Apparatus for measurement water depth including a piezoelectric scanning assembly
AssigneeTenix Lads Corporation PTY LTD
InventorsSvatopluk Leopold Jurica, Michael Frederick Penny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) system for the measurement of water depth is disclosed, the system includes a transmitter and a receiver of laser light having at least two wavelengths so as to receive a first reflection from a water surface and a second reflection from a water bottom, and a mirror (32) adapted to reflect the second reflection laser light and rotate around a major axis (34) and minor axis (36) where the rotation of the mirror (32) around the minor axis (36) is provided by a piezo electric actuator (68). The piezo electric actuator (68) drives the mirror (32) around the minor axis (36) through a mechanical level (72).
Claims15
A mirror assembly adapted for rotation around an axis including:
- a mirror;
- a piezo electric actuator;
- a longitudinal lever flexibly attached at one end to said actuator and mechanically coupled at the other end to the mirror at a location distal to said axis of rotation;
- said mirror pivotably attached to said actuator along said axis of rotation wherein operation of said actuator causes it to extend, extending and rotating said lever causing said mirror to pivot around its axis of rotation from a rest position.
A mirror assembly as in any one of the above claims wherein said lever other end is mechanically coupled to said mirror through an adjusting means enabling the angular position of the mirror at rest to be adjusted with respect to the lever.
A mirror assembly as in any one of the above claims wherein said mirror is attached to said frame through a biasing means adapted to bias the mirror to its rest position.
A mirror assembly as in any one of the above claims said mirror assembly adapted to rotate in another axis of rotation.
An apparatus for the measurement of water depth said apparatus adapted to be mounted on a flying platform and including:
- a transmitter and a receiver of laser light and having at least two wavelengths so as to receive a first reflection from the water surface and a second reflection from the bottom of said water surface;
- and
- a mirror adapted to reflect said second reflection and rotate around a major and a minor axis, wherein the rotational motion of said mirror around said minor axis is provided by a piezo electric actuator.
An apparatus as in any one of the above claims wherein said piezo electric actuator is of a longitudinal configuration and extends generally parallel to the major axis of the mirror.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.