OCEAN BOTTOM CABLE AND SENSOR UNIT
First Claim
1. An underwater cable comprising:
- a plurality of cable segments including one or more stress members disposed axially along the cable segments and extending past opposite ends of the cable segments;
one or more sensor units disposed along the cable between successive cable segments, each sensor unit including;
an outer sensor housing connected at opposite end portions to successive cable segments and having an outer surface and an interior cavity;
a sensor module disposed in the interior cavity;
wherein the outer sensor housing has axial channels disposed between the interior cavity and the outer surface of the outer sensor housing for receiving the one or more stress members extending from the ends of the successive cable segments connected to the outer sensor housing.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An underwater ocean bottom cable constructed of a series of axially aligned cable segments alternately arranged with sensor units. The sensor units include an outer housing with an interior cavity in which a sensor module is suspended by a cradle. Vanes on the sensor module protrude through axially elongated openings in the outer housing to dig into the seabed to provide good seismic coupling between the seabed and pressure sensors and motion sensors housed in the sensor module. The outer sensor housing is split into complementary portions that clamp firmly onto the ends of adjacent cable segments. Stress members, such as high modulus fiber ropes, extend out the ends of adjacent cable segments. Axial channels formed in the intervening outer sensor housing on opposite sides of the sensor module receive the stress members, which, along with the cradle, provide seismic isolation between the cable segments and the sensor modules.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. An underwater cable comprising:
-
a plurality of cable segments including one or more stress members disposed axially along the cable segments and extending past opposite ends of the cable segments; one or more sensor units disposed along the cable between successive cable segments, each sensor unit including; an outer sensor housing connected at opposite end portions to successive cable segments and having an outer surface and an interior cavity; a sensor module disposed in the interior cavity; wherein the outer sensor housing has axial channels disposed between the interior cavity and the outer surface of the outer sensor housing for receiving the one or more stress members extending from the ends of the successive cable segments connected to the outer sensor housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An underwater cable comprising:
-
a plurality of cable segments having one or more vibration-damping stress members extending past opposite ends of the cable segments; and a plurality of sensor housings housing a sensor and alternately arranged with the cable segments to form an underwater cable; wherein the sensor housings are split along confronting faces of opposite housing portions defining paths for the stress members encircling the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. An underwater cable segment comprising:
an endless stress member extending along the underwater cable segment and past opposite ends of the cable segment to form a loop at each end. - View Dependent Claims (21, 24, 25)
-
22. A sensor unit for an underwater cable, comprising:
-
an outer sensor housing having an outer surface and an interior cavity; a sensor module suspended in the interior cavity; openings through the outer surface extending into the interior cavity and wherein the sensor module has vanes extending through the openings past the outer surface of the outer sensor housing. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
Specification