Modular penetrometer
US5493895A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 17, 1994 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 17, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V1/38
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A selectively configurable penetrometer device for impact testing the physical characteristics of the sea floor includes a hollow cylindrical housing which is formed with a recess. A hemispherical nose is engageable with one end of the housing and a removable fin assembly is selectively engageable with the opposite end of the housing. A transponder is engageable in a fluid tight seal with the end of the housing opposite the hemispherical nose to hold the electronic components in the recess of the housing. In the operation of the penetrometer, the transmitter emits a signal of precisely controlled constant frequency, and a remote receiver detects variations in signal receptions during impact of the penetrometer with the sea floor to determine the physical characteristics of the surface of the sea floor. The device can also include weighted spacers which can be selectively inserted into the device between the housing and the hemispherical nose. Additionally, the device can include an elongated coaxial probe of different lengths and diameters which extends from the hemispherical nose.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.