US 12,226,894 B2
Submersible remote operated vehicle tool interchange
Richard Brian Correll, Woodland, CA (US); William P. Klassen, Davis, CA (US); Clayton Paul Kleppinger, Woodland, CA (US); Philip David Langley, Granite Bay, CA (US); Justin Daniel Schmaljohann, Davis, CA (US); Ryan Mitchell Bosler, Sacramento, CA (US); William Dawson Kesling, Davis, CA (US); and Chris Alexander Ade, Davis, CA (US)
Assigned to FMC Technologies, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed by FMC Technologies, Inc., Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/220,017.
Application 18/220,017 is a continuation of application No. 17/660,955, filed on Apr. 27, 2022, granted, now 11,731,289.
Application 17/660,955 is a continuation of application No. 16/376,622, filed on Apr. 5, 2019, granted, now 11,318,624, issued on May 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0075636 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. B25J 15/04 (2006.01); B63C 11/52 (2006.01); B63G 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/0408 (2013.01) [B25J 15/0433 (2013.01); B63C 11/52 (2013.01); B63G 8/001 (2013.01); B63G 2008/002 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tool interchange for a submersible remote operated vehicle (ROV) arm, the tool interchange comprising:
a first interchange body that affixes to the ROV arm;
a second interchange body carried by the first interchange body to rotate on a rotation axis, the second interchange body comprising a tool mount actuable between gripping an ROV tool to the second interchange body and releasing the ROV tool from the second interchange body, the second interchange body including:
an inductive power coupling part in the tool mount, the inductive power coupling part presented outwardly in the tool mount, residing on the rotation axis and fixed with respect to the first interchange body, the inductive power coupling part adapted to inductively communicate power with a corresponding inductor power coupling part of the ROV tool when the ROV tool is docked in the tool mount;
a central housing fixed to the first interchange body and extending along the rotation axis, the central housing comprising the inductive power coupling part, where the second interchange body is carried to rotate around the central housing; and
a plurality of hydraulic connector parts on the second interchange body within the tool receiving receptacle and radially outboard of the inductive power coupling part, the hydraulic connector parts adapted to communicate hydraulic pressure with corresponding hydraulic connector parts of the ROV tool and carried to rotate with the second interchange body;
where the hydraulic connector parts are each spring biased to protrude outward of a surface of the tool receiving receptacle and to compress in mating engagement with the corresponding hydraulic connector parts on the ROV tool.