Carrying device for side-scan sonar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783273-B2
Application number	US-201514696501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 26, 2012
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A carrying device for a side-scan sonar, including a suspension rod, a hanging rack, and a flange. The side-scan sonar is in fixed connection to the lower part of the hanging rack. The suspension rod includes a suspension unit, a universal joint, and a tension rod. The flange is disposed below the lower part of the tension rod. The hanging rack includes a Z-shaped main cross beam. Two U-shaped hooks are disposed at two ends of the Z-shaped main cross beam for supporting the side-scan sonar. A vertical drag hook is disposed in the inner side of each of the two U-shaped hooks for hanging the side-scan sonar. The flange is fixed in the center of the Z-shaped main cross beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A carrying device for a side-scan sonar, comprising:
a) a suspension rod, the suspension rod comprising a suspension unit, a universal joint, and a tension rod;
b) a hanging rack, the hanging rack comprising a Z-shaped main cross beam;
c) a flange;
d) two U-shaped hooks; and
e) a vertical drag hook;

wherein:
the side-scan sonar is adapted to be in fixed connection to a lower part of the hanging rack;
the suspension unit, the universal joint, and the tension rod are hinged to one another;
the flange is disposed below a lower part of the tension rod;
the two U-shaped hooks are respectively disposed at two ends of the Z-shaped main cross beam for supporting the side-scan sonar;
the vertical drag hook is disposed in an inner side of each of the two U-shaped hooks for hanging the side-scan sonar; and
the flange is fixed to a center of the Z-shaped main cross beam.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the suspension unit comprises a triangle lifting lug, two pear-shaped side plates comprising lightening holes, and a rectangular baseplate, and the two pear-shaped side plates are welded on the rectangular baseplate to form an I-shaped structure; and two rectangular eye plates are perpendicularly welded on a bottom surface of the rectangular baseplate.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein two forked structures are disposed at two ends of the universal joint, respectively, and the two forked structures are perpendicular to each other.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the Z-shaped main cross beam comprises two wide plates and two narrow plates; the two wide plates are combined to form an angle of 70 degrees; and the two narrow plates are perpendicular to the two wide plates, respectively.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein a cone-shaped protrusion is formed at an inner bottom of the two U-shaped hooks to support a bottom part of the side-scan sonar.

6. A method for assembling a carrying device for a side-scan sonar of claim 1 , the method comprising:
a) determining an operating water depth of the side-scan sonar;
b) selecting a hanging position for the suspension rod at a wharf or at a side of a hull, and determining a hanging height of a hanging unit of the suspension rod;
c) assembling the suspension rod, adjusting a rotation sensitivity of the universal joint, and hanging the suspension rod vertically using a lifting device;
d) assembling the hanging rack;
e) hooking a suspension eye plate of the hanging rack using the lifting device to allow the hanging rack to be slightly higher than a section height of the side-scan sonar;
f) hanging a hanging ring of the side-scan sonar on the vertical drag hook, and adjusting a vertical position of the vertical drag hook through a third nut to enable the vertical drag hook to hook the side-scan sonar;
g) installing the U-shaped hooks at two ends of the Z-shaped main cross beam, lifting the side-scan sonar through fourth bolts until an upper limb of a cross section of the side-scan sonar leans against vertical stop plates of the hanging rack;
h) adjusting again the vertical position of the vertical drag hook through the third nut to enable the vertical drag hook to hook tightly the hanging ring of the side-scan sonar;
i) aligning six second screw holes of the flange with six first screw holes of the hanging rack, and fastening the screw holes using bolts; and
j) lifting up the carrying device carrying the side-scan sonar using the lifting device and vertically placing the carrying device in a target water.

Assignees

• Univ Dalian Tech

Inventors

• Lin Yan
• Chen Ming
• Yu Yanyun
• Wang Yunlong
• Li Kai

Classifications

• G10K11/008

  Arrays of transducers (seismic streamers, see G01V1/20) · CPC title

• G01S15/8902

  Side-looking sonar · CPC title

• Y10T29/511

  Grinding attachment · CPC title

• G01S15/88

  Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00) · CPC title

• B63B49/00 Primary

  Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids (nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) · CPC title