System for effecting underwater coupling of optical fiber cables characterized by a novel V-probe cable capture mechanism
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsChristopher F. Hillenbrand, Thomas D. Barron, David M. Nugent
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A submarine trails one fiber optic cable and an undersea vehicle is contred by this first cable. A missile/torpedo trails a second cable that is to be coupled to the first cable. The second cable has a segment suspended vertically underwater between a buoyant pod and a sea anchor type buoy. The undersea vehicle, or Autonomous Undersea Vehicle, (AUV) hunts for the pod by conventional homing means. A forked cable pickup device in the nose of the AUV captures the suspended cable segment directing it into a slot so a male socket in the underside of the pod mates with a female socket in the slot.
Claims15
An underwater system for coupling fiber optic cables, said system comprising:
- a first fiber optic cable;
- a self-propelled undersea vehicle having a nose and a tail, said first cable having one end connected to said vehicle tail;
- second cable capturing means provided in the nose of said undersea vehicle;
- a missile having a nose and a tail, a second fiber optic cable connected to said missile tail, said second cable having a segment at its opposite end suspended generally vertically below the surface of the water;
- a pod provided on said generally vertical cable segment;
- a wireless homing means provided in part on said undersea vehicle and in part on said pod whereby said vehicle can be driven into said cable segment so that said cable capturing means engages said cable segment to provide said cable segment in said cable capturing means on said undersea vehicle.
The system according to claim. 1 .wherein said cable capturing means comprises a pair of projecting cable lead-in arms arranged in a generally V-shape, and a cable receiving slot defined at the vertex of said V-shape.
A system for coupling fiber optic cables comprising:
- a buoyant pod;
- a first fiber optic cable suspended from said pod, and ballast means provided on said cable in spaced relation to said pod to define a cable segment suspended generally vertically between said pod and said ballast means;
- an undersea vehicle, and a second fiber optic cable connected to said undersea vehicle;
- a V-shaped cable engaging probe provided on said undersea vehicle such that said cable segment can be engaged by the open end of said V-shaped probe as a result of moving said undersea vehicle transversely toward said cable segment;
- a control vessel, having means for launching said undersea vehicle, and having means for launching said pod and ballast means;
- and
- plug means including a male portion defined by said pod generally coaxially with respect to said first cable segment and including a female socket defined by a vertex of said V-shaped probe whereby continued movement of said vehicle causes said cable segment to slide along said V-shaped probe and to be engaged by said pod defined male plug portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.