JP3965066B2 - Shipping method for optical submarine cables and submarine repeaters, shipping lines and shipping carts - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical submarine cable loading method, a loading line, and a loading carriage.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The unsealed optical submarine cable, which is completed by placing reinforcing strength members and insulating materials around multiple optical fibers and then applying sheath processing, is usually laid in the deep sea where the seabed is at a depth of 500 m or more. Is done. On the other hand, there are rocks, rocks, corals, etc. on the seabed, and the seabed that is susceptible to natural phenomena such as tidal currents and waves, or the seafloor along the coast, will be damaged if the unwrapped optical submarine cable is used. Therefore, instead of the unsealed optical submarine cable, an unsealed optical submarine cable is used as a cable core, and an external optical submarine cable that has been subjected to exterior processing is laid. The present invention relates to the unsealed optical submarine cable or the outer optical submarine cable.
[0003]
A considerable number of completed unsealed optical submarine cables or external optical submarine cables (hereinafter simply referred to as optical submarine cables) are arranged in a predetermined order in the factory based on the requirements of the optical transmission system design and marine survey results, A submarine repeater is connected between two optical submarine cables adjacent in order.
[0004]
After the system test is completed, the optical submarine cable connected to the submarine repeater is loaded onto a ship such as a submarine cable laying ship or a cargo ship that has berthed from the connection factory or test factory to the quay outside the factory. The total length of optical submarine cables to be loaded can be several hundred to several thousand kilometers, and a submarine repeater is located every tens of kilometers of the total length.
[0005]
A conventional facility for shipping includes a track such as a roller conveyor laid from a factory to a quay, and a hoist travel rail laid along the track above the track. When the optical submarine cable is placed on the track and the optical submarine cable is pulled by the towing device installed on the ship, the optical submarine cable moves on the track and is sequentially guided to the ship. When it is necessary to transport a submarine repeater, it is difficult to move a submarine repeater of several hundred kilograms directly on the track, so the traction of the optical submarine cable is temporarily suspended, and the submarine repeater is suspended on the hoist. . Thereafter, when the optical submarine cable pulling is resumed, the optical submarine cable moves on the track, and the submarine repeater moves along the rail while being suspended by the hoist, and is guided to the ship.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
A submarine repeater is a precision component weighing hundreds of kilograms that contains an amplifier and other equipment inside. It is necessary to hold such precision parts so as not to vibrate during transportation and to protect internal devices. However, it is difficult to prevent vibrations when transported while being suspended by a hoist, and the submarine repeater is placed under vibration during transport. In addition, since a rigid optical submarine cable is connected to the submarine repeater, if there is a curve in the track, not only the submarine repeater but also the optical submarine cable will swing, and contact the pillars in the track. There is a risk of loss of safety.
[0007]
Moreover, in the conventional equipment, the hoist traveling rail used only for the movement of the submarine repeater is laid above the track over the entire length of the track. Considering that the laying distance from the factory to the quay reaches several hundred to several thousand meters, not only the rail laying cost but also the maintenance and inspection costs are enormous. In addition, the movement speed when moving the hoist along the rail is determined by the movement of the hoist wheel that travels along the hoist rail that suspends the hoist. Is on. As a result, shipping costs are affected.
[0008]
The present invention was developed in view of the above, and the object of the present invention is to prevent vibration of the submarine repeater during transportation, to ensure safety, and to further reduce shipping costs. The object is to provide a cable loading method, a loading line, and a loading cart.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above problems.
The gist of the invention according to claim 1 is a method of drawing an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater from a factory and loading it on a ship berthed on a quay outside the factory, and placing the submarine repeater on a carriage, to put the truck into orbit, in addition to pulling force to the optical submarine cable by moving the carriage on the track, seen including that guides the optical submarine cable to the ship, during the movement of said carriage, said The submarine repeater moves the carriage on the track while restraining horizontal movement, vertical movement, and rotational movement with respect to the extending direction of the track while being restrained by the carriage. Lies in the shipping method of optical submarine cables and submarine repeaters .
The gist of the invention according to claim 2 is a method of drawing an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater and two couplings connected to the submarine repeater from a factory and loading them on a ship berthed on a quay outside the factory. The submarine repeater and the two couplings are individually placed on a carriage so that a connecting portion between the submarine repeater and each coupling can be bent, and the carriages are put on a track, and a traction force to the optical submarine cable by moving the carriage on the track, seen including that guides the optical submarine cable to the ship, during the movement of the carriage, the submarine repeater was constrained to the truck state, characterized by moving the carriage while suppressing a rotational movement with the movement of the moving and vertical horizontal direction with respect to the extending direction of the track on the track, the optical submarine cable, and It consists in shipping method bottom repeater.
The gist of the invention according to claim 3 is a loading line for loading an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater on a ship and extending between a factory and a quay outside the factory, the track extending from the factory to the quay When, a carriage moving on the track by traction exerted on the optical submarine cable Ri mounting the track along with placing the submarine repeaters, the submarine repeaters is constrained to the truck, with respect to the extending direction of the track Therefore, the present invention resides in a shipping line for optical submarine cables and submarine repeaters , characterized in that horizontal movement, vertical movement and rotational movement are suppressed .
The gist of the invention according to claim 4 is a loading line for loading an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater into a ship and extending between a factory and a quay outside the factory, and extending from the factory to the quay. And a carriage that places the submarine repeater and moves on the track by a traction force applied to the optical submarine cable, and the carriage slides on the track, a loading portion on which the submarine repeater is placed to have a base portion, said base portion is characterized that you have made in the form of inclined front and rear portions of the moving direction from the middle portion upwardly, it consists in shipping line of optical submarine cables and submarine repeaters.
The gist of the invention according to claim 5 is that the optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater and two couplings connected to the submarine repeater is loaded on a ship and extends between a factory and a quay outside the factory. A track that extends from the factory to the quay, and a carriage on which the submarine repeater and the two couplings are individually mounted and moved on the track by a traction force applied on the track and applied to the optical submarine cable. The carriage has a loading portion on which the submarine repeater is placed and a base portion that slides on the track, and the base portion is formed so that the front and rear portions in the moving direction are inclined upward from the intermediate portion. is characterized that you have, it consists in shipping line of optical submarine cables and submarine repeaters.
The gist of the invention according to claim 6 is that a pair of guides provided on both sides of the track, which are left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage, and left and right sides of the carriage are guided by the guides. An optical submarine cable and a submarine repeater shipping line according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a width of the pair of guides is slightly larger than a width of the carriage. Exist.
The gist of the invention according to claim 7 resides in the shipping line of the optical submarine cable and the submarine repeater according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the track is a roller conveyor.
The gist of the invention according to claim 8 is a carriage used when an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater is loaded on a ship, and has a loading portion on which the submarine repeater is placed and a base portion that slides on a track. The base portion is formed in a form in which the front and rear portions in the moving direction are inclined upward from the intermediate portion, and moves on the track by a traction force applied to the optical submarine cable, and the optical submarine cable and the submarine relay It exists in the trolley for shipping containers.
The gist of the invention according to claim 9 resides in the shipping method of the optical submarine cable and the submarine repeater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the track is a roller conveyor.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1 showing a side state and FIG. 8 showing a schematic plan view, the present invention draws an optical submarine cable 11 having a submarine repeater 10 from a factory 9a and contacts a quay 9b outside the factory 9a. In this method, the submarine repeater 10 is placed on the carriage 12 and the carriage 12 is placed on the track 13. The carriage 12 is moved on the track 13 by applying a traction force to the optical submarine cable 11. This includes guiding the submarine cable 11 to the ship 9c.
[0011]
An optical submarine cable 11 connected to the submarine repeater 10 is temporarily placed in a connection factory of the submarine repeater 10 with the optical submarine cable 11, an inspection factory of the optical submarine cable 11, and other factories 9 a. In the form shown in FIG. 8, the track 13 extends linearly, but depending on the layout, the track 13 has not only a straight line but also a partial curve and a height.
[0012]
The optical submarine cable 11 is pulled out from the factory 9a and placed on the track 13, and moves on the track 13 in the direction of arrow A by receiving the traction force of the traction device 9d installed on the ship 9c. When the optical submarine cable 11 moves and is loaded on the ship 9c and most of the optical submarine cable 11 in front of the submarine repeater 10 is fed out, the movement of the optical submarine cable 11 is temporarily interrupted. Thereafter, the submarine repeater 10 is placed on the carriage 12 using a hoist or crane (not shown), and the carriage 12 is placed on the track 13. In this case, after placing the submarine repeater 10 on the carriage 12, the carriage 12 together with the submarine repeater 10 may be placed on the track 13. Conversely, the carriage 12 is placed on the track 13, and then the submarine repeater 10 is placed on the carriage 12. It may be placed. Depending on the size of the submarine repeater 10 and the carriage 12, a part of the submarine repeater 10 may be placed on the carriage 12, and substantially the entire submarine repeater 10 may be placed on the carriage 12.
[0013]
When the submarine repeater 10 is placed on the carriage 12 and the carriage 12 is placed on the track 13 and then a traction force is applied to the optical submarine cable 11, the optical submarine cable 11 moves on the track 13. At this time, the submarine repeater 10 receives a traction force, but since the relative slip of the submarine repeater 10 and the carriage 12 is hindered by the frictional force due to the weight of the submarine repeater 10, the carriage 12 eventually moves on the track 13. Will move. In this way, the optical submarine cable 11 and the submarine repeater 10 move and are guided to the ship.
[0014]
When the carriage 12 is moved, it is necessary not to cause a relative slip between the submarine repeater 10 and the carriage 12. For this purpose, the frictional force can be used as described above, but it is preferable to fix the submarine repeater 10 by wrapping the belt 14 attached to the carriage 12 around the submarine repeater 10 in order to ensure further certainty. . Further, it is preferable that a recess that fits the contour of the submarine repeater 10 is provided in the carriage 12, and the submarine repeater 10 is placed on the carriage 12 so that the submarine repeater 10 fits in the recess. It is more reliable if the submarine repeater 10 is placed in the recess of the carriage 12 and the submarine repeater 10 is fixed by the belt 14.
[0015]
The present invention also provides a ship 9c in which an optical submarine cable 11 having a submarine repeater 10 and two couplings 16 and 17 connected to the submarine repeater 10 is drawn from the factory 9a and berthed on a quay 9b outside the factory 9a. It is a method of loading in. In this loading method, the submarine repeater 10 and the two couplings 16, 17 are individually attached to the carriages 12, 19, 20 so that the connection between the submarine repeater 10 and each coupling 16, 17 can be bent. The trolley 12, 19, 20 is placed on the track 13, a traction force is applied to the optical submarine cable 11 to move the trolley 12, 19, 20 on the track 13, and the optical submarine cable 11 is guided to the ship. including.
[0016]
As described above, the optical submarine cable 11 can be moved even when a part of the submarine repeater 10 is mounted on the carriage 12. However, when the optical submarine cable 11 has the submarine repeater 10 and the two couplings 16 and 17, and the size of the couplings 16 and 17 is approximately half that of the submarine repeater 10, It is not a good idea to make a large carriage 12 on which the two couplings 16 and 17 can be entirely mounted, in addition to the problem of the production of the carriage 12, it becomes impossible to deal with a case where the track 13 has a curve. On the other hand, if the carriage 12 on which only the submarine repeater 10 is mounted is used, the two couplings 16 and 17 may come into contact with the track 13 and may be damaged. According to the present invention, such problems can be solved.
[0017]
A bellows 15 is disposed at a connecting portion between the submarine repeater 10 and each of the couplings 16 and 17, and a known gimbal mechanism is incorporated in the bellows 15. The gimbal mechanism is formed so that each coupling 16, 17 can be bent about 60 degrees in any direction with respect to the submarine repeater 10. Therefore, the submarine repeater 10 and the two couplings 16 and 17 are placed on the carriages 12, 19, and 20 so that the gimbal mechanism protrudes from the carriages 12, 19, and 20, and the couplings 16 and 17 are bent during the movement. Like that. As a result, it is possible to prevent the couplings 16 and 17 and the optical submarine cable 11 from coming into contact with the pillars and the like at the track bending portion by the action of the three carriages 12, 19, and 20 and the gimbal mechanism at the bending portion of the track 13. The optical submarine cable 11 can be prevented from being damaged.
[0018]
1 and 8 again, the present invention is a loading line that extends between a factory 9a and a quay 9b outside the factory 9a for loading an optical submarine cable 11 having a submarine repeater 10 into a ship 9c. A track 13 extending from the factory 9a to the quay 9b and a carriage 12 on which the submarine repeater 10 is mounted and a carriage 12 that is placed on the track 13 and moves on the track 13 by traction force applied to the optical submarine cable 11 are provided.
[0019]
The track 13 is a roller conveyor in the illustrated embodiment. As the track 13, in addition to the roller conveyor, a track in which a resin plate having a low friction coefficient is attached to a sliding surface with the carriage 12, or the carriage 12 is levitated by air or magnetism, that is, a low friction orbit can be employed.
[0020]
The carriage 12 is loaded with a part or the whole of the submarine repeater 10 referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 showing a planar state, FIG. 3 showing a side state, and FIGS. 4 and 5 showing sectional states. It has a portion 22 and a base portion 23 that slides on the track 13, and moves on the track 13 by traction force applied to the optical submarine cable 11.
[0021]
In the illustrated embodiment, the loading unit 22 includes a plurality of plate members 24 that are spaced in the moving direction of the carriage 12, and each plate member 24 is provided with a recess that fits the submarine repeater 10. On the other hand, in order to avoid interference with the track 13, the base portion 23 is formed as a form in which front and rear portions in the moving direction of the carriage 12 are bent upward from the intermediate portion. A plurality of plate members 24 are fixed on the base portion 23 to form a stacking portion 22, and the entire carriage 12 is a so-called warp.
[0022]
The carriage 12 preferably includes at least one belt 14 that is looped around the submarine repeater 10 mounted on the loading unit 22. A plurality of belts 14 are provided at equal intervals in the moving direction so as to exert a substantially uniform tightening force on the submarine repeater 10.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of guides 25 are provided on both sides of the track 13 that is left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage 12, and a guide 26 that is guided by the guide 25 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the carriage 12. It is preferable. The guide 25 has a rigidity that does not deform even when the carriage 12 hits it. On the other hand, a low-friction resin plate is attached to the contact surface with the guide 25 so that the guided 26 can easily slide relative to the guide 25.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 5, the plate member 24 in the loading portion 22 of the carriage 12 is formed into a shape having a horizontal bottom piece, two vertical pieces, and a recess adapted to the submarine repeater 10, and a base portion made of a plate material on the bottom piece. 23 is fastened with bolts 27 and nuts 28. On the other hand, a guided member 26 is fastened to each vertical piece with a bolt 29 and a nut 30. It is preferable to attach a mat 31 made of rubber or resin to the concave portion of the plate member 24 that matches the submarine repeater 10 to prevent the submarine repeater 10 from rattling or sliding during movement.
[0025]
On the other hand, the carts 19 and 20 are made to have a size suitable for the couplings 16 and 17 as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 in a planar state, and FIG. 7 in a side surface state. The trolleys 19 and 20 have a stacking portion 32 on which the couplings 16 and 17 are placed, and a base portion 33 that slides on the track 13, and the trolleys 19 and 20 are separated by two in the moving direction of the trolleys 19 and 20. It is structurally the same as the carriage 12 in that the plate member 34 is provided. The same is true in that at least one belt 35 for fixing the couplings 16 and 17 is provided. However, the overall size of the carriages 19 and 20 is smaller than that of the carriage 12 and is suitable for the couplings 16 and 17.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, when the submarine repeater is transported on a carriage, since the carriage is on the track, the submarine repeater is not shaken and the submarine repeater is held by the carriage. It is possible to prevent the submarine repeater from being subjected to vibration. Therefore, the device accommodated in the submarine repeater is not adversely affected by vibration during transportation. When a rigid optical submarine cable connected to the submarine repeater reaches a curve in the orbit, the submarine repeater contacts the pillars in the orbit to prevent the optical submarine cable from swinging. There is no fear.
[0027]
When shipping an optical submarine cable with a submarine repeater, the submarine repeater is placed on a carriage and moved along the track along with the carriage. Therefore, a hoist that hangs the submarine repeater and runs along the orbit is unnecessary. The rail which runs is no longer necessary. Conventionally, the rail has been provided over the entire length of the track, and the cost of equipment, maintenance, and inspection has been enormous. However, according to the present invention, the rail for running the hoist is unnecessary, so the cost is reduced. Significant savings. In addition, the bogie does not have wheels and moves on the track in the form of a so-called warp. In the case of a wheel that moves a hoist along the rail, the moving speed is limited depending on the size of the wheel, etc. In the embodiment, such restriction is reduced, and the moving speed can be increased as compared with the wheel. This improves the workability when shipping the optical submarine cable and can reduce the shipping cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a main part of an embodiment of a shipping line for optical submarine cables according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an optical submarine cable shipping cart according to the present invention.
3 is a side view of the loading cart shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the loading cart shown in FIG. 2 cut along a virtual plane orthogonal to the moving direction of the cart, with the submarine repeater and the track shown in phantom.
5 is a cross-sectional view of the shipping cart shown in FIG. 2 cut along a virtual plane orthogonal to the moving direction of the cart, showing the cart in a completed state.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of an optical submarine cable shipping cart according to the present invention.
7 is a side view of the shipping cart shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an outline of improvement and quay layout.
[Explanation of symbols]
9a Factory 9b Quay 9c Ship 9d Towing device 10 Submarine repeater 11 Optical submarine cable 12, 19, 20 Bogie 13 Track 14, 35 Band 15 Bellows 16, 17 Coupling 22, 32 Loading section 23, 33 Base section 24, 34 Plate material 25 Guide 26 Guided 27, 29 Bolt 28, 30 Nut 31 Mat

Claims (9)

A method of drawing an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater from a factory and loading it on a ship berthed at a quay outside the factory,
With placing the submarine repeater to truck, to put this dolly track, in addition to pulling force to the optical submarine cable by moving the carriage on the track, seen including that guides the optical submarine cable to the ship In the state of movement of the carriage, the submarine repeater is restrained by the carriage, while suppressing the movement in the horizontal direction, the vertical movement and the rotational movement with respect to the extending direction of the track. A shipping method for an optical submarine cable and a submarine repeater , wherein the optical submarine cable is moved on the orbit . An optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater and two couplings connected to the submarine repeater is drawn out from a factory and loaded onto a ship berthed on a quay outside the factory,
The submarine repeater and the two couplings are individually mounted on a carriage so that the connecting portion between the submarine repeater and each coupling can be bent, and these carriages are placed on a track, to the optical submarine cable. added traction to move the carriage on the track, seen including that guides the optical submarine cable to the ship, during the movement of the carriage, the submarine repeater while being constrained to said carriage, An optical submarine cable and a submarine repeater, wherein the carriage is moved on the track while suppressing horizontal movement, vertical movement, and rotational movement with respect to the extending direction of the track . Shipping method. An optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater is loaded into a ship, and is a loading line extending between a factory and a quay outside the factory. and a carriage moving on the track by traction exerted on the optical submarine cable Ri placing in orbit, the submarine repeaters is constrained to the truck, the movement of the mobile and vertical horizontal direction with respect to the extending direction of the track Optical submarine cable and submarine repeater shipping line, characterized in that rotational movement is suppressed . An optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater is loaded into a ship, and is a loading line extending between a factory and a quay outside the factory. A carriage that is placed on a track and moves on the track by a traction force applied to the optical submarine cable. The carriage has a loading portion on which the submarine repeater is placed, and a base portion that slides on the track. parts are characterized that you have made in the form of inclined front and rear portions of the moving direction from the middle portion upwardly, optical submarine cables and submarine repeaters shipping line. An optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater and two couplings connected to the submarine repeater is loaded onto a ship, and is a loading line extending between the factory and a quay outside the factory, A track extending to a quay; and a carriage that individually mounts the submarine repeater and the two couplings and moves on the track by a traction force applied to the optical submarine cable. a loading section for placing a repeater, and a base portion to slide on the track, the base unit is characterized that you have made in the form of inclined front and rear portions of the moving direction from the middle portion upwardly, light Submarine cable and submarine repeater shipping line. A pair of guides provided on both sides of the track that are to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction of the carriage, and guides that are provided on the left and right sides of the carriage and guided by the guides, 6. The optical submarine cable and the submarine repeater shipping line according to claim 3, wherein the width of the guide is slightly larger than the width of the carriage. 7. The optical submarine cable and the submarine repeater shipping line according to claim 3, wherein the track is a roller conveyor. A truck used when an optical submarine cable having a submarine repeater is loaded on a ship, comprising a loading portion on which the submarine repeater is placed, and a base portion that slides on a track, the base portion being front and rear in a moving direction. An optical submarine cable, wherein a portion is formed in a shape inclined upward from an intermediate portion, and moves on the track by a traction force applied to the optical submarine cable. And submersible shipping carts. 3. The shipping method for an optical submarine cable and a submarine repeater according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the track is a roller conveyor.

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