View port for an underwater vehicle

• US 4,809,630 A
• Filed: 05/04/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hydrovision Limited Westhill Industrial Estate
• Original Assignee: Hydrovision Ltd. (CRRC Corp. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Walker, Terence D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Basinger, Sherman D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avila, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US07/031,007
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 114/66, 114/312, 114/313, 114/315, 441/135, 441/78, 352/131, 352/132, 354/64, 354/76
• US Class Current: 114/66
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 19/02 Clear-view screens; Windshields canopies connected to windshields B63B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 3/13 Hulls built to withstand hydrostatic pressure when fully submerged, e.g. submarine hulls

Abstract

View port for an underwater vehicle, e.g. for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) usable for underwater inspection, and provides a view port (2) which can form a component of a pressure hull of an underwater vehicle, and which can be sandwiched between hull portions (4) to provide a transparent section girdling the hull. Preferably, the view port can form a component of a substantially spherical pressure hull, the view port being sandwiched between two similar part-spherical hull portions. The invention further provides an underwater vehicle having a view port which forms a component of a pressure hull and which provides a transparent section girdling the hull. A camera (10) may be pivotally mounted in the hull so as to allow rotation of the camera to view through the port. A light source may be provided in the hull and arranged so as to allow light from the light source to be shone out through the view port. The view port may be an integral ring of transparent material and the view port may provide a field of view over a full 360°.

Claims

1. An underwater vehicle having a view port which forms a component of a substantially spherical pressure hull and which is sandwiched between hull portions to provide a transparent section girdling the hull, wherein the view port is an equatorial ring of transparent material providing through the ring from the centre of the hull a field of view in an equatorial plane of substantially 360 degrees whereby a view which is substantially undistorted by the view port is provided.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 having a camera pivotally mounted in the hull so as to allow rotation of the camera to view through the view port.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 having a light source in the hull and arranged so as to allow light from the light source to be shone out through the view port.

4. A vehicle according to claim 2 having a light source in the hull and arranged so as to allow light from the light source to be shone out through the view port.

5. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the joint faces between the view port and the hull portions are bevelled in order that external pressure may assist in sealing the joints between the view port and hull portions.

6. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the joint faces between the view port and the hull portions are bevelled in order that external pressure may assist in sealing the joints between the view port and hull portions.

7. A vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the joint faces between the view port and the hull portions are bevelled in order that external pressure may assist in sealing the joints between the view port and hull portions.

8. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the joint faces between the view port and the hull portions are bevelled in order that external pressure may assist in sealing the joints between the view port and hull portions.

9. A vehicle According to claim 1 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

10. A vehicle According to claim 2 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

11. A vehicle According to claim 3 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

12. A vehicle According to claim 4 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

13. A vehicle According to claim 5 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

14. A vehicle According to claim 6 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

15. A vehicle According to claim 7 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

16. A vehicle According to claim 8 wherein the view port is an integral ring of transparent material.

17. A vehicle according to claim 1 which is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) usable for underwater inspection.

18. An underwater vehicle comprising a substantially spherical pressure hull including first and second part-spherical hull portions and a part-spherical view port of transparent material, said view port being between the hull portions and forming an equatorial ring of the substantially spherical hull to provide a substantially 360-degree view from the center of the hull in an equatorial plane whereby a view which is substantially undistorted by the view port is provided.

19. A vehicle as defined in claim 18 wherein said view port and the first and second hull portions have confronting joint faces which are bevelled so that external pressure acting on the view port will tend to press the joint faces together to assist in sealing between the view port and the first and second hull portions.

20. A vehicle as defined in claim 18 wherein each of said first and second hull sections is contiguous the view port.