Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
  • B63C7/00—Salvaging of disabled, stranded, or sunken vessels; Salvaging of vessel parts or furnishings, e.g. of safes; Salvaging of other underwater objects
  • B63C7/26—Means for indicating the location of underwater objects, e.g. sunken vessels
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B22/00—Buoys
  • B63B22/04—Fixations or other anchoring arrangements
  • B63B22/06—Fixations or other anchoring arrangements with means to cause the buoy to surface in response to a transmitted signal

Definitions

• the subject of the present invention is a submerged beacon provided with means ensuring its ascent to the surface on command as well as a system for locating submerged objects using said beacon.
• Such submarine beacon systems allowing the identification of submerged objects after triggering a signal, are more particularly adapted to the identification and recovery of submerged fishing gear such as longlines, nets and traps. such as fishing traps for crabs or lobsters.
• submerged fishing gear such as longlines, nets and traps.
• These submerged beacon systems advantageously allow fishermen to find their fishing gear in place, while avoiding the problems usually encountered of loss of signals that remain on the surface, as well as the theft of fishing gear or the identification of fishing areas. privileged, made possible by the visualization of surface signals.
• an underwater buoy comprising a mechanism for releasing a rope to which the buoy is attached, an acoustic signal receiver triggering release and an explosive trigger system. the whole being enclosed in a cylindrical housing whose bottom separates at the time of the explosion to release the rope wrapped around the housing.
• the device comprises an inflatable buoy whose inflation is triggered by the rupture of a valve connected to a gas cylinder at the time of the explosion.
• European patent EP 0.686.553 describes another release system in which a battery, in response acoustic signals, triggers heating means to liquefy an expandable substance that will cause the movement of a lever for actuating the buoy release mechanism. Release systems with mechanical controls are also known.
• US Pat. No. 5,513,886 proposes an escapement hook system whose pivoting is controlled by a motorized cam following the reception of the release signal;
• US Pat. No. 6,378,202 proposes, for its part, a gripper system whose two branches are separated when the release signal is received.
• the submerged beacon comprises a timer controlling a locking pawl of a drum around which is wound a cable connected to the float. Once the time elapsed, the pawl is disengaged from the drum which can then unwind.
• US Pat. No. 6,880,290 proposes a solution avoiding the loss of fishing traps, in which the underwater buoy is connected to the trap by biodegradable fasteners, the complete disintegration of which is ensured after several weeks in immersion and thus allows find bins that would be lost.
• this system does not include a custom release device.
• the purpose of the present invention is therefore to propose an alternative device for immersed beacons comprising means ensuring at will its ascent to the surface, of simple and robust design, easy to use and low cost.
• the present invention relates to a submerged beacon consisting of a housing enclosing a receiver, a radioacoustic signal, a tether attached to one of its ends at a docking point, a mechanism for releasing the beacon allowing its return to the surface and a reserve of buoyancy, remarkable in that the release mechanism is of the electromechanical type and is enclosed in a hermetic tank thus constituting the reserve of buoyancy, said mechanism controlling a pawl blocking or not the free rotation of a drum drum around which the mooring is wound.
• the beacon according to the invention is therefore very simple in design and that its operation is completely reversible.
• the rise to the surface initially driven by the buoyancy reserve is then ensured by the space released by the unfolding of the mooring, thus increasing the buoyancy and accelerating the recovery to the surface.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the beacon according to the invention.
• - Figure 2 is a partial view in longitudinal section of the beacon shown in Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the drum of the drum winder bearing the teeth of the ratchet mechanism.
• the beacon 1 consists of a casing 2 of shape - A - globally inscribed in a cylinder.
• this housing 2 consists of two half-shells 3 assembled by screwing or riveting them.
• the shape of the housing has a hydrodynamic profile which advantageously allows it to be insensitive to marine currents.
• This housing 2 contains in its upper part a radioacoustic signal receiver 4.
• This receiver 4 overhangs a hermetic tank 5 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2) which contains an electronic card 6 in connection with the receiver 4, a battery (not shown) and a drive means constituted by a geared motor 7.
• the geared motor 7 causes a pawl 8 cooperating with a dentition 9 to form a ratchet mechanism, said dentition as shown enlarged in Figure 3 being disposed peripherally on the outer face of one of the webs of the drum winder 10 around which a mooring 11 is wound to allow its free unwinding, when a suitable radioacoustic signal is sent to the receiver 4.
• a geared motor to achieve the drive means, as for example an electromagnet device and without departing from the scope of the present invention.
• An outlet 12 for the tether 11 is arranged at the opposite end of the housing with respect to the receiver 4 and an access hatch 13 to the drum 10 is arranged in a side wall of the housing 13.
• the axis of rotation of the drum 10 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the beacon, so that the plane of rotation is parallel to the axis of unwinding of the line 11.
• the housing 2 is provided with a longitudinal housing 14 for receiving a mast balancing, not shown, and the identification on the surface of the beacon 1.
• the winding drum 10 is mounted on an axis of rotation of which one of the ends 15, advantageously provided with a driving square, emerges outside the assembled housing 2, thus allowing the user to rewind the tether 11 around the drum 10 using a power tool or manual such as a winch crank.
• a power tool or manual such as a winch crank.
• the mechanical system of the invention is extremely reliable and can be rebooted very easily on a fishing boat by manual rewinding of the tether 11 around the drum 10, and sending a signal reengaging the pawl 8 in the teething 9 of the drum 10 to block its rotation.
• the rearming of the device can be controlled automatically by a timer.
• the battery is of the rechargeable accumulator type.
• the recharging of this battery can be provided by means of a sealed connection or induction, depending on the choice that will retain the Man of Art.
• the beacon 1 is equipped with an additional device not shown in the figures, added to the outside thereof to adjust the immersion depth of said beacon 1.
• This device consists of a housing containing a winding motor associated with a depth gauge and powered by a self-contained battery, for example of the salt type which allows a constant electric charge as soon as the beacon 1 is immersed.
• the device will advantageously be arranged in such a way that the winding motor is connected to the emergent end 15 of the axis of rotation of the drum 10.
• the additional device will readjust the depth of immersion of the beacon 1 either by providing the additional winding to lower it, or by unlocking the drum by sending a signal to beacon 1 until it reaches a depth less than the target depth, then winding up the line until it reaches the desired depth.
• the communication between the additional device may be wired, via a sealed connection, or non-wired, preferably by very short-range waves.
• This additional depth control device advantageously makes it possible to avoid the loss of a submerged beacon in the event of an error in its release in an area where it would be at a depth greater than the planned length of the tether 11 , which would prevent the return to the surface of the tag and thus its recovery.
• this additional device makes it possible to precisely adjust the necessary cable length of the tether 11 so that the beacon 1 arrives at the surface and thus makes it possible to limit the drift at the surface of said beacon when that it is released.
• the beacon 1 is equipped with a security system for cases of electrical failures related to a problem of charging the accumulators controlling the geared motor 7 or a sealing problem, this device causing the automatic disengagement of the ratchet 8 and thus the recovery of the beacon 1 on the surface.
• the beacon device according to the invention will preferably be implemented in a system for marking submerged objects.
• the object of the present invention is therefore a system for locating immersed objects using tags. immersed releasing a surface signal following receipt of acoustic trigger signals, said system comprising a transmitter and a set of tags.
• This marking system is remarkable in that, on the one hand, the transmitter consists of an emitting unit connected to a submerged transducer and, on the other hand, the beacons are as described above.
• This particular configuration of the transmitter advantageously makes it possible to have an omnidirectional transmission radius.
• the sending station will comprise an automatic management module of the tag activation codes, for example in connection with a global positioning system (GPS).
• GPS global positioning system
• an activation function of all the tags present on a site may be provided, emitting successively all the signal codes provided.
• the transmission system makes it possible to manage more than 64000 trigger codes with a single frequency, which makes it possible to individualize the trigger code of each of the beacons.
• the range of the system will be more than 500 meters, optimally with an emission radius of about 800 meters.
• the system for locating immersed objects according to the invention therefore advantageously makes it possible to manage with a single transmitter a fleet of tags, which substantially reduces the costs of using the system and ensures the profitability of the investment for the users. Furthermore, it is well understood that the large number of codes managed by the transmission system ensures the security of the device, in cases where several users of the system according to the invention frequent near or identical geographical areas.
• the transducer of the tracking system will be positioned under the hull in the last third of the boat: indeed, this part is the least exposed to turbulence when the boat is on the move.
• the sending station has a user interface, including a keyboard and a display screen to provide the user with different options for managing the trigger codes.
• the main application of the submerged beacon according to the invention is for submerged fishing gear.
• the invention will advantageously find another application in the management of mooring locations, that is to say, rings in marinas.
• the submerged beacons according to the invention will be associated with a central transmitter system linked to a server and to a banking terminal which will trigger the ascent of a submerged beacon carrying a ring connected to a mooring cable, following the payment required for obtaining a place in the marina.
• the system according to the invention can also be used to disable access to certain areas such as channels or bridges along which boats can be moored.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
• Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
• Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Structure Of Belt Conveyors (AREA)
• Mechanical Means For Catching Fish (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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• 2007
  • 2007-08-31 FR FR0706107A patent/FR2920403B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2008
  • 2008-08-28 US US12/675,934 patent/US8353735B2/en active Active
  • 2008-08-28 EP EP08847956A patent/EP2193070B1/de not_active Not-in-force
  • 2008-08-28 ES ES08847956T patent/ES2362061T3/es active Active
  • 2008-08-28 WO PCT/FR2008/001213 patent/WO2009060142A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2008-08-28 PT PT08847956T patent/PT2193070E/pt unknown
  • 2008-08-28 DE DE602008005328T patent/DE602008005328D1/de active Active
  • 2008-08-28 CA CA2698302A patent/CA2698302C/fr active Active
  • 2008-08-28 AT AT08847956T patent/ATE500127T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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