Junction plate for subsea hydraulic couplings
AssigneeNational Coupling Company, Inc.
InventorRobert Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A junction plate assembly for subsea hydraulic couplings has gear-driven cam followers on the circumference of one, generally circular, junction plate and curved cam tracks on a corresponding junction plate to urge the plates together or apart. The gears can provide significant mechanical advantage in moving the junction plates. Accordingly, larger junction plates with a greater number of hydraulic coupling members may be joined together when using the apparatus of the invention. The mechanical advantage provided by the junction plate mechanism allows the use of smaller, less powerful Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to make hydraulic connections in the subsea environment.
Claims18
A junction plate for hydraulic couplings comprising:
- a cam actuator;
- a drive mechanism coupled to the cam actuator;
- and,
- a cam carrier with at least one cam follower.
A junction plate assembly for hydraulic couplings comprising:
- a generally circular removable body;
- a cam actuator mounted on the removable body;
- a drive mechanism coupled to the cam actuator;
- a ring gear on the circumference of the removable body engaged with the drive mechanism;
- at least one cam follower on the outer circumference of the ring gear;
- a generally circular fixed plate;
- a generally cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end attached to the fixed plate;
- a generally ring-shaped cam track carrier mounted to the interior circumference of the cylindrical wall proximate the first end;
- and
- an inclined cam track in the cam track carrier sized to accommodate the cam follower.
A junction plate assembly for hydraulic couplings comprising:
- a generally circular removable junction plate;
- a shaft rotatably mounted on the removable plate;
- a driver gear attached to the shaft;
- at least one idler gear engaged with the driver gear;
- at least one driven gear engaged with an idler gear;
- a ring gear on the circumference of the removable body engaged with the driven gear;
- at least one cam follower on the outer circumference of the ring gear
- a generally circular fixed junction plate;
- a generally cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end attached to the fixed plate;
- a generally ring-shaped cam track carrier mounted to the interior circumference of the cylindrical wall proximate the first end;
- and
- an inclined cam track in the cam track carrier sized to accommodate the cam follower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.