EP2292508B1 - Hatch cover for closing off a hatch - Google Patents

Description

description

The invention relates to a hatch for completing a hatch, in particular a hatch of a submarine with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

A hatch cover of the aforementioned kind is from the document FR 1250446 is known and is typically used to close a hatch in a ship's deck, but also in other areas such as structures and the like. While the hatch cover is usually provided for over-sealing the hull in Überwasserschiffe, this fulfills the submarine in addition to other functions. In the submarine, the hatches next to the torpedo tubes are the only openings in the boat through which both persons and material can be brought into or out of the boat. In particular, the hatch in the tower of the submarine is usually opened after each emergence and sealed again before diving. In addition, the hatch often forms an emergency exit for the underwater exit of a damaged boat. On the one hand, therefore, it has to be reliably pressure-tight, but on the other hand, it has to be able to be opened both above and under water as simply as possible and with little force.

In hatch covers for hatches of submarines it is therefore already state of the art to provide a spring package on the cover side, which at least partially compensates for the weight force when opening and closing the hatch cover. A disadvantage of the known systems, however, is that not only the existing steel and the maximum diving pressure-resistant hatch cover is very heavy, but also by the spring package, which causes a weight relief, then, when the boat has a certain inclination, the opening of the lid due to the heavy weight additionally difficult.

Against this background, the invention has the object, a generic hatch cover in such a way that it can be opened quickly and easily and reliably without great effort and closed. In a further development of the invention, this should also be possible if the boat has a certain inclination.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims, the following description and the drawing. In this case, according to the invention, the features specified in the subclaims and the description in each case individually, but also in combination, the inventive solution according to claim 1 further develop.

The hatch according to the invention for closing a hatch, in particular a hatch of a submarine, is pivotally attached to the hull via at least one hinge. There are provided spring means for weight relief during opening and closing, which have at least two springs with different spring characteristics and which are dimensioned and interconnected so that a weight relief of the lid takes into account its pivotal position.

The basic idea of the solution according to the invention is first of all to facilitate the opening and closing of the hatch cover in the intended position of the boat, namely the fact that by dimensioning the springs over the entire opening path or closing as uniform as possible weight relief of the hatch cover. Because in the closed position, so if the hatch covers the hatch and is arranged substantially horizontally, the lifting force to overcome the greatest weight, the springs are designed so that they apply the maximum force in this position, and then with increasing pivot position in accordance with the decreasing force to open or close the spring force is reduced accordingly. This can be generated in a suitable manner by building a corresponding spring assembly of springs of different spring characteristics. How to build such spring packages is one of the state of the art. Although the weight of the lid remains constant during the entire opening process, the weight distribution changes depending on the position. In the case of a horizontal pivoting position, almost the full weight force for opening is to be overcome, whereas in a pivoting position of 90 ° the entire weight force is absorbed by the pivot bearing and therefore no further spring force is desired, since otherwise this would have to be overcome by the operator.

Basically, it is provided according to the invention to make the hatch itself as light as possible in order to reduce the weight forces. This can advantageously take place in that the hatch cover instead of, for example, as known, made of steel, titanium or a titanium alloy. As a result, the weight of the spring means for weight reduction is reduced, since only lower weight forces are to be compensated.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the spring means for weight relief between the joint and hull are arranged and operatively connected via a crank mechanism with a shaft forming part of the joint, rotatably mounted on the hull and rotatably connected to the hatch cover. With this arrangement it is achieved that the spring means are arranged on the boat side and thus do not burden the lid by weight in addition. Furthermore possible this arrangement a much simpler and at the same time more effective arrangement of the spring means, since not only the otherwise available as flat space above the lid can be used, but extensive freedom of design exists. Such a crank mechanism, which acts on a shaft, can be provided to save space next to the hatch outside the hull or within the outer skin or a panel and keeps the lid itself largely free of mechanical components. In this case, the shaft simultaneously forms the axis of the pivot joint and gear part for opening and closing the lid.

Advantageously, not only spring means for weight relief during opening and closing of the hatch cover are provided, but also spring means for damping, which cushion the lid when reaching a final pivot position, preferably in the open end position to avoid kickback.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, both the spring means for weight relief and the spring means for damping in a common, preferably cylindrical housing are arranged, which is fixed to the hull. In this way, all the spring means can be arranged in a housing, which is advantageous. Alternatively, it is possible to arrange the spring means in separate housings or to encapsulate only one or the other spring means by means of a housing. In particular, in the spring means for weight relief, such a housing encapsulation is advantageous, since pollution by seawater and entrained impurities of the spring assembly can be reliably prevented. In this way, despite harsh environmental conditions a long-term reliable and consistent in terms of power development operation can be guaranteed.

It when the spring means for weight relief or the spring means for damping, but preferably both act on a longitudinally movably guided in the housing rod, which is connected at its joint-side end with the crank mechanism is particularly advantageous. This is technically basically well feasible, since the spring means for compensating the lid weight substantially at the beginning of opening and the spring means for damping substantially at the end of opening must be effective and in so far transmitted via one and the same mechanical component, namely, for example, the aforementioned rod force can be.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing is designed as a cylinder housing and has a piston arranged therein movable, the piston rod preferably passes through the housing at both ends. The spring means are expediently arranged so that they act on the piston, wherein the spring means for damping advantageous to one side of the piston and the spring means for weight relief to the other side of the piston act. The fact that the piston rod is led out to both end sides of the housing, there is a good leadership and a structurally simple structure.

The housing is advantageously pressure-sealed and has two line connections for pressurizing the piston from one side and from the other side. In this way, the piston-cylinder assembly forms a double-acting lift cylinder, which has the advantage that regardless of the manual operability of the hatch cover for opening and closing in addition, a hydraulic or pneumatic actuation both opening and closing the hatch cover is possible , The housing thus forms on the one hand a double-acting lifting cylinder in connection with the piston and on the other hand, a housing for the spring means. The housing thus has a dual function, namely on the one hand to form part of the lift cylinder, on the other hand to safely absorb the spring means. This results in a simple, but also very compact design.

The spring means for weight relief are advantageously formed by two or more coaxially arranged one inside the other and in parallel coil springs. In this case, the coil springs advantageously have different lengths, so that, for example, when opening initially two or more prestressed springs are effective force. If then on further opening the lid due to the decreasing proportion of the weight lower spring forces are required for relief, one of the springs after reaching their maximum stroke is no longer effective and only the other spring. Such spring assemblies can be constructed from two, three or more springs of different characteristics and connected in a suitable manner in series and / or in parallel. In this case, the springs are advantageously designed as coaxially arranged one inside the other coil springs and connected in parallel, as this allows a particularly compact design.

A substantial release of force during opening and closing of the hatch cover, especially in inclined position of the boat in case of accident can be further achieved in that the hatch cover is not made of steel, but of light metal, preferably titanium or a titanium alloy.

Fig. 1

in stark vereinfachter schematischer Darstellung einen geschlossenen Lukendeckel am Turm eines U-Boots,

Fig. 2

den Lukendeckel in halbgeöffneter Position in Darstellung nach Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

den Lukendeckel in vollständig geöffneter Position in Darstellung nach Fig. 1 und

Fig. 4

einen Längsschnitt durch das die Federn aufnehmende Zylindergehäuse.

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

Fig. 1

in a very simplified schematic representation a closed hatch cover on the tower of a submarine,

Fig. 2

the hatch cover in half open position in representation after Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3

The hatch cover in fully open position in representation after Fig. 1 and

Fig. 4

a longitudinal section through the cylinder housing receiving the springs.

The submarine not shown in detail in the figures, in a conventional manner, a tower 1, the Turmluk 2, that is, the hatch 2 located at the upper end of the tower 1, by a hatch cover 3 is closed. When hatch cover 3 is closed, tower 2 is pressure tight ( Fig. 1 ).

To open the hatch cover 3, which can be done both from the outside and from the inside, a locking fuse is first to operate, which is rotated from the inside by means of a handwheel 4 or from the outside by means of a handwheel 5 rotatably mounted on the cover 3 Knaggenring, whereby the Bayonet-type positive connection between the Knaggenring and the correspondingly profiled inner circumference of Turmluks 2 is disengaged. Once this is done, the hatch cover 3 about a pivot axis 6 from the closed position ( Fig. 1 ) in the open position (end position Fig. 3 ) are pivoted. This can be done either by manual application of force, namely from the inside by pressing the handwheel 4 upwards or from outside by pulling up the handwheel 5. It is first of the in Fig. 1 illustrated closed position to raise the entire weight of the lid 3. As the opening position increases, however, the weight to be applied decreases, as a part the weight is then absorbed by the bearing of the lid 3 on the tower 1, the pivot axis 6 in Fig. 3 is shown.

To compensate for this acting on the operator, depending on the pivot position changing weight of the hatch cover 3, a spring assembly 7 is provided, which is arranged in a spring housing 8 in the form of a cylinder housing. The spring housing 8 is attached to the side of the tower 1 and slightly inclined with respect to the tower axis, as shown by the FIGS. 1 to 3 is apparent. In this spring housing 8, a spring assembly of three coaxial nested coil springs 9, 10 and 11 is arranged, which is effective between axial stops within the housing 8 and one side of a piston 12 which is longitudinally movably guided within the spring and cylinder housing 8. The springs 9, 10, 11 are arranged by means of spring holders 25 and 26 coaxially with each other. The piston 12 is seated on a piston rod 13 which is guided on both sides tightly through the cylinder housing 8.

The piston rod 13 forms part of a thrust-crank mechanism whose structure is based on the FIGS. 1 to 3 is apparent. The piston rod 13 is connected via a joint 14 with a lever 15, which in turn is connected via a hinge 16 to one end of a crank 17, whose other end rotatably engages a shaft 18 which rotatably connected to the linkage 19 of the hatch cover 3 is, with the lid 3 is pivotally mounted on the tower 1. The shaft 18 rotates about the axis 6 and thus forms part of the joint with which the hatch cover 3 is attached to the tower 1.

As based on the FIGS. 1 to 3 becomes clear, the piston rod 13 moves from the closed lid position in Fig. 1 until fully opened lid position in Fig. 3 from the top into the cylinder and spring housing 8 and at the bottom of this out. It moves the piston 12 accordingly in direction 20 within the cylinder housing.

With the lid closed ( Fig. 1 ), the coil springs 9, 10 and 11 are biased, as in the sectional view according to Fig. 4 seen. In this position, therefore, acts on the piston 12, the maximum spring force, namely all three prestressed coil springs 9 to 11. The springs 9 to 11 are designed so that in this closed position of the hatch cover 3 via the piston 12 and the associated piston rod 13th a force is applied which acts in direction 20 and generates on the shaft 18 a moment which approximately compensates for the force acting on the articulation linkage 19 by the weight force of the hatch cover 3, so that the cover 3 is weight-balanced and can be lifted practically without appreciable force , With increasing travel of the piston 12 and the piston rod 13 in the direction 20, the inner coil spring 11 first reaches the end of its extension path. Then only the springs 9 and 10 are effective. In the further process in the direction 20, so when pivoting the hatch cover 3 on the in Fig. 2 Outgoing opening position eventually reaches the middle coil spring 10 at the end of its travel and out of action. The outer spring 9 is dimensioned so that upon reaching the open position of the lid ( Fig. 3 ) exerts no further force on the piston 12. As already on the basis of Fig. 4 can be seen, the coil springs 9, 10 and 11 have different spring characteristics and are coordinated and connected in parallel so that when opening or closing the hatch cover 3 is always a swivel position adapted weight compensation, so that the lid 3 with low forces both open and can be closed.

While arranged in the upper part of the spring and cylinder housing 8 coil springs 9, 10 and 11 for weight relief of the Cover 3 are provided, more springs 21, 22 and 23 are provided at the lower end of the spring housing, which are designed as conical springs and which serve exclusively for damping. These conical springs 21 to 23 are at the in Fig. 4 supported lower end face of the spring housing 8 and act on the underside of the piston 12 when the hatch cover 3 in the in Fig. 3 open position shown pivots open and prevent a hard noisy striking the lid, these feathers instead soft and with increasing travel harder from going. The springs 21 to 23 are arranged by means of spring holder 27 and 28 coaxially with each other.

The piston rod 13 is sealed at both end faces of the housing 8 via two seals 24 relative to the housing 8, so that the housing interior with the springs 9 to 11 and 21 to 23, the spring holders 25 to 28 and the piston 12, the in Incidentally, is sealed against the cylinder wall, hermetically sealed and thus protected from the ingress of seawater.

On the cylinder housing 8 are near the upper end and the lower end in Fig. 4 invisible line connections provided over which one or the other side of the piston 12 is pressurizable. In this way, the piston 12 can be moved within the cylinder housing 8 by appropriate pressurization of one or the other side in the manner of a lifting cylinder, pneumatically or hydraulically, depending on the design, so that the hatch cover 3 also pneumatically or hydraulically opened and closed using a corresponding auxiliary power supply can be. This is particularly useful for the accident case when the boat has such an inclined position that the weight relief of the lid by the springs 9 to 11 is only partially effective.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

- Tower

2

- Turmluk, Luke

3

- hatch cover

4

- Handwheel (inside)

5

- Handwheel (outside)

6

- Swivel axis

7

- spring package

8th

- spring housing, cylinder housing

9

- coil spring (outside)

10

- coil spring (middle)

11

- coil spring (inside)

12

- Piston

13

- piston rod

14

- Joint between piston rod and lever

15

- Leverage

16

- Joint between lever and crank

17

- Crank

18

- Wave

19

- Linkage of the hatch cover 3

20

- direction in Fig. 4

21, 22 and 23

- cone springs

24

- Poetry

25

- Pen holder

26

- Pen holder

27

- Pen holder

28

- Pen holder

Claims (12)

1. A hatch cover for closing a hatch (2), in particular a hatch (2) of a submarine, which is pivotably fastened on the submarine body (1) via at least one joint, with spring means (9-11) for weight relief on opening and closure, characterised in that the spring means (9-11), for weight relief, comprise at least two springs (9; 10; 11) with different spring characteristics, which are dimensioned and connected, in a manner such that a weight force compensation adapted to the pivot position is always effected on opening and closing the cover (3).
2. A hatch cover according to claim 1, characterised in that the spring means (9-11) for weight relief are arranged between the joint and the submarine body (11) and are actively connected via a crank drive (14-17) to a shaft (18) which forms part of the joint, is rotatably mounted on the submarine body (1) and is connected to the hatch cover (3) in a rotationally fixed manner.
3. A hatch cover according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that spring means (21-23) are provided for damping the cover (3) on reaching an end pivot position, preferably the opened position (Fig. 3).
4. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spring means (9-11) for weight relief and/or the spring means (21- 23) for damping, are arranged in a common, preferably cylindrical housing (8), which is fastened on the submarine body (1).
5. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spring means (9-11) for weight relief and/or the spring means (21-23) for damping act on a rod (13) which is guided in the housing (8) in a longitudinally movable manner and which is connected at its end on the joint side, to the crank drive (14-17).
6. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing (8) is a cylinder housing (8) with a piston (12) which is displaceably arranged therein, whose piston rod (13) passes through the housing (8), preferably at both face sides.
7. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing (8) is closed in a pressure-tight manner and comprises at least two conduit connections for pressure impingement of the piston (12) from the one or the other side.
8. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spring means (9-11) for weight relief are effective to one side of the piston (12), and the spring means (21-23) for damping are effective to the other side of the piston (12).
9. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the spring means (9-11) for weight relief comprise two or more helical springs (9-11), which are arranged coaxially in one another and are connected in parallel.
10. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the helical springs (10; 11) is only effective over a part of the displacement path of the piston (12).
11. A hatch cover according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hatch cover (3) is of a lightweight metal, preferably of titanium or a titanium alloy.
12. A submarine with a hatch cover (3) according to one of the preceding claims.

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