JP6916134B2 - Underwater vehicle recovery device, towing device, underwater vehicle recovery system, and underwater vehicle recovery method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recovery device for an underwater vehicle, a towing device, a recovery system for an underwater vehicle, and a method for recovering an underwater vehicle. The present invention relates to a recovery device for an underwater vehicle, a towing device, a recovery system for an underwater vehicle, and a method for collecting an underwater vehicle.

An underwater vehicle is known as a device that operates underwater for surveying the seafloor and surveying the topography of the seafloor. There are various types of underwater vehicles such as remotely operated vehicles (ROV) operated remotely by operators and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), which are widely used in the scientific, commercial, and military fields. It's being used.

Conventionally, as a method of recovering an underwater vehicle, a method of collecting the underwater vehicle from the water onto the support mother ship by using a crane or the like mounted on a manned support mother ship is generally used. However, the method of collecting the underwater vehicle using a crane requires a space for installing the crane on the support mother ship and a space for accommodating the underwater vehicle. In addition, it is necessary to connect the crane hanger to the underwater vehicle and to pull the underwater vehicle onto the ship with the crane, which requires a crew member. Therefore, in the past, a relatively large support mother ship and a large number of crew members were required when conducting seafloor surveys and seafloor topographic surveys using underwater vehicles.

Therefore, as a launch / recovery system for underwater vehicles that can collect underwater vehicles on small vessels, a launch / recovery device towed by the ship is provided, and the underwater vehicle is placed in the launch / recovery device (launch / recovery basket) underwater. A launch recovery system has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). In this launch recovery system, the position and attitude of the launch recovery basket submerged in water are measured, and the attitude of the underwater vehicle is controlled according to the measured attitude of the launch recovery basket, so that the launch recovery basket is filled with water. The medium navigator is allowed to enter and be accommodated. However, the launch recovery device submerged in water behaves irregularly due to the effects of tides and swells. In addition, since the underwater vehicle is also affected by the tide flow and swell, it is very difficult to accurately match the attitude of the underwater vehicle according to the change in the attitude of the launch recovery device. Therefore, in order to recover the underwater vehicle with this launch recovery system, the underwater vehicle is required to have a high degree of control.

Special Table 2009-544521

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is an underwater vehicle recovery device, a towing device, and water that can easily recover an underwater vehicle with a small-scale towing device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recovery system for a medium-sized vehicle and a method for recovering an underwater vehicle.

The underwater vehicle recovery device of the present invention for achieving the above object is a recovery device for an underwater vehicle towed by a towing device, and is a structure towed while floating on the water surface. And a connection mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device, and the structure is placed between the main body of the submerged underwater vehicle and the floating body of the underwater vehicle floating on the surface of the water. It is configured to have a catching portion for hooking the connected cord-shaped body or the floating body portion, and the catching portion of the structure has a gate portion for introducing the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion and the gate portion. The structure includes a blind alley portion that restrains the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion that has passed through the above, and a guiding path portion that guides the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion from the gate portion to the dead end portion. The catching portion of the body has a plurality of the dead end portions with respect to one gate portion, and the guidance path portion has a plurality of branch paths for guiding from the gate portion to each of the blind alley portions, and the above-mentioned It is characterized in that a switching mechanism for selectively switching the branch path is provided.

According to this underwater vehicle recovery device, the main body of the underwater vehicle that is submerged and the floating unit of the underwater vehicle that floats on the water surface are used as markers. The underwater vehicle can be easily captured by hooking the cord-like body or the floating body portion connected to the water surface to the capturing portion of the structure floating on the water surface. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a space for installing a crane or a space for accommodating an underwater vehicle in the towing device, it is possible to collect a large number of underwater vehicles with a small-scale towing device. be.

In the above-mentioned underwater vehicle recovery device, the catching portion of the structure has a gate portion into which the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion is introduced, and the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion that has passed through the gate portion. When it is configured to have a dead end portion that is constrained to a certain range and a guide path portion that guides the cord-like body or the floating body portion introduced from the gate portion to the dead end portion, the following effects are obtained. Can be demonstrated.

In this configuration, the cord-like body or the floating body portion is moved from the gate portion to the guide path portion by simply steering and controlling the towing device so that the cord-like body or the floating body portion floating on the water surface enters the gate portion. It can be guided to the dead end. When the cord or floating body enters the dead end, the cord or floating body is restrained within a certain range by the dead end, so that the underwater vehicle is stably captured even during towing. Can be maintained.

In the underwater vehicle recovery device, the catching portion of the structure has a plurality of dead end portions with respect to one gate portion, and the guidance path portion is located from the gate portion to each of the dead end portions. The following effects can be exhibited by having a configuration in which a plurality of branch paths that guide the portions are provided and a switching mechanism that selectively switches the branch paths is provided.

In this configuration, when collecting a plurality of underwater vehicles, the switching mechanism provided in the guidance path portion selectively switches the branch path through which the cord-like body or the floating body portion can pass, thereby allowing the vehicle to enter the gate portion. It is possible to guide the plurality of cords or floats to different blind alleys and restrain the cords or floats of each underwater vehicle to different blind alleys. As a result, there is a risk that the floating parts of the underwater vehicle and the main body of the underwater vehicle will come into contact with each other when the underwater vehicle is captured by the structure or when the underwater vehicle is towed while the underwater vehicle is captured by the structure. It is advantageous to reduce.

The towing device of the present invention for achieving the above object is a towing device provided with the above-mentioned underwater vehicle recovery device. By providing the above-mentioned recovery device in this towing device, the same effect as that of the above-mentioned recovery device can be obtained.
Another towing device of the present invention is a towing device including a recovery device for an underwater vehicle, and the recovery device towed by the towing device is a structure towed while floating on a water surface. A connection mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device is provided, and the structure connects between the main body of the submerged underwater vehicle and the floating body of the underwater vehicle floating on the surface of the water. The floating body portion is configured to have a catching portion for hooking the cord-like body or the floating body portion, and the floating body portion is equipped with a power receiving device capable of receiving electric power wirelessly. A charging device that supplies power to the underwater vehicle via the power receiving device mounted on the floating body portion in a state where the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion is hooked on the catching portion. It is characterized by being equipped with.
Yet another towing device of the present invention is a towing device including a recovery device for an underwater vehicle, and the recovery device towed by the towing device is a structure towed while floating on a water surface. The structure is provided with a connecting mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device, and the structure connects between the main body of the submerged underwater vehicle and the floating body of the underwater vehicle floating on the surface of the water. The floating body portion is configured to have a catching portion for hooking the cord-like body or the floating body portion, and the floating body portion is equipped with a communication device capable of wireless communication, and the towing device is the catching portion of the structure. The data held by the underwater vehicle is acquired via the communication device provided on the floating body portion in a state of being floated on the water surface with the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion hooked on the portion. It is characterized by being equipped with a data acquisition device.

When the towing device is configured to include a charging device that supplies power to the underwater navigating body in a state where the cord-like body or the floating body portion is hooked on the catching portion of the structure, the structure is provided. Since it is possible to charge the underwater vehicle captured by the capture unit during towing, the underwater vehicle is out of charge and the communication equipment, acoustic equipment, etc. mounted on the underwater vehicle are charged. Can reduce the risk of becoming unusable.

The towing device includes a data acquisition device for acquiring data held by the underwater navigating body in a state where the cord-like body or the floating body portion is hooked on the catching portion of the structure. Then, when the underwater vehicle is captured by the structure, the data acquisition device can quickly acquire the data held by the underwater vehicle, which is advantageous for improving the efficiency of oceanographic surveys. become.

The underwater vehicle recovery system of the present invention for achieving the above object is a deployment system of an underwater vehicle using the towing device, and the underwater vehicle is the underwater navigation system. At the time of collecting the running body, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion, and the floating body portion is controlled to float on the water surface in a state where the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body. The towing device is provided with the configured control device, and the towing device and the collecting device are moved to the vicinity of the floating body portion floating on the water surface, and the water is captured in the catching portion of the structure. Capture steering control to catch the underwater vehicle by hooking the cord-like body or the floating portion of the middle navigation body, and towing the underwater vehicle in a state of being captured by the capture portion of the structure. It is characterized by including a control device configured to perform return steering control for moving the device and the recovery device to a recovery target water area.
Another underwater vehicle recovery system of the present invention is an underwater vehicle recovery system provided with a towing device, wherein the towing device is a recovery device for an underwater vehicle towed by the towing device. The recovery device includes a structure towed while floating on the surface of water and a connecting mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device, and the structure is submerged in an underwater vehicle. It is configured to have a cord-like body connecting between the main body portion and the floating body portion of the underwater navigating body floating on the water surface or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion, and the underwater navigating body is the water. At the time of collecting the middle navigation body, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion, and the floating body portion is controlled to float on the water surface in a state where the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body. The towing device is provided with a control device configured in the above, and the towing device and the recovery device are moved to the vicinity of the floating body portion that has floated on the water surface. Capture steering control to catch the underwater vehicle by hooking the cord-like body or the floating portion of the underwater vehicle, and towing the underwater vehicle with the underwater vehicle captured by the capture portion of the structure. It is equipped with a device and a control device configured to perform return steering control for moving the recovery device to the recovery target water area, and the towing device is an autonomous unmanned navigation ship, which is mounted on the towing device. By registering the underwater vehicle to be collected in advance in the control device, the approach steering control, the capture steering control, and the return steering control for collecting the registered underwater vehicle can be controlled. It is characterized in that the device is configured to perform autonomously.
Yet another underwater vehicle recovery system of the present invention is an underwater vehicle recovery system including a towing device, wherein the towing device is a recovery device for an underwater vehicle towed by the towing device. The recovery device includes a structure towed while floating on the surface of water and a connecting mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device, and the underwater vehicle in which the structure is submerged. The underwater navigation body is configured to have a cord-like body connecting between the main body portion of the water surface and the floating body portion of the underwater navigation body or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion. At the time of collecting the underwater vehicle, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion, and the floating body portion is controlled to float on the water surface in a state where the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body. The towing device is provided with a control device configured as described above, and the towing device and the recovery device are moved to the vicinity of the floating body portion floating on the water surface, and the approach steering control and the capturing portion of the structure are provided. The capture steering control for catching the underwater vehicle by hooking the cord-like body or the floating portion of the underwater vehicle, and the state in which the underwater vehicle is captured by the capture portion of the structure. It is provided with a towing device and a control device configured to perform return steering control for moving the recovery device to the recovery target water area, and the cord-like body is set to a different length for each of the underwater navigating bodies. In addition, the control device of the towing device sequentially installs a plurality of the underwater navigating bodies having different lengths of the cord-like bodies in order from the underwater navigating body having the longest cord-like body length. It is characterized in that it is configured to control the capture by the capture portion of the body.

According to this underwater vehicle recovery system, when the underwater vehicle is recovered, the floating body is separated from the main body by the control device of the underwater vehicle, and the floating body is floated on the water surface. The position of the underwater vehicle can be easily specified. Then, using the floating body portion floating on the water surface as a mark, the cord-like body or the floating body portion connecting between the main body portion of the submerged underwater vehicle and the floating body portion floating on the water surface is the catching portion of the structure. By hooking on, the underwater vehicle can be easily captured.

In the above-mentioned underwater vehicle recovery system, a communication device is mounted on the floating body portion, and the towing device receives the position information of the floating body portion transmitted from the communication device, the recovery device, and the said. A position detection device that detects a relative position with the floating body portion is mounted, and the control device of the underwater vehicle mounts the floating body portion on the water surface and then mounts the communication device on the floating body portion. The control device of the towing device receives the position information of the floating body portion transmitted by the communication device by the receiving device, and is configured to control the position information of the floating body portion. The approach steering control is performed based on the received position information of the floating body portion, and the capture steering control is performed based on the relative position information between the capturing portion and the floating body portion of the structure detected by the position detecting device. When configured to do so, the following effects can be achieved.

According to this configuration, the position information of the floating body is transmitted by the communication device mounted on the floating body, and the position information of the floating body transmitted by the communication device is received by the receiving device mounted on the towing device. The position of the floating body of the underwater vehicle to be collected can be easily specified even from a remote location. Furthermore, the control device of the towing device performs capture steering control based on the relative position information between the capture unit and the floating body portion of the structure detected by the position detection device, so that the underwater vehicle to be collected is more reliable. Can be captured in.

In the above-mentioned underwater vehicle recovery system, the towing device is an unmanned navigation vessel, the towing device is equipped with a communication device capable of wireless communication, and the communication device and the control device are connected to each other so as to be communicable. If the towing device is configured to be remotely controllable via the communication device and the control device, it is possible to recover the underwater vehicle without having a crew member on board the towing device. Therefore, it is advantageous to reduce the labor and cost required for recovering the underwater vehicle.

In the above-mentioned underwater vehicle recovery system, the towing device is an autonomous unmanned navigation vessel, and the underwater vehicle to be collected is registered in advance in the control device mounted on the towing device. When the control device is configured to autonomously perform the approach steering control, the capture steering control, and the return steering control for collecting the registered underwater vehicle, it is mounted on the towing device. Since the underwater vehicle can be automatically collected simply by registering the underwater vehicle to be collected in advance in the control device, it is possible to efficiently perform seafloor surveys and topographical surveys of the seabed with a small number of personnel. Becomes more and more advantageous.

In the recovery system for the underwater vehicle, the cords are set to different lengths for each of the underwater vehicles, and the control device of the towing device has the length of the cords. When the control is configured to sequentially capture the plurality of underwater vehicles having different lengths from the underwater vehicle having a long cord-like body to the capturing portion of the structure, water is used. Since the cords are set to different lengths for each medium navigation body, there is a risk that the main bodies of the underwater navigation bodies will come into contact with each other when a plurality of underwater navigation bodies are captured by the catching portion of the structure. Can be reduced. Further, by capturing the long cord-like body from the underwater vehicle to the catching portion of the structure, it is more advantageous to reduce the risk of contact between the main bodies of the underwater vehicle.

The method for recovering an underwater vehicle of the present invention for achieving the above object is a method for recovering an underwater vehicle using the above-mentioned towing device, and when collecting the underwater vehicle, The floating body portion is separated from the main body portion of the underwater navigating body, and the floating body portion is floated on the water surface in a state where the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body, and the recovery device is described. The cord-like body or the floating body portion of the underwater navigation body was hooked on the capture portion of the structure to capture the underwater navigation body, and the underwater navigation body was captured by the capture portion of the structure. It is characterized in that the recovery device is towed to the recovery target water area in the state.

According to this method of collecting the underwater vehicle, when the underwater vehicle is collected, the floating body is separated from the main body of the underwater vehicle and the floating body is floated on the surface of the water to perform underwater navigation. It becomes possible to easily identify the position of the body. Then, using the floating body portion floating on the water surface as a mark, the cord-like body or the floating body portion connecting between the main body portion of the submerged underwater vehicle and the floating body portion floating on the water surface is the catching portion of the structure. By hooking on, the underwater vehicle can be easily captured.

According to the underwater vehicle recovery device, the towing device, the underwater vehicle recovery system, and the underwater vehicle recovery method of the present invention, water is used as a mark of the floating body portion of the underwater vehicle floating on the water surface. The underwater navigation body can be easily captured by hooking the cord-like body or the floating body portion of the middle navigation body on the capture portion of the structure floating on the water surface. Then, the underwater vehicle can be towed to the recovery target water area by towing the recovery device with the towing device in a state where the chordee or floating body of the underwater vehicle is hooked on the capture portion of the structure. .. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a space for installing a crane or a space for accommodating an underwater vehicle in the towing device, it is possible to recover a large number of underwater vehicles with a small-scale towing device.

It is a side sectional view which shows typically the recovery system of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a view of arrow A of FIG. It is a side view which shows typically the underwater vehicle before separating the floating body part. It is a side view which shows typically the underwater vehicle after separating the floating body part. It is a top view which shows typically the recovery system of another embodiment which concerns on this invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which an underwater vehicle is further captured in the structure of the recovery device in the recovery system of FIG. It is a side view which shows typically the state which captured the underwater vehicle in the recovery system of FIG.

Hereinafter, the underwater vehicle object recovery device, the towing device, the underwater vehicle body recovery system, and the underwater vehicle body recovery method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recovery system for the underwater vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention captures the underwater vehicle 1 by using a towing device 20 provided with a recovery device 50. This is a system for towing and recovering the underwater vehicle 1 together with the recovery device 50 to the recovery target water area. In the figure, the traveling direction (front-back direction) of the towing device 20 is the X direction, the width direction (horizontal direction) of the towing device 20 orthogonal to the X direction in the horizontal plane is the Y direction, and the vertical direction (vertical direction) is the Z direction. It is supposed to be.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the underwater vehicle 1 is a device that operates underwater for surveying the seabed, surveying the topography of the seabed, and specifically, specifically, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) or a remotely operated vehicle. An example is a probe (ROV). In the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the underwater vehicle 1 has a cord shape connecting the main body 1A, the floating body 1B separable from the main body 1A, and the main body 1A and the floating body 1B. It is composed of a body 1C and the like. The recovery system for the underwater vehicle 1 according to the present invention is a system for recovering the underwater vehicle 1 having the main body 1A, the floating body 1B, and the cord-like body 1C described above.

In the underwater vehicle 1, the main body 1A and the floating body 1B are integrated as illustrated in FIG. 3 before the underwater vehicle 1 is collected (at the time of starting and during activity). To work in. Further, when collecting the underwater vehicle 1, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the control device 4 of the underwater vehicle 1 separates the floating body 1B from the main body 1A to separate the floating body 1B and the main body. Control is performed so that the floating body portion 1B floats on the water surface in a state where the portion 1A is connected by the cord-shaped body 1C.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body 1A of the underwater vehicle 1 illustrated in this embodiment has an elongated substantially ellipsoidal shape, and has a vertical tail 2 at the rear of the underwater vehicle 1. It has a horizontal stabilizer. A propulsion device is provided at the rear of the horizontal stabilizer of the underwater navigation body 1, and an audio device 5 (transponder) is provided at the upper part of the underwater navigation body 1. In this underwater vehicle 1, a part of the vertical stabilizer 2 constitutes a floating body portion 1B, and when the floating body portion 1B is separated from the main body portion 1A, the main body portion 1A and the floating body portion 1B are connected by a cord-like body 1C. In this state, the floating body portion 1B floats and floats on the water surface.

A communication device 3 is provided above the floating body portion 1B, and when the floating body portion 1B floats on the water surface, the communication device 3 is in a state of being able to communicate wirelessly. The communication device 3 can acquire the position information (latitude, longitude, etc.) of the floating body portion 1B from a satellite positioning system such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNNS) or other positioning system, and transmit the acquired position information wirelessly. It is composed. Further, the communication device 3 is configured to be able to wirelessly transmit the possessed data (survey data, etc.) of the underwater vehicle 1. The floating body portion 1B of this embodiment is further equipped with a power receiving device 6 capable of receiving electric power wirelessly.

Examples of the cord-like body 1C connecting the main body portion 1A and the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 include a rope and a cable. The cord-shaped body 1C of this embodiment includes an energizing cable capable of energizing between the main body portion 1A and the floating body portion 1B, and a communication cable capable of data communication between the main body portion 1A and the floating body portion 1B. It is configured to have. The energizing cable and the communication cable constituting the cord-shaped body 1C are connected to the power receiving device 6 and the communication device 3, respectively, and energize and energize between the main body portion 1A and the floating body portion 1B via the cord-shaped body 1C. It is configured for data communication.

The shape and structure of the underwater vehicle 1, the presence / absence and arrangement of incidental equipment (propellant, communication device 3, power receiving device 6, audio device 5, etc.) are not limited to the configuration of this embodiment. Can be configured in various ways. Further, in this embodiment, the case where a part of the vertical stabilizer 2 constitutes the floating body portion 1B is illustrated, but the entire vertical tail 2 may also form the floating body portion 1B. Further, a portion of the underwater navigating body 1 other than the vertical stabilizer 2 can form the floating body portion 1B. Further, for example, the floating body portion 1B is housed inside the underwater running body 1, and the floating body part 1B housed inside the main body part 1A of the underwater running body 1 at the time of collecting the underwater running body 1. By exposing the 1B to the outside of the main body 1A, the main body 1A and the floating body 1B can be separated from each other.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recovery device 50 includes a structure 52 that is towed while floating on the water surface, and a connection mechanism 51 that connects the structure 52 to the towing device 20. In this embodiment, the structure 52 is arranged behind the towing device 20, and the front portion of the structure 52 and the rear portion of the towing device 20 are connected by a connecting mechanism 51.

The structure 52 has a catching portion 53 capable of hooking the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigating body 1 in a state where the underwater navigating body 1 separates the floating body portion 1B from the main body portion 1A. It is composed of. The catching portion 53 of this embodiment includes a gate portion 54 for introducing the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B, a dead end portion 56 for restraining the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B that has passed through the gate portion 54, and a cord-shaped portion 56. It is configured to include a guidance path portion 55 that guides the body 1C or the floating body portion 1B from the gate portion 54 to the dead end portion 56. In this embodiment, catching portions 53 are provided on both the starboard and starboard sides of the stern portion of the towing device 20. The gate portion 54 constituting the catching portion 53 is arranged outside the towing device 20 on the ship side, the guidance path portion 55 is arranged at the rear of the gate portion 54, and the dead end portion 56 is arranged at the rear of the guidance path portion 55. ing.

The structure 52 of this embodiment is formed by having a rod-shaped frame member and a buoyancy material (float). The gate portion 54 is composed of a frame member extending in the X direction arranged along the ship side of the towing device 20 and a frame member extending in the X direction arranged apart from the outside of the frame member in the Y direction. It is formed. The front portion of the frame member arranged outside in the Y direction is bent so as to open outward in the Y direction so that the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B can be easily introduced into the gate portion 54. The opening width W of the front end portion of the gate portion 54 in the Y direction is set to be larger than the maximum width of the floating body portion 1B in a plan view.

The guide path portion 55 is formed of a frame member continuous with the frame member forming the gate portion 54. The dead end portion 56 is formed in a dead end shape in which the rear ends of the two frame members extending in the X direction are closed, and the two frame members form the two frames forming the guide path portion 55. It is formed so as to be continuous with each member.

The frame members forming the catching portions 53 on both the starboard and starboard sides of the towing device 20 are connected to each other by reinforcing members, and buoyancy members are installed at various points of the frame member and the reinforcing member forming the catching portion 53.

In this embodiment, the stern portion of the towing device 20 and the structure 52 are connected by a frame member constituting the connecting mechanism 51, and the structure 52 is fixed to the towing device 20. When the recovery device 50 is towed by the towing device 20, the frame members constituting the catching section 53 (gate section 54, guidance path section 55, and dead end section 56) are towed in a state of being located near the water surface. It has become. The connecting mechanism 51 is not limited to the frame member. For example, the connecting mechanism 51 may be configured by a rope, and the towing device 20 and the structure 52 may be connected by a rope.

The towing device 20 is composed of a ship or a submersible. The control device 21 of the towing device 20 steers and controls the towing device 20 to move the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 to the vicinity of the floating body portion 1B floating on the water surface, and the capturing unit 53 of the structure 52. In a state where the underwater navigation body 1 is captured by the capture portion 53 of the structure 52 and the capture steering control in which the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 is hooked to capture the underwater navigation body 1. It is configured to perform return steering control for moving the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 to the recovery target water area.

The towing device 20 of this embodiment is composed of an autonomous unmanned navigation vessel, and by registering the underwater navigation body 1 to be collected in advance in the control device 21, the registered underwater navigation body 1 can be collected. The control device 21 is configured to autonomously perform approach steering control, capture steering control, and return steering control.

The towing device 20 is equipped with a communication device 22 capable of wireless communication, and the communication device 22 and the control device 21 are connected so as to be able to communicate. The communication device 22 is configured to be able to acquire the position information of the towing device 20 or the recovery device 50 from a positioning system such as a global navigation satellite system.

The towing device 20 further includes a receiving device 24 for receiving the position information of the floating body 1B transmitted from the communication device 3 mounted on the floating body 1B, and a catching unit 53 and a floating body unit of the structure 52 of the recovery device 50. A position detection device 25 that detects a position relative to 1B is mounted. Examples of the position detection device 25 include a camera device and a laser scanner. For example, when the position detection device 25 is composed of a camera device, the relative position between the capture unit 53 of the structure 52 and the floating body unit 1B can be obtained by analyzing the image captured by the camera device. In this embodiment, the camera device constituting the position detection device 25 is installed on the towing device 20 to detect the relative position between the gate portion 54 and the floating body portion 1B, but the position detection device 25 is a towing device. Not limited to 20, it can be installed in the recovery device 50.

The towing device 20 of this embodiment is further equipped with a charging device 26 for supplying electric power to the underwater navigation body 1 and a data acquisition device 27 for acquiring data held by the underwater navigation body 1. ing. In the charging device 26, the electric wire is connected to the power receiving device 6 mounted on the underwater navigation body 1 in a state where the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 is hooked on the capture portion 53 of the structure 52. It is configured so that it is not directly connected, that is, it can supply power in a non-contact manner. That is, non-contact power transmission (wireless power transmission, wireless power supply) is performed between the charging device 26 and the power receiving device 6 by an electromagnetic induction method, a magnetic resonance method, a microwave discharge method, or the like. Further, the data acquisition device 27 is a communication device 3 mounted on the underwater vehicle 1 in a state where the cord-like body 1C or the floating body 1B of the underwater vehicle 1 is hooked on the capture unit 53 of the structure 52. The data possessed by the underwater vehicle 1 can be acquired via, for example, a wireless LAN. The communication device 22, the receiving device 24, and the data acquisition device 27 may be configured by the same device.

Further, on the bottom of the towing device 20, an acoustic device 23 capable of acoustic communication with the acoustic device 5 mounted on the main body 1A of the underwater navigation body 1 is installed, and the acoustic device 23 allows underwater navigation. By communicating with the audio device 5 mounted on the body 1, the position information of the main body 1A of the underwater vehicle 1 can be acquired.

Next, a method of recovering the underwater vehicle 1 by the towing device 20 provided with the recovery device 50 will be described below.

First, the underwater vehicle 1 to be collected is registered in the control device 21 of the towing device 20 before the collection of the underwater vehicle 1 is started. When the underwater vehicle 1 finishes its activity (survey, etc.) and recovers the underwater vehicle 1, the control device 4 of the underwater vehicle 1 separates the floating body 1B from the main body 1A. Control is performed so that the floating body portion 1B floats on the water surface in a state where the main body portion 1A and the floating body portion 1B are connected by the cord-shaped body 1C. When the floating body portion 1B of the underwater vehicle 1 floats on the water surface, the communication device 3 mounted on the floating body portion 1B sequentially acquires the position information of the floating body portion 1B and the acquired position information of the floating body portion 1B. Is transmitted wirelessly.

When the position information of the floating body portion 1B is transmitted from the communication device 3 mounted on the floating body portion 1B, the receiving device 24 mounted on the towing device 20 receives the position information of the floating body portion 1B. When the received position information is the position information of the floating body portion 1B of the underwater vehicle 1 registered in advance, the towing device is operated by the control device 21 of the towing device 20 based on the received position information of the floating body portion 1B. Approach steering control is performed to move the 20 and the recovery device 50 to the vicinity of the floating body portion 1B floating on the water surface. In this embodiment, the approach steering control of the towing device 20 is performed by using the position information of the floating body portion 1B received by the receiving device 24 and the position information of the towing device 20 or the collecting device 50 acquired by the communication device 22. It is done autonomously.

When the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 move to the vicinity of the floating body portion 1B floating on the water surface, the position detecting device 25 sequentially detects the relative position information between the capturing portion 53 and the floating body portion 1B of the structure 52, and the relative position information thereof is sequentially detected. The position information is sequentially input to the control device 21. Then, based on the relative position information between the capture unit 53 and the floating body unit 1B input from the position detection device 25 by the control device 21 of the towing device 20, the rope of the underwater navigation body 1 is connected to the capture unit 53 of the structure 52. Capture steering control for capturing the underwater vehicle 1 is performed by hooking the body 1C or the floating body 1B.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the propulsion device and the rudder of the towing device 20 are controlled by the control device 21 so that the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B enters the gate portion 54. When the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B enters the gate portion 54 and the towing device 20 further advances, the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B reaches the dead end portion 56 via the guidance path portion 55. When the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B reaches the dead end portion 56, the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 is caught by the frame member forming the dead end portion 56, and the underwater navigation body 1 has a structure. It is in a state of being captured by the capturing unit 53 of the body 52.

When the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B is caught by the catching portion 53 of the structure 52 and the underwater navigating body 1 is caught by the structure 52, the charging device 26 mounted on the towing device 20 sails underwater. Electric power is supplied to the power receiving device 6 mounted on the running body 1, and the underwater running body 1 is charged. Further, the data acquisition device 27 mounted on the towing device 20 acquires the possessed data (survey data, etc.) of the underwater navigating body 1 via the communication device 3 of the underwater navigating body 1, and the acquired possessed data is used. , The communication device 22 of the towing device 20 wirelessly transmits the data to the management unit (a remote location where the person in charge of marine surveys and the like waits). Further, the acoustic device 23 mounted on the towing device 20 sequentially acquires the position information and the like of the main body 1A of the underwater navigation body 1 via the acoustic device 5 mounted on the underwater navigation body 1, and acquires the position information and the like. The data is sequentially transmitted wirelessly to the management unit by the communication device 22 of the towing device 20.

When a plurality of underwater navigation bodies 1 are registered in the control device 21 of the towing device 20, the approach steering control and the capture steering control by the control device 21 are sequentially performed for each underwater navigation body 1, so that the structure 52 A plurality of underwater vehicles 1 are captured by the capturing unit 53 of the above. When the capture of all the underwater navigation bodies 1 registered in the control device 21 is completed, the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 are recovered with the underwater navigation body 1 captured by the capture unit 53 by the control device 21 of the towing device 20. Return steering control to move to the target water area is performed. With the above, the recovery work of the underwater vehicle 1 is completed. After the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 arrive at the recovery target water area, the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 is removed from the capture portion 53 of the structure 52, and the cord-like body 1C is picked up. By pulling it up, the main body 1A of the underwater vehicle 1 can be easily lifted onto land or on board.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the underwater vehicle 1 is recovered, the control device 4 of the underwater vehicle 1 separates the floating body 1B from the main body 1A, and the floating body 1B floats on the water surface. By doing so, the position of the underwater vehicle 1 can be easily specified. Then, by hooking the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 on the catching portion 53 of the structure 52 using the floating body portion 1B floating on the water surface as a mark, the underwater navigation body 1 can be easily mounted. Can be captured. Then, the underwater navigation body 1 is recovered by towing the recovery device 50 by the towing device 20 in a state where the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 is hooked on the capture portion 53 of the structure 52. It can be towed to the target water area. That is, in this recovery device 50, the underwater navigating body 1 can be easily captured by simply steering and controlling the towing device 20 so that the capturing unit 53 of the structure 52 passes through the position where the floating body portion 1B is located on the water surface. The underwater vehicle 1 can be towed and recovered to the recovery target water level as it is.

According to the present invention, since it is not necessary to provide a space for installing a crane or a space for accommodating the underwater navigation body 1 in the towing device 20, a large number of underwater navigation bodies 1 can be recovered by the small-scale towing device 20. Is possible. Further, the control required in the present invention is a relatively simple control in which the towing device 20 is steered and controlled so that the capturing unit 53 of the structure 52 passes through the position where the floating body portion 1B is located, so that the control is remote control or autonomous control. This is easily possible, and by making the towing device 20 remotely controlled or autonomously controlled, the underwater vehicle 1 can be recovered by the unmanned towing device 20 and the recovery device 50.

The catching portion 53 of the structure 52 may be configured by, for example, a hook for hooking the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1, but as in this embodiment, the structure 52 When the catching unit 53 has a gate portion 54, a dead end portion 56, and a guidance path portion 55, the towing device 20 is simply steered and controlled so that the floating body portion 1B floating on the water surface enters the gate portion 54. Then, the floating body portion 1B can be guided from the gate portion 54 to the dead end portion 56 via the guidance path portion 55. Then, when the floating body portion 1B enters the dead end portion 56, the cord-like body 1C or the floating body of the underwater navigation body 1 is caught by the dead end portion 56, and the underwater navigation body 1 is captured. When the floating body portion 1B enters the dead end portion 56, the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B is restrained within a certain range by the dead end portion 56, so that the underwater vehicle 1 is stably captured even during towing. The state can be maintained.

When the towing device 20 is provided with the charging device 26, the underwater navigation body 1 captured by the capturing unit 53 of the structure 52 can be charged during towing, so that the underwater navigation body 1 can be charged. It is possible to reduce the risk that the communication device 3 and the audio device 5 mounted on the underwater vehicle 1 cannot be used due to the charge being exhausted. Further, by charging the underwater vehicle 1 during towing, the time required to charge the underwater vehicle 1 after recovery can be shortened, so that the operation efficiency of the underwater vehicle 1 can be improved. It will also be advantageous.

When the towing device 20 is provided with the data acquisition device 27, the data held by the underwater navigation body 1 by the data acquisition device 27 at the stage when the underwater navigation body 1 is captured by the capture unit 53 of the structure 52. Can be obtained promptly, which is advantageous for improving the efficiency of marine surveys.

When the floating body 1B is provided with the communication device 3 and the towing device 20 is provided with the receiving device 24, the communication device 3 mounted on the floating body 1B transmits the position information of the floating body 1B, and the communication device 3 transmits the position information of the floating body 1B. By receiving the transmitted position information of the floating body portion 1B by the receiving device 24 mounted on the towing device 20, the position of the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 to be collected can be easily specified. Then, the control device 21 of the towing device 20 performs approach steering control using the position information of the floating body portion 1B received by the receiving device 24, so that the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 are swiftly moved to the vicinity of the floating body portion 1B. Can be moved to.

Further, it is possible to perform capture steering control by using the position information of the floating body portion 1B received by the receiving device 24, but as in this embodiment, the towing device 20 is provided with the position detecting device 25. With the configuration, the alignment between the catching portion 53 of the structure 52 and the floating body portion 1B is more accurate based on the relative position information between the capturing portion 53 of the structure 52 and the floating body portion 1B detected by the position detecting device 25. This can be done, which is advantageous for more reliably capturing the underwater vehicle 1. That is, in the position information of the positioning system such as the global navigation satellite system acquired by the communication device 3 of the floating body portion 1B, the number of several cm to the number between the acquired position information of the floating body portion 1B and the actual position of the floating body portion 1B. Although an error of about m may occur, the position detection device 25 directly detects the relative position information between the capture unit 53 and the floating body unit 1B of the structure 52, so that the capture unit 53 and the floating body unit 1B It becomes possible to perform the alignment of the above more accurately.

As in this embodiment, the towing device 20 is composed of an autonomous unmanned navigation vessel, and the control device 21 autonomously performs approach steering control, capture steering control, and return steering control for recovering the underwater vehicle 1. If the configuration is such that the underwater vehicle 1 can be automatically recovered by the towing device 20 and the recovery device 50 that are autonomously controlled, the seafloor survey and the seafloor topography survey can be efficiently performed with a small number of personnel. It becomes possible. In the past, it was necessary to suppress the schedule of the support mother ship and crew when conducting seafloor surveys and topographical surveys of the seafloor, but since the underwater vehicle 1 can be automatically recovered, seafloor surveying and seafloor It will be easier to carry out topographical surveys. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a space for the crew to board the towing device 20, the towing device 20 can be made into a small-scale and simple structure. Further, since it is not necessary for the crew to board the towing device 20, the underwater vehicle 1 can be recovered even in a water area where it is difficult for a person to enter.

In the embodiment illustrated above, the case where the towing device 20 is composed of an autonomous unmanned navigation ship and the control by the control device 21 is performed autonomously has been illustrated. It is also possible to configure the control device 21B to perform control by remote control. Further, the towing device 20 may be composed of a manned ship, and the crew members on the towing device 20 may steer and control the towing device 20.

Specifically, for example, the towing device 20 is composed of a communication device 22 capable of wireless communication and an unmanned navigation ship equipped with a control device 21 communicatively connected to the communication device 22. The towing device 20 can be remotely controlled via the control device 21. This configuration has an advantage that the control program of the control device 21 can be easily configured as compared with the case where the towing device 20 is configured by an autonomous unmanned navigation vehicle. Even when the towing device 20 is remotely controlled, it is not necessary to have a crew member on board the towing device 20, which is advantageous in reducing the labor and cost required for collecting the underwater vehicle 1. Further, since it is not necessary for the crew to board the towing device 20, the underwater vehicle 1 can be recovered even in a water area where it is difficult for a person to enter.

It should be noted that the approach steering control, the capture steering control, and the return steering control for recovering the underwater vehicle 1 can all be performed by remote control, but the approach steering control, the capture steering control, and the return steering control can be performed. It is also possible to make some controls autonomous and other controls remotely. That is, for example, the approach steering control and the return steering control may be performed by autonomous control by the control device 21, and the capture steering control may be performed by the operator by remote control. When the capture steering control is performed by remote control, the position detection device 25 is configured by a camera device, and the operator performing the remote control controls the steering of the towing device 20 while visually observing the image captured by the camera device on the monitor. This makes it easier for the operator to intuitively perform capture steering control.

Even when the towing device 20 is composed of a manned ship and the crew controls the towing device 20 by steering, it is possible to recover the underwater vehicle 1 with a small number of personnel by using the recovery device 50. Become. Therefore, even in the case of a manned ship, the towing device 20 can be composed of a relatively small ship or a submersible, and it becomes easier to carry out a seafloor survey, a topographical survey of the seabed, and the like.

5 to 7 illustrate a recovery system according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the recovery system of this embodiment, the configuration of the structure 52 of the recovery device 50 is different from that of the recovery system of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4. Further, in this embodiment, the cord-like body 1C of the underwater navigation body 1 to be collected is set to a different length for each underwater navigation body 1. Other configurations are the same as the recovery system of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the structure 52 of the recovery device 50 of this embodiment has a plurality of dead end portions 56 (56A to 56D) for one gate portion 54, and also has an induction path portion. 55 has a plurality of branch paths leading from the gate portion 54 to the respective dead end portions 56A to 56D. Further, the structure 52 is provided with a switching mechanism 57 (57A to 57C) for selectively switching the branch path of the induction path portion 55. The gate portion 54 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 61 that selectively switches between opening and closing of the gate portion 54.

More specifically, in the structure 52 of this embodiment, four dead end portions 56A to 56D are provided for each of the gate portions 54 provided on the starboard side and the port side of the towing device 20. Then, switching mechanisms 57A to 57C are provided in each of the three branch paths of the guidance path portion 55 connecting the gate portion 54 to the blind alley portions 56A to 56D, respectively.

The switching mechanisms 57 (57A to 57C) of this embodiment include a rod-shaped member 58, a rotating mechanism 59 that rotates the rod-shaped member 58 in the horizontal direction around one end of the rod-shaped member 58, and a floating body portion 1B, respectively. It is configured to include a passage detection sensor 60 that detects that the vehicle has passed a predetermined position.

Passage detection sensors 60 are installed at the entrances of the dead end portions 56A to 56C, and the floating body portion 1B passes through the line L1 (the alternate long and short dash line in FIGS. 5 and 6) set at the entrances of the dead end portions 56A to 56C. When this is detected by the passage detection sensor 60, the switching mechanisms 57A to 57C corresponding to the respective passage detection sensors 60 are activated, and the rotation mechanism 59 automatically changes the fixed position of the rod-shaped member 58. Then, the switching mechanisms 57A to 57C are activated to change the fixed position (fixed angle) of the rod-shaped member 58 in the horizontal direction, so that the branch path through which the floating body portion 1B can pass in the branch of the guide path portion 55 is switched. , The dead end portions 56A to 56D to which the floating body portion 1B is guided are changed.

Further, by changing the fixed position of the rod-shaped member 58 of the switching mechanisms 57A to 57C, the branch path from the dead end portion 56A to 56C into which the floating body portion 1B has entered to the gate portion 54 is blocked, and the dead end portion 56A to 56C The floating body portion 1B that has entered the space is confined in a certain range surrounded by the frame member and the rod-shaped member 58 that form the dead end portion 56 and the guide path portion 55.

In the opening / closing mechanism 61 of this embodiment, the rod-shaped member 62, the rotating mechanism 63 that rotates the rod-shaped member 62 in the horizontal direction around one end of the rod-shaped member 62, and the floating body portion 1B have passed a predetermined position. It is configured to have a passage detection sensor 64 for detecting the above.

The opening / closing mechanism 61 has a configuration in which the opening and closing of the gate portion 54 can be switched by rotating the rod-shaped member 62 in the horizontal direction by the rotating mechanism 63 to change the fixing position (fixing angle) of the rod-shaped member 62. ing. In this embodiment, the control device 21 of the towing device 20 states that the gate portion 54 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 61 during approach steering control, and the gate portion 54 is opened by the opening / closing mechanism 61 during capture steering control. It is set to be. Further, the passage detection sensor 64 is installed at the entrance of the dead end portion 56D, and the floating body portion 1B passes through the line L2 (two-dot chain line of FIGS. 5 and 6) set at the entrance of the dead end portion 56D. When detected by the detection sensor 64, the opening / closing mechanism 61 automatically operates to close the gate portion 54, and then the return steering control is performed.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the frame member constituting the gate portion 54, the guide path portion 55, and the dead end portion 56, the rod-shaped member 58 constituting the switching mechanism 57, and the rod-shaped member 62 constituting the opening / closing mechanism 61 are Each is arranged near the water surface (about plus or minus 20 cm from the water surface). More specifically, in the structure 52 of this embodiment, the frame members constituting the gate portion 54 and the guide path portion 55 are arranged at positions higher than the water surface by about 5 cm to 20 cm to form the dead end portion 56. The frame member to be used is arranged at a position about 5 cm to 20 cm lower than the water surface. Further, the rod-shaped member 58 constituting the switching mechanism 57 and the rod-shaped member 62 constituting the opening / closing mechanism 61 are arranged at positions higher than the water surface by about 5 cm to 20 cm, respectively.

The control device 21 of the towing device 20 of this embodiment has a structure in which a plurality of underwater navigation bodies 1 having different lengths of the cord-like bodies 1C are sequentially arranged from the underwater navigation body 1 having a long cord-like body 1C. It is configured to control the capture by the capture unit 53 of the body 52. When collecting the underwater navigation body 1, the length of each cord-like body 1C of the underwater navigation body 1 to be collected is also registered in the control device 21 of the towing device 20.

Next, a method of recovering the underwater vehicle 1 by the towing device 20 provided with the recovery device 50 will be described below. In this embodiment, the control device 21 of the towing device 20 sequentially performs approach steering control and capture steering control to capture the underwater navigation body 1 having a long cord-like body 1C by the capture unit 53 of the structure 52. Will be done. Further, in the process of recovering the underwater vehicle 1, the switching mechanisms 57A to 57C and the opening / closing mechanism 61 provided in the structure 52 operate. Other configurations are the same as the recovery system of the embodiment shown above.

In the recovery device 50 of this embodiment, as in the catching unit 53 provided on the port side of the towing device 20 of FIG. 5, each of the recovery devices 50 is switched before the underwater vehicle 1 is captured by the structure 52. The fixed position of the rod-shaped member 58 of the mechanisms 57A to 57C is set to a position where the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B that has entered from the gate portion 54 is guided to the dead end portion 56A arranged at the rearmost position. Then, the paths to the dead end portions 56B to 56D arranged in front of the dead end portion 56A are blocked by the rod-shaped members 58 of the switching mechanisms 57A to 57C, respectively.

The control device 21 performs approach steering control and capture steering control, and the fact that the first cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B has entered the dead end portion 56A is a passage detection sensor 60 provided at the entrance of the dead end portion 56A. When detected by, the switching mechanism 57A provided at the branch between the dead end portion 56A and the dead end portion 56B in front of the dead end portion 56A operates. Then, as in the catching portion 53 provided on the starboard side of the towing device 20 of FIG. 5, the fixing position of the rod-shaped member 58 was changed by the rotating mechanism 59 of the switching mechanism 57A, so that the rod-shaped member 58 entered from the gate portion 54. The cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B is changed to a route guided to the dead end portion 56B. Further, by changing the fixed position of the rod-shaped member 58 of the switching mechanism 57A, the path from the dead end portion 56A to the gate portion 54 is blocked by the rod-shaped member 58 of the switching mechanism 57A.

Similarly, when the passage detection sensor 60 provided at the entrance of the dead end 56B detects that the second cord-like body 1C or the floating body 1B has entered the dead end 56B, the dead end 56B and its front thereof. The switching mechanism 57B provided at the branch of the dead end portion 56C is activated. Then, as in the catching portion 53 provided on the port side of the towing device 20 of FIG. 6, the fixed position of the rod-shaped member 58 is changed by the rotating mechanism 59 of the switching mechanism 57B, so that the rope entered from the gate portion 54 The state body 1C or the floating body portion 1B is changed to a path guided to the dead end portion 56C. Further, by changing the fixed position of the rod-shaped member 58 of the switching mechanism 57B, the path from the dead end portion 56B to the gate portion 54 is blocked by the rod-shaped member 58 of the switching mechanism 57B.

Similarly, when the third cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 1B enters the dead end portion 56C, the passage detection sensor 60 provided at the entrance of the dead end portion 56C causes the cord-shaped body 1C or the floating body portion 56C to enter the dead end portion 56C. Detecting that 1B has entered, the switching mechanism 57C provided at the branch between the dead end portion 56C and the dead end portion 56D in front of the dead end portion 56C is activated, so that the cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B that has entered from the gate portion 54 operates. The route is changed to be guided to the dead end 56D.

Finally, when the passage detection sensor 64 provided at the entrance of the dead end portion 56D detects that the fourth cord-like body 1C or the floating body portion 1B has entered the dead end portion 56D, the gate portion 54 is provided. The opening / closing mechanism 61 operates. Then, as in the catching portion 53 provided on the starboard side of the towing device 20 of FIG. 6, the fixing position of the rod-shaped member 62 is changed by the rotating mechanism 63 of the opening / closing mechanism 61, so that the rod-shaped member 62 changes the gate portion 54. Is blocked. Then, with the gate portion 54 closed by the opening / closing mechanism 61, the return steering control for towing the recovery device 50 to the recovery target water area is performed.

As in this embodiment, the catching portion 53 of the structure 52 has a plurality of dead end portions 56 for one gate portion 54, and the guidance path portion 55 guides from the gate portion 54 to each blind alley portion 56. When a plurality of branch paths are provided and a switching mechanism 57 is provided in the branch path of the guidance path portion 55, the cord-like body 1C is provided by the switching mechanism 57 when collecting the plurality of underwater vehicles 1. Alternatively, by selectively switching the branch path through which the floating body portion 1B can pass, a plurality of cord-shaped bodies 1C or floating body portions 1B that have entered the gate portion 54 are guided to different blind alley portions 56, and the respective cord-shaped bodies are guided. It is possible to restrain 1C or the floating body portion 1B to separate blind alley portions 56. This is advantageous in reducing the risk of contact between the floating bodies 1B and the main body 1A of the underwater vehicle 1 when the underwater vehicle 1 is captured by the structure 52 or during return steering control. ..

When the gate portion 54 is provided with the opening / closing mechanism 61, the gate portion 54 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 61 during approach steering control or return steering control, so that driftwood, dust, etc. drifting on the water, etc. It is possible to prevent the drifting material from entering the guidance path portion 55 and the dead end portion 56 from the gate portion 54. Further, by closing the gate portion 54 by the opening / closing mechanism 61 during the return steering control, it is more certain that the floating body portion 1B of the captured underwater navigating body 1 goes out of the capturing portion 53 during towing. Can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the switching mechanism 57 and the opening / closing mechanism 61 are composed of rod-shaped members 58, 62 and the rotating mechanisms 59, 63, respectively, but the switching mechanism 57 and the opening / closing mechanism 61 are configured in this embodiment. It is not limited to, and various other configurations can be made. Further, in this embodiment, the switching mechanism 57 and the opening / closing mechanism 61 are provided with the passage detection sensors 60 and 64, respectively, and the switching mechanism 57 and the opening / closing mechanism 61 are automatically operated based on the detection of the passage detection sensors 60 and 64, respectively. However, when the towing device 20 is composed of an unmanned navigation vessel that is remotely controlled or the towing device 20 is configured by a manned vessel, the switching mechanism 57 and the opening / closing mechanism 61 are remotely controlled. You can also do it.

If the length of the cord-like body 1C of the underwater vehicle 1 to be collected is different for each underwater vehicle 1 as in this embodiment, even when a plurality of underwater vehicles 1 are collected, the plurality of underwater vehicles 1 may be collected. Since the main body 1A of the underwater navigation body 1 is towed in a state where the main body 1A of the underwater navigation body 1 is located at a different water depth due to the difference in the length of the cord-like body 1C, the main body 1A of the underwater navigation body 1 captured by the structure 52 is towed. Is less likely to collide in water. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 7, in the underwater navigation body 1 captured by the structure 52, the main body portion 1A is located behind the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1, and the main body is formed by the cord-like body 1C. Since the portion 1A is towed so as to be pulled, if the underwater navigation body 1 having a long cord-like body 1C is configured to be sequentially captured, the main body portions 1A of the captured underwater navigation body 1 are more in contact with each other. It becomes difficult to do so, and it becomes more advantageous to reduce the risk of damaging the underwater vehicle 1.

When the frame member constituting the gate portion 54 and the guide path portion 55 is arranged at a position 5 cm to 20 cm higher than the water surface as in this embodiment, water is applied to the frame member constituting the gate portion 54 and the guide path portion 55. Since the cord-like body 1C of the middle navigation body 1 is less likely to be caught, it is advantageous to smoothly guide the floating body portion 1B of the underwater navigation body 1 to the dead end portion 56. Further, if the frame member constituting the dead end 56 is arranged at a position about 5 cm to 20 cm lower than the water surface, the cord-like body 1C of the underwater vehicle 1 is likely to be caught on the frame member forming the dead end 56. Therefore, it is advantageous to stably capture the underwater vehicle 1.

When the rod-shaped member 58 constituting the switching mechanism 57 is arranged at a position about 5 cm to 20 cm higher than the water surface, it becomes difficult for the cord-shaped member 1C of the underwater vehicle 1 to be caught by the rod-shaped member 58. It is advantageous to smoothly guide the floating body portion 1B to the dead end portion 56. When the rod-shaped member 62 constituting the opening / closing mechanism 61 is arranged at a position about 5 cm to 20 cm higher than the water surface, it becomes difficult for the cord-shaped member 1C of the underwater navigation body 1 to be caught on the rod-shaped member 62. It is advantageous to smoothly guide the floating body portion 1B to the guidance path portion 55. Further, when the rod-shaped member 62 constituting the opening / closing mechanism 61 is arranged at a position about 5 cm to 20 cm higher than the water surface, the drifting object gets over the rod-shaped member 62 when the gate portion 54 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 61. Since it becomes difficult, it is advantageous to prevent drifting objects from entering the guidance path portion 55 and the dead end portion 56.

The structure of the catching portion 53 in the structure 52, the shape of the members constituting the structure 52, the number of gate portions 54, the shape of the induction path portion 55, the number of branch paths, the number and arrangement of the dead end portions 56, etc. , The embodiment is not limited to the above-exemplified embodiment, and various other configurations can be used. Further, the structure 52 may be composed of a member different from the frame member.

1 Underwater vehicle 1A Main body 1B Floating body 1C Cord 2 Vertical tail 3 Communication equipment 4 Control equipment 5 Sound equipment 6 Power receiving equipment 20 Towing device 21 Control device 22 Communication device 23 Sound device 24 Reception device 25 Position detection device 26 Charging device 27 Data acquisition device 50 Recovery device 51 Connection mechanism 52 Structure 53 Capture part 54 Gate part 55 Guidance path part 56, 56A to 56D Dead end part 57, 57A to 57C Switching mechanism 58 Rod-shaped member 59 Rotation mechanism 60 Passage detection sensor 61 Opening / closing mechanism 62 Rod-shaped member 63 Rotating mechanism 64 Passage detection sensor WL Water surface position

Claims (12)

It is a recovery device for underwater vehicles towed by a towing device.
A structure that is towed while floating on the surface of the water and a connecting mechanism that connects the structure to the towing device are provided, and the structure floats on the main body of the submerged underwater vehicle and the surface of the water. It is configured to have a cord-like body connected to the floating body portion of the underwater navigation body or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion .
The catching portion of the structure has a gate portion for introducing the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion, a dead end portion for restraining the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion that has passed through the gate portion, and the cord-shaped body or the floating body portion. It is configured to have an induction path portion that guides the floating body portion from the gate portion to the dead end portion.
The catching portion of the structure has a plurality of the dead end portions with respect to one gate portion, and the guidance path portion has a plurality of branch paths for guiding from the gate portion to each of the dead end portions. , A recovery device for an underwater vehicle, characterized in that a switching mechanism for selectively switching the branch route is provided. A towing device comprising the recovery device for the underwater vehicle according to claim 1. The towing device according to claim 2 , further comprising a charging device for supplying electric power to the underwater navigating body in a state where the cord-like body or the floating body portion is hooked on the catching portion of the structure. 2. Towing device. It is a towing device equipped with a recovery device for underwater vehicles.
The recovery device towed by the towing device includes a structure towed while floating on the water surface and a connecting mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device, and the structure is submerged. The floating body portion is configured to have a cord-like body connecting between the main body portion of the underwater navigation body and the floating body portion of the underwater navigation body floating on the water surface, or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion. It is equipped with a power receiving device that can receive power wirelessly.
The towing device is mounted on the floating body portion in a state where the cord-like body or the floating body portion is hooked on the catching portion of the structure and is mounted on the floating body portion. A towing device characterized by being equipped with a charging device that supplies electric power to a medium-sized vehicle. It is a towing device equipped with a recovery device for underwater vehicles.
The recovery device towed by the towing device includes a structure towed while floating on the water surface and a connecting mechanism for connecting the structure to the towing device, and the structure is submerged. The floating body portion is configured to have a cord-like body connecting between the main body portion of the underwater navigation body and the floating body portion of the underwater navigation body floating on the water surface, or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion. It is equipped with a communication device that can communicate wirelessly.
The towing device is provided with the water via the communication device provided on the floating body portion in a state of being floated on the water surface in a state where the cord-like body or the floating body portion is hooked on the catching portion of the structure. A towing device characterized by being equipped with a data acquisition device for acquiring data possessed by a medium-sized navigation body. A recovery system for an underwater vehicle provided with the towing device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
When the underwater vehicle is recovered, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion, and the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body. It is equipped with a control device that is configured to control the floating of the water on the surface of the water.
The towing device moves the towing device and the recovery device to the vicinity of the floating body portion floating on the water surface, and the catching portion of the structure is connected to the cord-like body of the underwater navigating body or the cord-shaped body. Capture steering control that catches the underwater vehicle by catching the floating body, and moves the towing device and the recovery device to the recovery target water area while the underwater vehicle is captured by the capture portion of the structure. A recovery system for an underwater vehicle, characterized in that it is equipped with a return steering control and a control device configured to perform. An underwater vehicle recovery system equipped with a towing device.
The towing device includes a recovery device for an underwater vehicle towed by the towing device.
The recovery device includes a structure that is towed while floating on the surface of the water and a connection mechanism that connects the structure to the towing device, and the main body of the underwater vehicle in which the structure is submerged. It is configured to have a cord-like body connecting between the water and the floating body portion of the underwater vehicle floating on the water surface, or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion.
When the underwater vehicle is recovered, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion, and the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body. It is equipped with a control device that is configured to control the floating of the water on the surface of the water.
The towing device moves the towing device and the recovery device to the vicinity of the floating body portion floating on the water surface, and the catching portion of the structure is connected to the cord-like body of the underwater navigating body or the cord-shaped body. Capture steering control that catches the underwater vehicle by catching the floating body, and moves the towing device and the recovery device to the recovery target water area while the underwater vehicle is captured by the capture portion of the structure. It is equipped with a control device that is configured to perform return steering control and
The towing device is an autonomous unmanned navigation vessel, and by registering the underwater vehicle to be collected in advance in the control device mounted on the towing device, the registered underwater vehicle can be collected. A recovery system for an underwater vehicle, characterized in that the control device is configured to autonomously perform the approach steering control, the capture steering control, and the return steering control. An underwater vehicle recovery system equipped with a towing device.
The towing device includes a recovery device for an underwater vehicle towed by the towing device.
The recovery device includes a structure that is towed while floating on the surface of the water and a connection mechanism that connects the structure to the towing device, and the main body of the underwater vehicle in which the structure is submerged. It is configured to have a cord-like body connecting between the water and the floating body portion of the underwater vehicle floating on the water surface, or a catching portion for hooking the floating body portion.
When the underwater vehicle is recovered, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion, and the floating body portion and the main body portion are connected by the cord-like body. It is equipped with a control device that is configured to control the floating of the water on the surface of the water.
The towing device moves the towing device and the recovery device to the vicinity of the floating body portion floating on the water surface, and the catching portion of the structure is connected to the cord-like body of the underwater navigating body or the cord-shaped body. Capture steering control that catches the underwater vehicle by catching the floating body, and moves the towing device and the recovery device to the recovery target water area while the underwater vehicle is captured by the capture portion of the structure. It is equipped with a control device that is configured to perform return steering control and
The cord-like bodies are set to different lengths for each of the underwater navigation bodies, and the control device of the towing device controls a plurality of the underwater navigation bodies having different lengths of the cord-like bodies. A recovery system for an underwater vehicle, characterized in that the underwater vehicle having a long cord-like body is sequentially controlled to be captured by the capture portion of the structure. The towing device is an unmanned navigation vessel, the towing device is equipped with a communication device capable of wireless communication, the communication device and the control device are communicably connected, and the communication device and the control device are connected via the communication device and the control device. The recovery system for an underwater vehicle according to claim 7 or 9 , wherein the towing device is configured to be remotely controllable. A communication device is mounted on the floating body portion, and a receiving device that receives the position information of the floating body portion transmitted from the communication device on the towing device, and a position detection that detects a relative position between the collecting device and the floating body portion. It is equipped with a device
The control device of the underwater vehicle is configured to control the position information of the floating body portion by the communication device mounted on the floating body portion after the floating body portion is floated on the water surface. At the same time
The control device of the towing device receives the position information of the floating body portion transmitted by the communication device by the receiving device, performs the approach steering control based on the received position information of the floating body portion, and performs the approach steering control to the position. The water according to any one of claims 7 to 10, which is configured to perform the capture steering control based on the relative position information between the capture portion and the floating body portion of the structure detected by the detection device. A recovery system for medium-sized vehicles. A method for recovering an underwater vehicle using the towing device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
When collecting the underwater vehicle, the floating body portion is separated from the main body portion of the underwater navigation body, and the floating body portion is connected to the floating body portion and the main body portion by the cord-like body. It floats on the surface of the water and catches the underwater navigating body by hooking the cord-like body or the floating body portion of the underwater navigating body on the catching portion of the structure of the recovery device to capture the underwater navigating body. A method for recovering an underwater vehicle, which comprises towing the recovery device to a recovery target water area with the underwater vehicle captured in the unit.

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