US 4,901,287 AGranted

Underwater sonar array

AssigneeAllied-Signal Inc.

InventorsDaniel G. Hathaway, Robert M. Bridges

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Abstract

A sonar array connected to a data unit includes a substantial number of hydrophone units distributed along a small diameter cable having a substantial number of connecting wires, a center strength member and a tough polyurethane jacket. The hydrophone units each include a strong metal bracket bifurcated at each end and fastened to the strength member. A generally cylindrical hydrophone member is fastened to the bracket as is a circuit board including a preamplifier and the entire unit is sealed with paraxylene resin and then molded into a smooth generally cylindrical unit which is tapered at the ends and sealed to adjacent parts of the cable jacket. To minimize the cross-sectional area and the effects of cross currents, the cable is composed of a plurality of interconnected sections, each of which is of smaller cross-section and carries fewer conductors than the section next closer to the data unit. To assure that the array extends substantially vertically from the data unit, either a weight or a float is fastened to the cable at the end remote from the data unit.

Claims12

Dependent claims

In an underwater sonar system including a data collection and instrumentation unit

A hydrophone array extending vertically from said data and instrumentation unit including an elongated cable containing a center strength member, a plurality of insulated conducting wires, and an external jacket of durable plastic material;
a substantial number of hydrophone units connected to said cable, said hydrophone units each including a bracket member having a pair of longitudinally extending flat parts and a socket part at each end of said flat parts including longitudinally aligned slots operatively connected to said strength member, a hydrophone and a circuit board attached to said bracket member, some of said conducting wires being connected to said circuit board and said hydrophone being connected to said circuit board, said hydrophone units having a coating of paraxylene resin and an external potting coat of polyurethane which is smoothly tapered at each end of said hydrophone units from said brackets to said cable;
said cable including a plurality of sections of progressively smaller diameter attached together with the largest diameter section containing the most conducting wires attached to said data and instrumentation unit, the next smaller diameter cable section having fewer conductive wires being attached to the largest section, and with additional sections progressively becoming smaller in diameter and having fewer conducting wires with the last section having the smallest diameter and the fewest conducting wires.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.