JPS6245117B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a scuttling device that allows a buoy to be scuttled into the water by remote control or by a timer when its purpose of use is completed.

Collecting or transmitting various types of information on the water, such as in the ocean or into space,
Alternatively, a buoy equipped with appropriate equipment may be floated as a marker. It is well known that such information transmission means utilizes sound waves, radio waves, light, etc., and can be arbitrarily configured or combined depending on the purpose. However, there are cases where it is difficult to retrieve the buoy after it has been floated on the ocean and has achieved various desired operating functions. For example, it is difficult to search for stray points.
It costs a considerable amount of money to set sail for ships, etc., or it is difficult or impossible to recover them quickly, and if left unchecked, it will become a hindrance to the navigation of other ships and pose a problem to fisheries.
In such a case, scuttling the buoy by remote control is a quick and easy way to prevent it from becoming a nuisance.

In view of the above-mentioned points, the present invention aims to provide a scuttling device that receives and detects a command signal from a remote or on-board timer and introduces water into the buoy to cause the buoy to scuttle. Therefore, the configuration of the present invention includes: a hole that communicates the inside and outside of the buoy at a position that is at least below the water surface of the buoy when the buoy floats underwater; and a stopper that seals the hole watertightly from the outside.
It is characterized in that it is provided with an energizing heating means inside, and an opening means that causes thermal deformation by energizing the heating means to push the stopper and open the hole. In this way, even with an extremely simple configuration, it is possible to sink the ship reliably and safely at any time without the danger of explosives. The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments and the drawings.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a cylindrical buoy 1 which has a radio transmitting/receiving antenna 3 on its upper part floating above the water surface 2, a radio device 4 connected thereto, and a battery 5 for the radio device mounted below. . The scuttling device 6 according to the present invention is provided at the main part below the water surface.

FIG. 2a schematically shows, in partial cross section, one embodiment of the invention described above. Projection part 1 of wall surface 11 of buoy 1
2 is formed with a hole 13 that communicates the inside and outside, and a large diameter recess 14 on the outside of this hole. Then, an O-ring 15 is attached to the recess 14 as a packing, and a removable stopper 16 is inserted into the hole 13 from the outside. The stopper 16 is held by contact pressure with the O-ring 15 and maintains airtightness (watertightness) inside and outside. Furthermore, when underwater, inward pressure is exerted by water pressure, so it does not naturally escape.

Support arms 17 are provided on both sides of the hole 13 inside the buoy.
17 is fixedly installed, and the holes 18, 18 at the tip of this support arm are made of, for example, a bimetal 6, which is thermally deformed to curve when heated by an electric heater 61.
2 are loosely fitted and engaged, and are locked by means not shown so as not to move in the length direction. A protruding piece 63 is attached to the center of the bimetal 62 and normally abuts or is close to the inner end of the stopper 16.

One of the heaters 61 is connected to one pole of the battery 64, and the other is connected to the battery 64 through a contact 66 of a relay 65.
4, respectively. An operation input terminal 67 of the relay 65 is connected to a detection device (not shown) that discriminately detects a specific command signal from the wireless device 4. Note that the battery 64 may be the battery 5 for wireless device.

With the above configuration, the buoy 1 performs prescribed operations while floating on the ocean, sends and receives various information to and from remote aircraft, ships, or ground stations via the radio 4, and then completes its operation. , transmits a coded signal at a specific frequency for operating the scuttling device 6 from this or other remote location. The radio device 4 of the buoy that has received this radio signal detects the signal, energizes the relay 65 to excite it, and closes the contact 66. As the current from the battery 64 is applied to the heater 61, it generates heat and heats and deforms the bimetal 62 attached thereto, but the bimetal 62 has both ends loosely fitted into the holes 18, 18 of the support arms 17, 17. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2b, the central portion is curved and protrudes toward the wall surface.

The protruding piece 63 attached to the center of the bimetal 62 presses the inner end of the stopper 16 and continues to push it outward, and eventually the stopper 16 comes out of contact with the O-ring 15 and the inside and outside of the buoy are separated. Since the recess 14 and the hole 13 communicate with each other, seawater flows into the buoy through the hole 13. At this time, the stopper 16 falls into the water outside due to its weight and falls out of the recess. Seawater continues to flow through the hole 13 while discharging the air inside the buoy through this hole, and the buoy eventually loses its buoyancy and sinks into the water.

In the above embodiment, the scuttling device was installed at one location under the water surface of the buoy, but it was installed at multiple locations, and even at the top exposed above the water surface, and in each case, one scuttling device was installed at each location. It is possible to connect multiple batteries and relays in parallel, which will further speed up the flow of water into the buoy.
Particularly in the latter case, since the discharge of internal air is stabilized, the inflow of water is extremely rapid.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3, but this embodiment differs from FIG. 2 in that the supporting end of the bimetal 62' is fixed to the support base 17', and a projecting piece 63 is provided on the free end side. It is because it is attached. In this case as well, the effect is the same as described above, and the heater 6
1, the bimetal 62' is deformed and curved as shown by the dotted line to push out the stopper 16.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments; for example, the bimetal itself may be electrically energized to generate heat, or the bimetal may be caused to suddenly reverse and deform in a curved manner by causing a buckling phenomenon. The closure can be opened. Alternatively, the closure can be biased in the closing direction using a combination of a spring and a link (lever), and the action of a bimetal can be used to reverse the bias in the opening direction after passing through the dead center until the buoy is put into the water. It is possible to prevent unintentional opening due to internal pressure during storage. The same applies to the shape and purpose of the buoy, and the mounting position of the scuttling device is arbitrary as long as it is on the bottom or any other position below the water surface, including mounting it in combination with the exposed part above the water surface as described above. Transmission of the signal is not limited to space, but may also be carried out underwater, and may also be effected by, for example, a sound wave signal. Furthermore, the scuttling command signal of the present invention is not limited to being generated by remote control from the outside, and an appropriate timer may be used to energize the heating means after a predetermined time when the buoy is thrown. A relay for energizing can be implemented instead of, for example, a semiconductor device. Closing can also be achieved by having a thin plate attached and breaking it with a plug opening means.

As mentioned above, the buoy scuttling device according to the present invention is configured to open communication holes between the inside and outside using the opening means that is heated and thermally deformed by energizing the heating means at a desired time, thereby allowing water to flow in and losing buoyancy. Since it can be scuttled in parallel, its operation is safe and reliable, and since it does not require a complicated structure, it is low cost, and is excellent in practical terms.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external side view of an example of a buoy, Fig. 2a is a partial cross section and schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2b is an explanatory diagram of its operation, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment. It is a diagram. In the figure, 1 is a buoy, 2 is a water surface, 3 is an antenna, and 4
is a radio device, 5 is a battery, 6 is a scuttling device, 11 is a side wall, 12 is a protrusion, 13 is a hole, 14 is a recess, 15
is an O-ring, 16 is a stopper, 17 is a support arm, 1
8 is a hole, 61 is a heater, 62 is a bimetal, 63
64 is a battery, 65 is a relay, 66 is a contact, and 67 is a terminal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A hole that communicates the inside and outside of the buoy at least at a position below the water surface of the buoy when the buoy floats underwater, a stopper that seals the hole watertightly from the outside, and an electric heating means inside the buoy. A buoy scuttling device comprising an opening means for causing thermal deformation by applying electricity to a heating means to push out the stopper and open the hole.