Connectedly-formed underwater exploration device

Abstract

Image recording as long as possible during one activity is required in deep sea exploration. Necessity of multi-directional image recording, optical and chemical observations and probing of mineral resources of seabed are also increased. There is no underwater exploration device enable these requirements. It is disclosed that at least one battery-driven underwater exploration body having three pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres for housing an image capturing device, an illumination device, a recording device, an acoustic communication device and a control device controlling thereof and at least one battery body having an approximately the same shape and structure as the underwater exploration body are connected with each other by a connecting tool to provide the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device.

Claims

1. A connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, comprising: at least one battery-driven underwater exploration body formed by three pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres for housing an image capturing device, an illumination device, a recording device, an acoustic communication device and a control device, the control device controlling the image capturing device, the illumination device, the recording device and the acoustic communication device; and at least one battery body having an approximately same shape and structure as the underwater exploration body, wherein the underwater exploration body and the battery body are connected with each other by a connecting tool.

2. A connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, comprising: at least one battery-driven underwater exploration body formed by three pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres for housing an image capturing device, an illumination device, a recording device, an acoustic communication device and a control device, the control device controlling the image capturing device, the illumination device, the recording device and the acoustic communication device, wherein a battery body having an approximately same shape and structure as the underwater exploration body is connected horizontally to at least one of left and right ends of the underwater exploration body by a connecting tool so that the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device forms an approximately triangular prism shape.

3. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 1, wherein in the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device to which the battery body is connected, the underwater exploration body and the battery body are able to be connected and assembled with each other by using a hinge.

4. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 1, wherein a fixing tool for fixing the underwater exploration body and the battery body with each other is mounted at least on a top face of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, a suspending metal fitting for hanging the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device is provided on the fixing tool, and a position of the suspending metal fitting is adjustable on an approximately vertical line passing through a gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device.

5. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 1, wherein a fixing tool for fixing the underwater exploration body and the battery body with each other is mounted on a bottom face of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, a sinker of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device can be hanged down from the fixing tool, and a position of hanging the sinker is adjustable on an approximately vertical line passing through a gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device.

6. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 1, wherein an underwater cable for connecting the devices housed in the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres with a sinker separating device for separating the sinker is embedded in a groove formed on a frame body on which the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres are mounted.

7. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 2, wherein in the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device to which the battery body is connected, the underwater exploration body and the battery body are able to be connected and assembled with each other by using a hinge.

8. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 2, wherein a fixing tool for fixing the underwater exploration body and the battery body with each other is mounted at least on a top face of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, a suspending metal fitting for hanging the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device is provided on the fixing tool, and a position of the suspending metal fitting is adjustable on an approximately vertical line passing through a gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device.

9. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 2, wherein a fixing tool for fixing the underwater exploration body and the battery body with each other is mounted on a bottom face of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, a sinker of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device can be hanged down from the fixing tool, and a position of hanging the sinker is adjustable on an approximately vertical line passing through a gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device.

10. The connectedly-formed underwater exploration device according to claim 2, wherein an underwater cable for connecting the devices housed in the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres with a sinker separating device for separating the sinker is embedded in a groove formed on a frame body on which the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres are mounted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device having an approximately triangular prism shape formed by connecting one “Edokko-1” body and two battery bodies.

(2) FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an inside of the battery sphere.

(3) FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing showing a wire connection between the batteries.

(4) FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the connecting tool portion.

(5) FIG. 5 is an enlarged drawing of the hinge as an example of the connecting structure.

(6) FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a mounting state of the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres.

(7) FIG. 7 is a drawing of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device shown in FIG. 1 as seen from above.

(8) FIG. 8A is a drawing showing an example of the top fixing tool of the top face for mounting the suspending metal fitting on the vertical line passing through the gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device (FIG. 8A is also an example of the bottom fixing tool of the bottom face for mounting the sinker on the vertical line passing through the gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device).

(9) FIG. 8B is a drawing showing another example of the top fixing tool of the top face for mounting the suspending metal fitting on the vertical line passing through the gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device (FIG. 8B is also another example of the bottom fixing tool of the bottom face for mounting the sinker on the vertical line passing through the gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device).

(10) FIG. 9 is a drawing of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device shown in FIG. 1 as seen from below.

(11) FIG. 10 is an enlarged drawing of the sinker separating device.

(12) FIG. 11 is a drawing showing the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device having an approximately rectangular prism shape formed by connecting two “Edokko-1” bodies and two battery bodies.

(13) FIG. 12 is an explanatory drawing of the underwater connector formed on the through-hole of the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres and the underwater cable for the wire connection.

(14) FIG. 13 is an example of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device having an approximately triangular prism shape formed by connecting one “Edokko-1” body and one battery body.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(15) In one embodiment of the present invention, “Edokko-1” including the protection cover made of resin and the frame body can be used as it is as the underwater exploration body 11 for connecting the battery body 12. However, the underwater exploration body 11 is not necessarily limited to “Edokko-1”. The same effect can be obtained even when connecting other battery-driven underwater exploration device and the battery body.

(16) A necessary number of battery spheres 24 (necessary number of batteries) can be provided on the connected battery body 12 according to the required electric power. Similar to the “Edokko-1” body, three battery spheres 24 can be mounted on one battery body at the maximum.

(17) Typically, two battery bodies can be connected horizontally to both left and right ends of one “Edokko-1” equivalent body to form the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device having an approximately triangular prism shape (FIG. 1). In this case, totally six battery spheres 24 can be mounted on the two battery bodies connected to both left and right ends of the “Edokko-1” equivalent body at the maximum. It is preferred that the number of the battery spheres 24 is same between the left and right battery bodies 12 connected to left and right ends of the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11 for balancing the weight. However, the above described configuration is not essential as long as the balance is carefully considered.

(18) As described above, the batteries 61 housed in the battery spheres 24 of the battery body 12 are connected in parallel with all the batteries housed in the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11 via the underwater connector 63 and the underwater cable 64. As for the connection method, the batteries of the battery body are connected in parallel with the batteries preliminarily housed in the illumination sphere and the photograph sphere. Since the electric power is provided from the connected batteries of the battery body to the illumination device and the image capturing device, the illumination and the photographing can be performed for a longer term.

(19) In the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1 connected with the battery body 12 of the present invention, as described above, the connecting tool portion 31 between the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11 and the battery body 12 adopts the connecting structure of a simple hinge structure using a movable-type and an insertion-type, for example, in a hinge between a gatepost and a gate door. Thus, disassembling and assembling work can be easily performed even on the narrow ship. Actually, the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11 and the battery body 12 were separately carried, compactly housed without requiring a particularly large space, easily assembled when in use, easily disassembled after the work, and housed each unitized body separately again.

(20) In the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1 connected with the battery body 12 of the present invention, the fixing tool 32 for fixing the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11 with the battery body 12 is mounted at least on a top face of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1. It is preferred that the fixing tool 32 is also mounted on a bottom face of the underwater exploration body to hang the sinker 41 by a wire from the fixing tool mounted on the bottom face. If needed, an intermediate fixing tool might be fixed between the top face and the bottom face to reinforce the structure.

(21) As described above, the suspending metal fitting (hook) 33 was mounted on the fixing tool 32 of the top side. The position of the suspending metal fitting 33 was located near the vertical line passing through the gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device formed by plural bodies. As a result, the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1 connected with the battery body 12 of the present invention was vertically entered in the water surface. Since the sinker 41 was located on the fixing tool of the bottom side at a position near the vertical line passing through the gravity center of the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device, the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device of the present invention was vertically sunk in the water. As described above, the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device of the present invention showed the same operability as a conventional “Edokko-1” body both in and on the water.

(22) Same as the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11, the battery body 12 has sufficient buoyancy. Thus, after the monitoring in the water, the sinker separating device 35 was operated by the signal transmitted from the ship to separate the sinker 41, and the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device was able to float to the water surface without problems. As described above, the sinker is separated by the instruction signal transmitted from the transponder sphere. However, if the separating device is only one, when the separating device is broken, the nylon thread cannot be burnt out. Thus, the cantilever cannot be operated, the sinker cannot be separated, and the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device cannot be floated. This is a serious problem. Therefore, it is preferred that dual systems of the electric heaters are vertically arranged with respect to the nylon thread so that one heater can be operated to perform the cutting even when the other heater is broken.

Embodiment 1

(23) For manufacturing the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres used for the present invention, same as the case of manufacturing the conventional “Edokko-1” body, a molten glass was press-molded to form a glass-made hollow hemispherical body. An outer diameter of the glass-made hollow hemispherical body was 330 mm, and a thickness of a spherical shell was 17 mm (consequently, an inner diameter of the hemisphere was 296 mm). As described in detail in Patent Literature 4 disclosed by the inventor of the present invention with the other inventors, the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres were made by joining the glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies with each other at ground joint surfaces after the ground joint surface was precisely polished. Through-holes having a diameter of approximately 11 mm were formed near the apex of two glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies forming the transponder sphere 23 or near the apex of one of two glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies forming the photograph sphere 21, the illumination sphere 22 and the battery sphere 24. The through-holes were used for penetrating the underwater connector 63 for wire connection. In addition to the above described through-holes, through-holes having a diameter of approximately 5 mm were formed near the apex of one of two glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies forming the photograph sphere 21, the illumination sphere 22, the transponder sphere 23 and the battery sphere 24. The above described small through-holes were holes for releasing the air when the sphere was sealed after the necessary devices were housed inside. The purpose is to reduce the pressure by releasing the air in a state that the two glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies are joined with each other. Thus, the two glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies were closely attached.

(24) In each of the glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies, the image capturing device (video camera 71), the illumination device (illumination light 72), the batteries, the acoustic communication device and the like were housed. For the wire connection with the batteries 61 housed in the battery sphere 24 of the battery body 12 and the wire connection for synchronizing the image capturing device with the illumination device, the underwater cable 64 was drawn out from the underwater connector 63 penetrated through the through-hole having a diameter of approximately 11 mm and then the two glass-made hollow hemispherical bodies were fitted with each other at the ground joint surfaces (i.e., equatorial planes) to form the pressure-resistant hollow glass sphere (shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 12).

(25) Then, a vacuum port with an O-ring was inserted through the through-hole having a diameter of approximately 5 mm and fastened and fixed by a bolt and a nut. Then, the air in the pressure-resistant hollow glass sphere was released and depressurized, and then the vacuum port was sealed by a bolt with an O-ring. After that, a butyl rubber tape was wound around the equatorial plane in one turn, and then a vinyl chloride tape was wound on it in three turns. Thus, the pressure-resistant hollow glass sphere was fixed.

(26) In the same method, the acoustic communication device housed in the transponder sphere was connected with the transducer and the device for separating the sinker using the underwater cable. Note that the transducer is a device having functions of a microphone and a speaker. The transducer receives the instruction transmitted from the ship and transfers it to the acoustic communication device and measures a linear distance from the ship transmitting the instruction. The transducer was mounted on the shoulder part of the frame body of the “Edokko-1” equivalent body.

(27) Then, the hinge 34 shown in FIG. 5 was mounted and fixed by screws on both sides of the upper and lower portions of the frame body of the conventional “Edokko-1” body 11 formed by the photograph sphere 21, the illumination sphere 22 and the transponder sphere 23. Thus, the connecting tool portion 31 was formed. Then, the battery bodies 12 were mounted and fixed by screws on each of the other sides of the hinge 34. Thus, the battery bodies 12 were connected (shown in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing tool 32 formed in a three-branched shape was mounted on the top face and the bottom face, the fixing tool 32 was fixed with the frame body by screws to fix the “Edokko-1” body with the two battery bodies. The suspending metal fitting 33 was mounted on the center position of the three-branched fixing tool 32 of the top face to be used when hang by the crane. Finally, the sinker 41 was mounted on the three-branched fixing tool 32 of the bottom face via the sinker separating device 35, and the feeding rack 42 and the communication sphere (not illustrated) were further mounted to form the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1 connected with two battery bodies. The assembled connectedly-formed underwater exploration device seen from above is shown in FIG. 7 and seen from below is shown in FIG. 9.

(28) Five lithium polymer batteries (manufactured by Turnigy, TS50004S 20-24) were housed in the illumination sphere of the “Edokko-1” equivalent body 11, and four lithium polymer batteries were housed in the photograph sphere. Three battery spheres 24 were housed in each of two battery bodies 12, thus totally six battery spheres 24 were housed in the left and right battery bodies 12. Four batteries 61 were housed in each of the battery spheres 24. Accordingly, totally twenty four batteries were connected in two battery bodies. The capacity of one lithium polymer battery is 70 Wh (14V×5000 mAh). In this case, the capacity of the batteries of the “Edokko-1” equivalent body is 630 Wh, and the capacity of the batteries of two battery bodies reaches 1680 Wh. Furthermore, the number of the total batteries is thirty three, and the total capacity of the batteries is 2310 Wh. FIG. 2 shows a state of housing four batteries 61 in the battery sphere.

(29) The underwater cables 64 of the batteries drawn out from the through-holes of the photograph sphere, the illumination sphere and the battery sphere were connected in parallel with each other in a pressure-resistant underwater cable joint box (independently designed component) mounted on the “Edokko-1” equivalent body. Thus, the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device of the present invention was completely assembled. The state of the wire connection of the batteries is schematically shown in FIG. 3.

(30) If the illumination and the photographing are performed three times a day for every three days and the time for continuing one illumination and the photographing is one minute, the capacity of the batteries is totally required at least 980 Wh based on theoretical calculation. Thus, the capacity is not enough in the “Edokko-1” body since the capacity is 630 Wh. On the other hand, the capacity of the two battery bodies is 1680 Wh (total capacity of the batteries is 2310 Wh) in the present embodiment. Thus, the capacity is enough. It is found that the long term observation of one year or more is possible.

(31) As described above, although the result differs according to the observation conditions of the long term monitoring, the battery life cannot be guaranteed for one year only by totally nine batteries of the “Edokko-1” body (i.e., five batteries housed in the illumination sphere and four batteries housed in the photograph sphere) in condition that the illumination and the photographing are performed three times a day for every three days and the time for continuing one illumination and the photographing is one minute. However, since two battery bodies are connected, the battery life of one year can be guaranteed.

(32) As for the present embodiment, the consumption condition of the battery, the operability and the like were confirmed by performing operation tests in a large pool.

Embodiment 2

(33) In the embodiment 1, two battery bodies were fixed to both sides of the frame body of the conventional “Edokko-1” body to form the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device having an approximately triangular prism shape as shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment 2, the battery body was fixed to only one side of the frame body of the “Edokko-1” body and three pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres were mounted on the battery body. Two of the pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres were used as the battery sphere 24 for housing the batteries and the rest was used as the sensor sphere 25 for housing the sensors. As shown in FIG. 13, an outer appearance is an approximately triangular prism shape. It might be substantially recognized as an approximately V-shape.

(34) The hinge 34 shown in FIG. 5 was mounted and fixed by screws on the upper and lower portions of one side of the frame body of the conventional “Edokko-1” body formed by the photograph sphere 21, the illumination sphere 22 and the transponder sphere 23. Thus, the connecting tool portion 31 was formed. Then, the battery body 12 was mounted and fixed by screws on the other side of the hinge 34. Thus, the battery body 12 was connected. As shown in FIG. 13, the fixing tool 32 formed in a three-branched shape was mounted on the top face and the bottom face, the fixing tool 32 was fixed with the frame body by screws to fix the “Edokko-1” body with one battery body. The suspending metal fitting 33 was mounted on the three-branched fixing tool to be used when hanged by the crane. The mounting position of the suspending metal fitting 33 was determined so that the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device was vertically hung down when the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1 was hung down. The mounting position was preliminarily determined by measuring the weight balance. Finally, the sinker 41 was mounted via the sinker separating device 35, and the feeding rack 42 and the communication sphere (not illustrated) were further mounted to form the connectedly-formed underwater exploration device 1 connected with one battery body.

(35) Four batteries 61 were housed in each of two battery spheres 24 in addition to five batteries housed in the illumination sphere of the “Edokko-1” body and four batteries housed in the photograph sphere. Thus, totally seventeen batteries were housed and the total capacity of the batteries was 1190 Wh. If the illumination and the photographing are performed three times a day for every three days and the time for continuing one illumination and the photographing is one minute, the capacity of the batteries is totally required at least 980 Wh based on theoretical calculation. According to the calculation result, it is found that the observation of one year is possible.

(36) In one sensor sphere 25, sensors for optically measuring the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration, the dissolved oxygen concentration and the pH value of the seawater were housed. Consequently, the analysis can be performed by referring to the photographed images, the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration, the dissolved oxygen concentration and the pH value. Note that a small storage battery (12V×5000 mAh) is independently housed in the transponder sphere 25.

(37) Also for the present embodiment, the consumption condition of the battery, the operability and the like were confirmed by performing operation tests in a large pool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

(38) 1 connectedly-formed underwater exploration device

(39) 11 “Edokko-1” equivalent body

(40) 12 battery body

(41) 21 photograph sphere

(42) 22 illumination sphere

(43) 23 transponder sphere

(44) 24 battery sphere

(45) 25 sensor sphere

(46) 31 connecting tool portion

(47) 32 fixing tool

(48) 33 suspending metal fitting

(49) 34 hinge for connecting tool portion

(50) 35 sinker separating device

(51) 41 sinker

(52) 42 feeding rack

(53) 51 frame body made of metal or resin

(54) 52 fitting hole of pressure-resistant hollow glass spheres

(55) 53 protection cover made of resin

(56) 54a, 54b grooves for embedding underwater cable

(57) 55 inner side grooves for embedding underwater cable

(58) 56 electric heater (for cutting nylon thread)

(59) 57 cantilever

(60) 61 battery (accumulator)

(61) 62 connection cable

(62) 63 underwater connector

(63) 64 underwater cable

(64) 65 O-ring

(65) 66 nylon washer

(66) 67 metal washer

(67) 68 nut

(68) 69 sealing rubber

(69) 71 video camera

(70) 72 illumination light