 when loosening the towed antenna. The loosening of the towed antenna takes place solely by extending the lifting cylinder 32, whereby the lever 22 are pivoted into the receiving position already described with reference to FIG. In this position, the forked ends of the lever 22 no longer surround the projections 12, so that the connection part 6 can no longer be held by the levers 22. Tensile forces acting on the towing antenna release these from the coupling device 1.

FIG. 6 shows a submarine 52 according to the invention. The submarine 52 has in the region of its stern a stabilizing fin 54, which extends from the outer skin 56 of the submarine 52 vertically upwards. The coupling device 1 is arranged in the upper end of the stabilizing fin 54 such that a towed antenna 58 coupled in the coupling device 1 is suspended in the direction of the stern of the submarine 52 and guided behind the submarine. In this case, the towed antenna 58 is sufficiently spaced from a propeller 60 of the submarine 52.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

coupling device

2

supporting structure

4

guide

6

connector

8th

guide

10

connector

12

projections

14

mounting level

16

connecting brackets

18

connecting brackets

20

longitudinal recess

22

lever

22a

lever arm

22b

lever arm

24

toggle

24a

lever

24b

lever

26

Toggle joint

28

joint

30

joint rod

32

lifting cylinder

34

collar

36

coil spring

38

ring

40

bolt

42

joint rod

44

lever

46

joint

48

lever extension

50

safety hook

52

submarine

54

winglet

56

shell

58

trailing antenna

60

propeller

A

longitudinal axis

Claims (12)

Coupling device (1) for detachably connecting a towed antenna (58) to a watercraft, in particular a submarine (52), in which both mechanical connection parts and electrical and / or optical connection parts are provided on the antenna side and on the vehicle side, wherein means (22, 24, 30 , 32) for positive engagement of the mechanical connection parts to each other and means (36, 44) are provided for non-positive coupling of the electrical and / or optical connection parts. Coupling device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-side mechanical connection part has a guide (4) into which the antenna-side connection part (6) can be inserted and locked in a coupling position. Coupling device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the antenna-side connecting part (6) has at least one projection (12) on its outer circumference and the guide (4) has at least one preferably groove-like recess (20), in which the projection (12) in Joining direction is movably guided. Coupling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the vehicle side, a lever (22) is articulated, whose free end is fork-shaped for receiving the projection (12) of the antenna-side connecting part (6) which is movable from a receiving position into a coupling position , wherein the projection (12) in the receiving position in the fork-shaped end of the lever (22) is insertable and is positively fixed in the coupling position. Coupling device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the lever (22) is designed as a two-armed lever, with a load arm (22a), which receives the projection (12) of the antenna-side connecting part (6), and a force arm (22b) on which a lever (24a) of a toggle mechanism (24) is hingedly connected. Coupling device (1) according to claim 5, wherein a toggle lever (24) has a first lever (24b) articulated on the vehicle side and a second lever (24a) articulated on the force arm, and wherein the knee joint (24) connecting said levers (24a, 24b) ) of the toggle lever, a linear drive, preferably a lifting cylinder (32) is articulated. Coupling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which a vehicle-side electrical and / or optical connector part is movable in a limited movable position in a coupling position and is spring-loaded in the coupling position can be fixed. Coupling device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle side, an actuating lever (44) is articulated, which is coupled in motion with the connecting part (10). Coupling device (1) according to one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the actuating lever (44) via a spring (36) is coupled to the connecting part (10). Coupling device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the spring (36) as a the connecting part (10) surrounding coil spring (36) is formed on the coupling side one of the lateral surface of the connecting part (10) radially projecting abutment shoulder (34) is supported, wherein at the other end of the coil spring (36) of the actuating lever (44) engages. Coupling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which means (50) are provided for the positive fixing of the vehicle-side electrical and / or optical connection part (10) in the coupling position. Submarine (52) with a coupling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims.

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