Fan beam transducer assembly
First Claim
1. A transducer assembly comprising:
- a fan beam transducer having a beam generation axis for generating a fan shaped acoustic beam along the beam generation axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam having a generally elliptical cross sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis across a plane generally perpendicular to the beam generation axis; and
a housing for housing the transducer and having a direction of travel axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam being rotatable relative to the direction of travel axis, the housing having a release locking arrangement for rotationally releasing and locking the position of the fan shaped acoustic beam for orienting at least one of the major axis and minor axis of the fan shaped acoustic beam at a desired position relative to the direction of travel axis.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transducer assembly including a fan beam transducer having a beam generation axis for generating a fan shaped acoustic beam along the beam generation axis. The fan shaped acoustic beam can have a generally elliptical cross sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis across a plane generally perpendicular to the beam generation axis. The transducer can be housed in a housing and have a direction of travel axis. The fan shaped acoustic beam can be rotatable relative to the direction of travel axis. The housing can have a release locking arrangement for rotationally releasing and locking the position of the fan shaped acoustic beam for orienting at least one of the major axis and minor axis of the fan shaped acoustic beam at a desired position relative to the direction of travel axis.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A transducer assembly comprising:
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a fan beam transducer having a beam generation axis for generating a fan shaped acoustic beam along the beam generation axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam having a generally elliptical cross sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis across a plane generally perpendicular to the beam generation axis; and a housing for housing the transducer and having a direction of travel axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam being rotatable relative to the direction of travel axis, the housing having a release locking arrangement for rotationally releasing and locking the position of the fan shaped acoustic beam for orienting at least one of the major axis and minor axis of the fan shaped acoustic beam at a desired position relative to the direction of travel axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A transducer assembly comprising:
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a fan beam transducer having a beam generation axis for generating a fan shaped acoustic beam along the beam generation axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam having a generally elliptical cross sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis across a plane generally perpendicular to the beam generation axis; and a housing for housing the transducer having a direction of travel axis, the transducer being oriented for generating the fan shaped acoustic beam generally vertically downwardly into the water and oriented such that the major axis is at an acute angle relative to the direction of travel axis, such that the fan shaped acoustic beam has a relative width and length with respect to the direction of travel axis that is greater than a distance across the fan shaped acoustic beam along the minor axis. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. The transducer assembly of Claim in which the major axis of the fan shaped acoustic beam is positioned relative to the direction of travel axis at an angle in the range of about 20°
- to 50°
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- to 50°
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21. A method of operating a transducer assembly comprising:
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with a fan beam transducer having a beam generation axis, generating a fan shaped acoustic beam along the beam generation axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam having a generally elliptical cross sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis across a plane generally perpendicular to the beam generation axis; and housing the transducer within a housing having a direction of travel axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam being rotatable relative to the direction of travel axis; and rotationally releasing and locking the position of the fan shaped acoustic beam with a locking arrangement for orienting at least one of the major axis and minor axis of the fan shaped acoustic beam at a desired position relative to the direction of travel axis. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of detecting fish in water comprising:
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moving a watercraft relative to the water along a direction of travel axis; mounting a fan beam transducer to the watercraft, the fan beam transducer having a beam generation axis; and generating a fan shaped acoustic beam along the beam generation axis with the transducer, the fan shaped acoustic beam having a generally elliptical cross sectional shape with a major axis and a minor axis across a plane generally perpendicular to the beam generation axis, the fan shaped acoustic beam being directed generally vertically downwardly into the water and oriented such that the major axis is at an acute angle relative to the direction of travel axis, such that the fan shaped acoustic beam has a relative width and length with respect to the direction of travel axis that is greater than a distance across the fan shaped acoustic beam along the minor axis. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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Specification