Subsea mining tool including a suction mouth
AssigneeMarine Resources Exploration International BV
InventorDan Costache Patriciu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A suction mouth (10) for mounting on the front of a subsea mining tool and to be pushed into sediment. The suction mouth comprises a hollow body (12) having an entrance opening (14) and an exit opening (16), wherein the body converges from the entrance opening towards the exit opening. The entrance opening has a lower lip (20) and an upper lip (22), and the upper lip comprises an extension (22a) projecting forwardly and upwardly relative to the lower lip to form a canopy over the entrance opening. The suction mouth (10) may include a valve (30) on the body downstream of the entrance opening which is operable to selectively provide a further entrance opening into the body. Where such a valve is present, the consistency of the material sucked in can be regulated.
Claims15
A subsea mining tool comprising:
- a subsea vehicle including a suction mouth mounted on the front of the vehicle, wherein the suction mouth is operable to be pushed into sediment, and wherein the suction mouth comprises a hollow body having an entrance opening and an exit opening, wherein the body converges from the entrance opening towards the exit opening, the entrance opening has a lower lip and an upper lip, and wherein the upper lip comprises an extension projecting forwardly and upwardly relative to the lower lip to form a canopy over the entrance opening, wherein the suction mouth further comprises:
- a valve on the body downstream of the entrance opening which is operable to selectively provide a further entrance opening into the body;
- and
- wherein the subsea mining tool further comprises a detection system for detection of different layers of sediment to be mined, detection of obstacles and monitoring the path of the tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.