# US 7,743,722 B2 · Underwater vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,743,722 B2 - Document ID: US7743722B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/886,219 - Filed: 2006-03-14 - Published: 2008-06-12 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-16 - Assignees: BAE SYSTEMS plc - Inventors: Michael Alan Tull - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743722B2 ## CPC - F42B 19/01: Steering control - B63G 8/32: of torpedo-launching means (torpedo-launching means per se F41F3/00); of torpedo stores or handlers - B63G 8/42: Towed underwater vessels - F42B 15/04: using wire, e.g. for guiding ground-to-ground rockets - F41G 7/32: for wire-guided missiles - G02B 6/4457: {Bobbins; Reels} - F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D) - B63G: OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (means of attack or defence in general, e.g. turrets F41H) - F41G: WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING (optical aspects thereof G02B) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An underwater vehicle including a housing, an internal guidewire dispenser for storing and deploying a guidewire, and a splice cavity defining a storage space, for carrying and deploying a splice between the internal guidewire and an external guidewire and excess guidewire resulting from splicing the internal and external guidewires. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An underwater vehicle comprising; a housing; an internal guidewire dispenser for storing and deploying an internal guidewire; and an internal splice cavity, defining a storage space, for carrying a splice between the internal guidewire and an external guidewire and excess guidewire resulting from splicing the internal and external guidewires, said splice cavity being configured to deploy the splice and excess guidewire from the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the splice cavity is mounted on the internal dispenser. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the splice cavity is mounted on the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the storage space is shaped to control the bend radius of the splice and the excess guidewire stored therein. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the splice cavity provides protection for the splice and the excess guidewire during storage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the excess guidewire from the internal dispenser is coiled around the internal periphery of the storage space. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The underwater vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the splice and the excess guidewire from an external dispenser are coiled inside the coils of the excess guidewire from the internal dispenser. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the internal and external guidewires comprise optical fibers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the internal and external guidewires comprise microcables. ### Claim 10 A method of assembling an underwater vehicle having a housing and a wire command link to connect the vehicle to a launch platform, the link including an internal guidewire stored in an internal dispenser and an external guidewire stored in an external dispenser, the method comprising the steps of: a) mounting a splice cavity having a storage space in the housing for carrying a splice between the internal guidewire and the external guidewire and excess guidewire resulting from splicing the internal and external guidewires, and for deploying the splice and excess guidewire from the vehicle, b) dispensing sufficient external guidewire from the external dispenser to carry out a fusion splice and passing the sufficient external guidewire through the splice cavity and the internal dispenser, c) dispensing sufficient internal guidewire from the internal dispenser to carry out a fusion splice and passing the sufficient internal guidewire through the splice cavity, d) fusion splicing the sufficient external guidewire and the sufficient internal guidewire, and e) coiling excess guidewire from the fusion splicing and the fusion splice into the storage space. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of assembling an underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein coiling the excess guidewire from the fusion splicing into the storage space includes the substeps of: e1) first coiling excess internal guidewire from fusion splicing into the storage space, e2) and then coiling the fusion splice into the storage space, e3) and then coiling excess external guidewire from fusion splicing into the storage space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of assembling an underwater vehicle as claimed in claim 10 wherein the splice cavity is mounted on the internal dispenser. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The underwater vehicle according the claim 1 wherein the splice cavity is shaped as a bellmouth for dispensing the splice and excess guidewire from the splice cavity during deployment from the vehicle. ### Claim 14 A method of assembling an underwater vehicle having a housing and a wire command link to connect the vehicle to a launch platform, the link including an internal guidewire stored in an internal dispenser and an external guidewire stored in an external dispenser, the method comprising the steps of: a) mounting a splice cavity having a storage space in the housing, b) dispensing sufficient external guidewire from the external dispenser to carry out a fusion splice and passing the sufficient external guidewire through the splice cavity and the internal dispenser, c) dispensing sufficient internal guidewire from the internal dispenser to carry out a fusion splice and passing the sufficient internal guidewire through the splice cavity, d) fusion splicing the sufficient external guidewire and the sufficient internal guidewire, and e) coiling excess guidewire from the fusion splicing and the fusion splice into the storage space, said step of coiling including, e1) first coiling excess internal guidewire from fusion splicing into the storage space, e2) and then coiling the fusion splice into the storage space, e3) and then coiling excess external guidewire from fusion splicing into the storage space.