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US 5,210,720 AGranted
Compliant tube baffle
AssigneeThe B. F. Goodrich Company
InventorsSamuel J. Caprette, Jr., Lawrence J. Howard, Jr., Bernie Fink
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compliant baffle for use in a marine environment wherein a pair of plate-like elements are separated in a spaced predetermined manner typically employing T-blocks, rods, or edges of the plate-like elements bent one towards the next, surrounded by an elastomeric encapsulant and configured into ranks of box-like structures forming a sonic reflector or baffle. The baffle finds utility in reflecting noise in especially at great depths in marine environments.
Claims23
A sonic reflector, configured for use in a marine environment, comprising:
- a plurality of discrete rectangular hollow box-like structures each formed of at last two discrete longitudinal plate-like mechanical elements supported only along their lengthwise edges and an unattached closure plate at each end thereof which does not support the ends of the longitudinal elements, the plate-like longitudinal elements being free to move by bending motion along the entire length thereof, each box-like structure having a length substantially in excess of a width and thickness thereof;
- the box-like structures being arranged generally in at least one rank, box-like structures at least within a particular rank having essentially equal lengths oriented substantially parallelly;
- and
- means for providing imperviousness to water penetration comprising an elastomeric encapsulant surroundingly encapsulating the box-like structures individually.
1 more element
A sonic reflector, configured for use in a marine environment, comprising:
- a plurality of discrete hollow box-like structures, each box-like structure having a length substantially in excess of a width and thickness thereof;
- the box-like structures generally being arranged in at least one rank, box-like structures at least within a particular rank having substantially equal lengths thereof oriented substantially parallelly;
- the box-like structures each being formed of a pair of discrete, longitudinal rectangular mechanical plate-like elements configured to lie in a generally parallel plane relationship and spaced apart one from the next a predetermined amount, and a pair of spacers configured to support and establish the plate-like elements only along their lengthwise edges in spaced apart manner, the spacers being configured in the form of rigid structures having curvilinear bearing surfaces and selected from at least one of rods, and balls, the parallel plate-like elements including channels formed therein and complementarily configured for receiving the structures having curvilinear bearing surfaces;
- and
- means for providing imperviousness to water penetration comprising an elastomeric encapsulant surroundingly encapsulating the box-like structures individually.
2 more elements
A sonic reflector, configured for use in a marine environment, comprising:
- a plurality of hollow box-like structures, each box-like structure having a length substantially in excess of a width and thickness thereof;
- the box-like structures being arranged generally in at least one rank, box-like structures at least within a particular rank having substantially equal lengths thereof oriented substantially parallelly;
- the box-like structures each being formed of a pair of discrete longitudinal rectangular plate-like elements having a length substantially in excess of the width and thickness thereof, the pair of plate-like elements configured in a generally parallel plane relationship spaced apart one from the next predetermined amount, and a pair of spacers configured to separate and rigidly support the lengthwise edges but no the widthwise edges of the plate-like elements of each box-like structure in spaced apart relationship, the pair of spacers being positioned along the length of the plate-like elements, but not across the width thereof, the plate-like elements being unsupported at the ends thereof, the spacers being configured in the form of T-blocks;
- and
- means for providing imperviousness to water penetration comprising an elastomeric encapsulant surrounding encapsulating the box-like structures individually.
2 more elements
A sonic reflector, configured for use in a marine environment, comprising:
- a plurality of discrete rectangular hollow box-like structures, each box-like structure having a length substantially in excess of a width and thickness thereof;
- the box-like structures generally being arranged in at least one rank, box-like structures at least within a particular rank having substantially equal lengths thereof oriented substantially parallelly;
- the box-like structures being each formed in part by a pair of discrete longitudinal rectangular mechanical plate-like elements configured in a generally parallel plane relationship, the elements of each pair being spaced apart one from the next, each of the plate-like elements of a pair forming a particular box-like structure having longitudinal edge portions thereof bent in a direction generally towards the other plate-like element of the pair whereby longitudinal edge portions of the parallel plate-like elements in a pair are configured to establish and support the plate-like elements of the pair in predetermined spaced apart manner by engagement of only their respective corresponding longitudinal edge portions;
- and
- means for providing imperviousness to water penetration comprising an elastomeric encapsulant surroundingly encapsulating the box-like structures individually.
2 more elements
A rectangular box-like structure suitable for use in a sonic reflector, configured for submersion into deep waters of a marine environment, comprising:
- a pair of plate-like elements positioned in a generally parallel plane relationship and spaced apart one to the other a predetermined amount;
- the plate-like elements being of corresponding length substantially in excess of the width and thickness thereof;
- means for supporting the lengthwise edges but not the widthwise edges of the plate-like elements in generally parallel plane relationship and spaced apart one to the other a predetermined amount;
- an unattached end closure plate at each end of the pair of plate-like elements;
- and
- means for providing imperviousness to water penetration comprising an elastomeric encapsulant surroundingly encapsulating the box-like structure individually.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.