JP2001352633A - Cable-searching device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cable-searching device which searches and recovers, for instance, an existing submarine cable to repair it, when the submarine cable is damaged, etc., and, particularly, has functions of holding and cutting the cable and which can hold and cut the existing submarine cable surely, regardless of a sea depth, and further, can lift the cut cable on board while it holds the cable firmly. SOLUTION: This cable searching device has a cable holding and cutting mechanism 20, which holes and cuts a cable C laid on a sea bottom and a fluid cylinder 25, which drives the cable holding and cutting mechanism 20. An accumulator 10, in which the fluid is stored with a predetermined pressure is provided and the fluid stored in the accumulator 10 with the pressure, is supplied to the fluid cylinder 25 to make the cable holding and cutting mechanism 20 operate.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cable search device for recovering a cable from a seabed and pulling it up on a ship in order to repair the damage, for example, when an existing submarine cable is damaged. The present invention relates to a cable search device having a function of holding and cutting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when a submarine cable such as a coaxial cable or an optical fiber cable is damaged, its position is measured or detected electrically or optically from land or sea, and the position is determined as shown in FIG. The ship S is dispatched, the probe F is lowered to the sea floor G, and the search is performed while towing it with the wire rope R containing the communication cable. To repair the damaged area and return it to the sea floor again. In the figure, J is a connection joint of a wire rope R containing a communication cable.

[0003] In this case, if the damaged portion of the submarine cable is relatively shallow, the searched cable can be lifted onto the ship as it is.
When the cable is located in the deep sea of 00m, the cable does not have enough extra length and the weight is heavy, so that the cable is stressed and damaged more than necessary, and the length of time required to replace the cable increases. A problem arises in that the number of repair days and costs increase. Therefore, the cable hooked by the probe is grasped by the holding portion of the probe, and at the same time, is cut by the cutting blade provided in the holding portion, and one cut cable is left on the seabed and the other is cut. Pull only the cable on board. After repairing or cutting off the damaged part and adding the cable, the cable left on the sea floor is pulled up on board and connected.

[0004] By the way, in a probe equipped with the function of holding and cutting the cable as described above, conventionally, seawater pressure is generally used as a power source for holding and cutting. The fluid cylinder is driven by seawater pressure, and the cable holding and cutting mechanism is operated in conjunction therewith (for example, JP-A-62-1171405).
No. 62-210815).

[0005] However, in the case of using seawater pressure as described above, since the seawater pressure varies depending on the water depth at the time of holding and cutting the cable, the holding force and the cutting force of the cable change, and stability and reliability are reduced. There is a tendency to be missing. Further, when the submarine cable is held and cut and pulled up on the ship, the seawater pressure decreases with an increase in water depth, whereby the cable holding force may decrease and the cable may fall off.

Therefore, it has been proposed to provide a check valve to maintain the pressure accumulated in the fluid cylinder. However, even if the check valve has a very small manufacturing error, the pressure drops. It is difficult to manufacture a check valve having sufficient reliability. Moreover, even if the above check valve is used,
As described above, the problem that the holding force and the cutting force of the cable change depending on the water depth at the time of holding and cutting the cable cannot be solved.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above problems, and reliably holds and cuts an existing submarine cable regardless of the water depth when holding and cutting the cable. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable search device capable of securely pulling a cut cable onto a ship while holding the cut cable firmly.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, a cable search device according to the present invention has the following arrangement.

That is, in a cable search device having a cable holding / cutting mechanism for holding and cutting a cable laid on the sea floor and a fluid cylinder for driving the cable holding / cutting mechanism, the fluid is accumulated and stored at a predetermined pressure. An accumulator is provided, and the fluid stored and stored in the accumulator is supplied to the fluid cylinder to operate the cable holding / cutting mechanism.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an embodiment of a cable search device according to the present invention, FIG. 1B is a side view thereof, and FIG. 2A is an enlarged side view of a cable holding and cutting portion. b) is a partially cutaway bottom view thereof,
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the switching valve.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cable search device F in the illustrated example comprises a front stabilizer 1, a cable holding / cutting portion 2, and a rear stabilizer 3, which are vertically moved by horizontal axes 4, 5. It is connected to bendable.

The front stabilizer 1 and the rear stabilizer 3 are each formed in a substantially box shape having an open upper surface. Inside the front stabilizer, a transducer 6 for communication with a towing ship is provided.
A landing detector 7 and a pressure-resistant container 8 or the like in which the control device is built are housed and arranged. 7a is a sensor of the landing detector 7, 7b is a shoe for detecting the landing, and 9 is the probe F
This is a hole for inserting a wire rope when towing a ship.

In the rear stabilizer 3, an accumulator 10 is accommodated and arranged.
A character-shaped auxiliary wing 11 is attached. 10a is an operation valve for controlling the accumulator 10.

The cable holding / cutting section 2 has a box-shaped case 15 in which a cable holding / cutting mechanism 20 and a fluid cylinder 25 for driving the holding / cutting mechanism 20 are housed. Is integrally provided with a search line hook 16 for searching for and capturing a submarine cable. A cable insertion opening 17 is formed on both sides of the case 15 above the search hook 16, and a pair of the cable holding / cutting mechanism 20 constituting the cable holding / cutting mechanism 20 is provided in the case 15 between the openings 17. Cable holding clamp 2
1a and 21b and a pair of cable cutting blades 22a and 22b
Are provided to face each other in the front-rear direction.

The cutting blades 22a and 22b are integrally fixed to the side surfaces of the holding clamps 21a and 21b by screws or the like (not shown).
1a is a piston rod 26a of the fluid cylinder 25;
Are integrally connected and fixed. The other holding clamp 21b is inserted and held so as to be able to advance and retreat through a hole 18a formed in the partition plate 18 in the case 15 via an advance and retreat rod 27 provided integrally therewith. 2 is urged forward (to the left in FIG. 2) by a compression coil spring (not shown) interposed therebetween, and the step 27a of the advancing / retracting rod 27 abuts against the partition plate 18 so as to be in FIG. Held in state.

On the other hand, the fluid cylinder 2 in the case 15
A switching valve 30 is disposed and fixed on the upper surface of the valve 5 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3, and a cylindrical valve chamber 31 is formed in the switching valve 30. The rear end of the operating rod 32 also functioning as a valve body inserted freely into and out of the connecting plate 2
9 and is connected and fixed to the advance / retreat rod 27.

A fluid introduction passage 33 for guiding the fluid in the accumulator 10 to the valve chamber 31 is formed on a side surface of the valve chamber 31. The other end of the passage 33 opposite to the valve chamber 31 has a coupler 34 and a hose. Accumulator 10 via 35
Is connected to the A fluid supply passage 3 for supplying fluid to the fluid cylinder 25 is provided at the tip of the valve chamber 31.
The fluid cylinder 2 is formed through a communication passage 38 formed in the front plate 15a of the case 15 which also serves as an end plate of the fluid cylinder 25 and a coupler 37.
5 are connected to each other.

The cable search device F constructed as described above
Accordingly, in holding and cutting and collecting the cable laid on the seabed G, the wire rope R is inserted into the wire rope insertion hole 9 of the front stabilizer 1 as shown in FIG. At this time, the transducer 6a is also arranged on the ship S side so as to face the transducer 6 in the front stabilizer 1.

Then, the probe F moves on the seabed, and the submarine cable C is captured by the search hook 16 of the cable holding / cutting section 2, and the cable C is inserted along the hook 16 into the cable of the case 15. The cable holding clamp 21b on the rear side is pressed rearward, the operating rod 32 of the switching valve 30 moves rearward via the moving rod 27 and the connecting plate 29, and the valve chamber 31 is opened. You.

Then, after the fluid such as oil in the accumulator 10 flows into the valve chamber 31 through the hose 35, the coupler 34, and the fluid supply passage 33, the fluid flows through the fluid introduction passage 36, the coupler 37, and the communication passage 38. After flowing into the fluid cylinder 25, the piston 26 in the cylinder 25 moves rightward in FIG. 2, and the cable holding clamp 21a and the cable cutting blade 22a on the front side move rearward via the piston rod 26a, so that the cable C Are the cable holding clamps 21a and 21
b, and the cable cutting blades 22a and 22b
Cut at Since the holding and cutting force of the cable at that time is based on the fluid pressure in the accumulator 10 supplied to the fluid cylinder, it is substantially constant without being influenced by the water depth, and the holding and cutting can be performed well.

The fact that the cable has been caught and held and cut as described above is automatically detected by a detector or the like not shown in the figure, and is transmitted wirelessly to the ship by ultrasonic signals or the like via the transducers 6 and 6a. Sent. Based on the signal, the probe F is lifted on the ship. Even if the depth of the probe F gradually increases, the holding force of the cable C by the cable holding clamps 21a and 21b is securely held without lowering. It can be lifted on board the ship.

After the probe F is lifted up on the ship, the return valve 40 shown in FIG. 3 is turned in a predetermined direction, so that the fluid in the cylinder 25 is transferred to the communication passage 38 and the coupler 3.
7, a fluid passage 41, a fluid passage (not shown) formed in the return valve 40, a fluid passage 43, a coupler 4
4 and the hose 45, and can be collected in a collection container or the like not shown in the figure. The recovered fluid can be reused by returning it to the accumulator 10.

In addition, as a means for communicating with the ship S, such as the attitude, operation, control information, etc. of the probe F, it has been difficult to handle since a wire rope R towed by the probe used a communication cable. In addition, there are problems such as high cost and high cost. However, as in the above-described embodiment, the transducers 6 and 6a are disposed opposite to each other between the searcher and the ship so that they are transmitted and received wirelessly by ultrasonic signals or the like. In this case, there are advantages such as low cost and easy handling.

[0024]

As described above, the cable search device according to the present invention comprises a cable holding / cutting mechanism 20 for holding and cutting a cable C laid on the sea floor, and a fluid cylinder 25 for driving the cable holding / cutting mechanism 20. A cable search device having an accumulator 10 for accumulating and storing a fluid at a predetermined pressure, and supplying the fluid accumulated and stored in the accumulator 10 to the fluid cylinder 25 to operate the cable holding and cutting mechanism 20. Therefore, the fluid cylinder can always be driven at a predetermined fluid pressure regardless of the water depth at which the cable is held and cut. As a result, the cable can be securely held and cut, and the cut cable can be reliably lifted onto the ship while being held firmly. There are effects such as being able to provide.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view illustrating an embodiment of a cable search device according to the present invention. (B) is the side view.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged side view of a cable holding / cutting section.
(B) is a partially cutaway bottom view.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of a switching valve provided in a cable holding / cutting section.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where the probe is towed by a ship.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a state in which a conventional search device is towed by a ship.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front stabilizer 2 Cable holding and cutting part 3 Rear stabilizer 6 and 6a Transducer 7 Bottom detector 8 Pressure-resistant container 9 Wire rope insertion hole 10 Accumulator 15 Case 16 Search hook 17 Cable insertion opening 20 Cable holding and cutting mechanism 21a , 21b Cable holding clamp 22a, 22b Cable cutting blade 25 Fluid cylinder 26 Piston 26a Piston rod 27 Advance / retreat rod 30 Switching valve 31 Valve room F Searching machine S Ship C Wire cable

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Akemi Kato 3-232 Fukushima, Nisshincho, Omiya-shi, Saitama 3C024 BB04

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a cable search device having a cable holding / cutting mechanism for holding and cutting a cable laid on the sea floor and a fluid cylinder for driving the cable holding / cutting mechanism, the fluid is accumulated and stored at a predetermined pressure. A cable search device comprising an accumulator, wherein the fluid stored and stored in the accumulator is supplied to the fluid cylinder to operate the cable holding / cutting mechanism.