US 7,411,558 B1Granted

Buoyant cable antenna configuration and system

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

InventorsNone recorded

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Abstract

A buoyant cable system and method is provided with a towed transmission line and antenna platform that may be deployed into the water from a submerged submarine so that the antenna extends above the surface of the water. The cable system preferably utilizes a flexible weighted keel formed in a section of the transmission line. A buoyant section of transmission line extends upwardly from the depth of the weighted keel to support one or more antennas above the surface of the water. In another embodiment, a plurality of weighted keels may be formed in sections of the transmission line whereby an inverted U-shaped buoyant portion extends upwardly from the depth of weighted keel to act as the support for a horizontally oriented antenna.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A buoyant, flexible antenna system operable for use in water with a transmission line, said system comprising:

at least one buoyant section of said transmission line for supporting at least one portion of said transmission line along a surface of said water;
a flexible weighted keel section of said transmission line, said flexible weighted keel section comprising weight elements such that said flexible weighted keel section has a density greater than water and sinks in water, said weight elements being selected and positioned such that said flexible weighted keel section sinks no lower than a selected maximum depth range below a surface of said water during operation;
a rotary connection for coupling between said buoyant portion of said transmission line and said flexible weighted keel portion;
a buoyant platform portion of said transmission line on an opposite side of said flexible weighted keel portion from said rotary connection, said buoyant platform portion extending upwardly from said flexible weighted keel portion;
and
at least one antenna mounted to said buoyant platform portion of said transmission line.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.