Patent · US Expired

Underwater defense system

US5646366A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
4References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 22, 1996
Grant dateJul 8, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF42B19/10
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A communications system of an underwater defense system is decoupled from unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) when the UUV is deployed under the surface of the water. A housing attached to the UUV has a communications wire spooled therein with a first end of the wire coupled to the UUV. Once underwater, the housing separates from the UUV causing the communications wire to be paid out from the housing. As a result, a pulling force is applied to the housing via the communications wire. Communications electronics are coupled to a second end of the communications wire. The communications electronics includes an RF antenna switchably coupled to an RF receiver operating at a first frequency and to an RF transmitter operating at a second frequency. A buoy is coupled to the communications electronics to float same to the surface of the water such that the RF antenna breaks the surface of the water. A drag drogue depends from the housing to supply a drag force hat offsets the pulling force to maintain the buoy at the surface of the water and the RF antenna above the surface of the water.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.