Marine instrument

• US 4,555,938 A
• Filed: 06/01/1984
• Issued: 12/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airmar Technology Corporation (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airmar Technology Corporation (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Boucher, Stephen G., Jeffers, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODIEL, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US06/616,289
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 73/187, 73/185, 73/189, 73/272 R, 374/142, 324/173, 324/174, 324/167
• US Class Current: 73/187
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/07 with electrical coupling to the indicating device

Abstract

A marine speed sensor mounted in a housing which may also include a temperature sensor and a sonic transducer. The speed sensor includes a paddlewheel for producing an electromagnetic field. The paddlewheel is rotatably mounted adjacent the housing and exposed at top and bottom and mounted between support members extending from the housing.

Claims

1. A marine transducer device for mounting to the exterior transom of marine vessels comprising:

(a) a housing having a top wall and enclosing side walls in which an electromagnetic sensor is mounted;

(b) a pair of support members externally attached to said housing and extending laterally therefrom;

(c) a paddlewheel rotatably mounted in a vertically unenclosed partially submerged position between said support members for generating a patterned electromagnetic field which extends from the paddlewheel to the sensor;

(d) lead wires coupled to said sensor for coupling electrical signals generated by said sensor, as said paddlewheel rotates, to display devices on said marine vessel.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the electromagnetic sensor is a Hall-effect device and the signal is a voltage which varies in accordance with the rotational speed of the paddlewheel.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the paddlewheel is formed of amorphous magnetic material.

4. The device of claim 1 said paddlewheel comprising a wheel with a plurality of paddles on the peripheral of the wheel, said paddlewheel being vertically located between the support members in a position such that only a portion of the paddewheel is immersed in water when the device is mounted on the vessel and the vessel is operated at planing speeds, and in which the paddles of the paddlewheel are asymmetrically shaped to provide a difference in coefficient of drag between the front and back surfaces of the paddle.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the support members are struts extending from the housing.

6. A combination sonic transducer and speed sensor for transom mounting on marine vessels as a unitary structure comprising:

(a) a sensor housing having an exposed planar face with an end wall and an enclosing side surface forming a cavity in which are housed

(i) a sonic transducer device, and

(ii) an electromagnetic sensor means for generating electric signals in response to changes in electromagnetic fields;

(b) said sonic transducer device comprising an electrically conductive enclosing cavity with an exposed planar face forming an electromagnetic shield within which a piezoelectric crystal is disposed;

said crystal having opposing end walls;

a pair of electrical leads, the first lead of which is electrically attached to one end wall, the second lead being electrically attached to the remaining end wall and also to said cavity;

the pair of electrical leads extending through an opening in said housing to indicating devices;

(c) a paddlewheel for generating a patterned electromagnetic field rotatably mounted on struts affixed to an external surface of said cavity laterally adjacent said electromagnetic sensor and vertically unenclosed, the paddles of said paddlewheel being disposed to partially extend into water when said sensor housing is mounted on said vessel.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which the paddles are asymmetric in shape.

8. A sensor device for external mounting on marine vessels comprising:

(a) a housing having an end wall and enclosing side walls in which are mounted a sonic transducer, and an electromagnetic sensor;

(b) struts externally attached to said side walls adjacent said electromagnetic sensor;

(c) a paddlewheel rotatably mounted between said struts and vertically unenclosed for generating an electromagnetic field extending to said electromagnetic sensor;

(d) lead wires coupled to said transducer and sensor for coupling electrical signals generated by said sensor and transducer to display devices on said marine vessel.

9. The device of claim 8 including a temperature sensor mounted in said housing with lead wires coupled to a display device on said vessel.

10. The device of claim 8 in which the paddles of the paddlewheel are asymmetric in shape to provide a larger coefficient of drag on the front surface of the paddle than on the rear surface.

11. The device of claim 8 in which the struts are planar support members adjacent the side faces of the paddle and do not extend over the paddlewheel.

12. A combination sonic transducer and speed sensor for marine vessels comprising:

(a) a housing having an exposed planar face with an end wall and an enclosing side surface forming a cavity in which are mounted a sonic transducer device and an electromagnetic sensor means for generating electric signals in response to changes in electromagnetic fields;

(b) said sonic transducer device comprising a metallic enclosing cavity forming an electromagnetic shield within which a piezoelectric crystal is disposed;

said crystal having opposing end walls;

resilient backing means formed over one end wall, a pair of electrical leads, the first lead of which is electrically attached to the end wall adjacent said backing means, the second lead being electrically attached to the remaining end wall and also to said metallic cavity;

the pair of leads extending through an opening in said housing to indicating devices;

(c) a magnetized paddlewheel rotatably mounted on an external surface of said cavity adjacent said electromagnetic sensor and unenclosed vertically, the paddles of said paddlewheel being disposed to partially extend into water when said sensor housing is mounted on said vessel and the vessel is planing.

13. The combination of claim 12 further including temperature sensor means mounted within said housing and electrically coupled to a temperature indicating device on said vessel.

14. The combination of claim 12 in which the paddles have a higher coefficient of drag when rotating in one direction than in the other.

15. The combination of claim 12 wherein the paddlewheel is mounted on struts extending from the housing.

16. The combination of claim 15 in which the paddlewheel is exposed on all sides except those adjacent the struts.

17. A sensor device for marine vessels comprising:

(a) a housing having an end wall and enclosing side walls in which are mounted a temperature sensor and an electromagnetic sensor;

(b) support members externally attached to said side walls adjacent said electromagnetic sensor;

(c) a paddlewheel rotatably mounted on said members and exposed on all sides except for sides adjacent said members and in operation said paddlewheel is partially submerged in the water, the paddles of said paddlewheel generating electromagnetic signals;

(d) lead wires coupled to said sensors and extending through wall of said housing for coupling electrical signals generated by said sensors to display devices on said marine vessel.

18. A combination temperature sensor and speed sensor for marine vessels comprising:

(a) a sensor housing having an exposed planar face with an end wall and an enclosing side surface forming a cavity in which are mounted a temperature sensor and an electromagnetic sensor means for generating electric signals in response to changes in electromagnetic fields;

(b) a paddlewheel rotatably mounted on an external surface of said cavity adjacent said electromagnetic sensor, the paddles of said paddlewheel being disposed to partially extend into water when said sensor housing is mounted on said vessel and said vessel is planing, said paddles being formed of magnetic material.