Oceanographic information collection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352805-B2
Application number	US-201214356794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2012
Priority date	Nov 16, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

An oceanographic information collection system includes an anchor arranged on a sea bottom, an intermediate buoy connected to the anchor and floating in a sea, a mooring cable connected at one end to the intermediate buoy and at another end to an observation buoy. The observation buoy includes a main body whose longitudinal direction is arranged in a flowing direction of an ocean current. A specific gravity adjuster is arranged in the main body and includes an expandable and shrinkable buoyancy bag, an antenna arranged on the main body and transfers data, and an observation unit arranged in the main body and acquires prescribed oceanographic information. The observation buoy floats upward by expanding the buoyancy bag of the specific gravity adjuster, and sinks by shrinking the buoyancy bag in order to stand by in the sea. The buoy can easily float, sink and stand by in the sea.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oceanographic information collection system, comprising:
an anchor arranged on a sea bottom;
an intermediate buoy that is connected to the anchor and floats in a sea;
a mooring cable connected at one end to the intermediate buoy; and
an observation buoy connected to another end of the mooring cable,
wherein the observation buoy comprises: a main body having a longitudinal direction which is arranged in a flowing direction of an ocean current; a specific gravity adjuster that is arranged in the main body and comprises a buoyancy bag which is expandable and shrinkable; an antenna that is arranged on the main body and transfers data; and an observation unit that is arranged in the main body and acquires prescribed oceanographic information, and
the observation buoy floats upward by expanding the buoyancy bag of the specific gravity adjuster, and the observation buoy sinks by shrinking the buoyancy bag of the specific gravity adjuster.

2. The oceanographic information collection system according to claim 1 , wherein the mooring cable is connected at a position forward of a longitudinal center of the observation buoy.

3. The oceanographic information collection system according to claim 1 , wherein, in the observation buoy, the specific gravity adjuster is arranged at a fore-end of the main body, and the antenna and the observation unit are arranged at an aft-end of the main body.

4. The oceanographic information collection system according to claim 1 , wherein the observation buoy sinks and reaches a depth substantially identical to a floating depth of the intermediate buoy.

5. The oceanographic information collection system according to claim 1 , further comprising lift generation means arranged on the mooring cable, wherein the lift generation means assists upward floating and sinking of the observation buoy.

6. The oceanographic information collection system according to claim 5 , wherein the lift generation means is a float that includes an openable and closable wing member and can float in the sea, or a sleeve which includes a flange having an enlarged width and into which the mooring cable is inserted.

Assignees

• Ihi Corp

Inventors

• Kawabe Aritsune
• Omori Takuya
• Ichikawa Masaaki
• Wada Yoshiyuki
• Nakagawa Toshihiko

Classifications

• B63B22/20

  Ballast means · CPC title

• B63B21/20

  Adaptations of chains, ropes, hawsers, or the like, or of parts thereof · CPC title

• B63B2211/02

  Oceanography · CPC title

• B63B22/08 Primary

  having means to release or urge to the surface a buoy on submergence thereof, e.g. to mark location of a sunken object · CPC title

• B63B22/04

  {Fixations or other} anchoring arrangements · CPC title