Transducer mounter

• US 4,811,310 A
• Filed: 05/12/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fishing Supplies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mark E. Wille
• Inventors: Wille, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): STEINBERGER, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/048,660
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 181/108, 181/109, 181/110, 181/139, 181/140, 181/123, 181/124, 181/149, 181/198, 181/207, 181/208, 248/205.5, 248/205.6, 248/286, 248/291, 248/640, 248/641, 248/642, 248/643, 248/222.4, 248/223.1, 248/223.2, 312/7.1, 312/7.2, 114/322, 114/343, 114/197, 367/99, 367/106, 367/130, 367/140, 367/162, 367/165, 367/173, 367/176, 367/188, 367/910
• US Class Current: 367/173
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/006 Transducer mounting in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys

Abstract

A transducer mounter comprises a portable housing adapted to have a wide variety of transducers fastened thereto. The housing is adjustable and releasably mounted to a boat transom by a suction cup and by an adapter that extends through the boat drain hole. The adapter and suction cup include resepective nuts that releasably hold the housing against the boat transom. Removing the nuts renders the housing and transducer portable as a unit. The present further includes a modified embodiment in which the housing is permanently mounted to the boat, but which, because of the housing design, permits adjustment of the transducer on the housing.

Claims

1. A transducer mounter comprising:

a. an elongated five-sided housing having opposed end walls, and opposed side walls and a front wall for defining a generally U-shaped cross section, the housing having first and second ends, the front wall defining a hole near the housing first end and at least one longitudinally extending slot that terminates near the housing second end, the slot being located and adapted to permit fastening a selected transducer to the housing front wall by means of the slot;

b. first mounting means for passing through the housing hole and for releasably securing the housing first end to a selected surface; and

c. second mounting means for passing through a housing slot and for releasably securing the housing second end to the selected surface,

so that the housing may be adjustably and releasably mounted to the selected surface.

2. The transducer mounter of claim 1 wherein:

a. the housing front wall hole is in the form of an obround hole having the major axis thereof transverse to the housing longitudinal axis, the obround hole major axis being larger than the first mounting means passing therethrough to thereby enable the housing to be angularly adjusted about the second mounting means on the selected surface; and

b. the housing front wall defines a plurality of parallel slots extending generally between the housing second end and the housing obround hole.

3. A transducer mounter comprising:

a. an elongated housing having first and second ends and a front wall and a pair of opposed side walls connected to the front wall to give a generally U-shaped cross-section to the housing, the front wall defining a hole near the housing first end in the form of an obround hole having the major axis thereof transverse to the housing longitudinal axis, the housing front wall defining a plurality of parallel slots extending generally between the housing second end and the housing obround hole, wherein;

i. the housing front wall defines first and second sets of at least two longitudinally extending slots, the slots in the first set being generally colinear with the respective slots in the second set, the slots being located and adapted to permit fastening a selected transducer to the housing by means of the slots;

ii. a transverse rib is connected to the housing front wall and two side walls and separates the respective slots in the first and second sets; and

iii. a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs are attached to the front wall and lie alongside the respective slots;

b. first mounting means for passing through the housing hole and for releasably securing the housing first end to a selected surface; and

c. second mounting means for passing through a housing slot and for releasably securing the housing second end to the selected surface,

so that the housing may be adjustably and releasably mounted to the selected surface.

4. A transducer mounter comprising:

a. an elongated housing having first and second ends and a front wall, the front wall defining a hole near the housing first end and at least one longitudinally extending slot that terminates near the housing second end, the slot being located and adapted to permit fastening a selected transducer to the housing by means of the slot;

b. first mounting means for passing through the housing hole and for releasably securing the housing first end to a selected surface; and

c. second mounting means for passing through a housing slot and for releasably securing the housing second end to the selected surface, wherein the second mounting means comprises;

i. a suction cup adapted to be pressed against the selected surface and having an elongated threaded stem adapted to pass through a slot in the housing front wall; and

ii. a nut threadable onto the suction cup stem with the stem extending through a housing slot for enabling releasable securement of the housing second end to the selected surface,

so that the housing may be adjustably and releasably mounted to the selected surface.

5. In combination with a boat having a transom and a drain hole in the transom, a transducer mounter for releasably mounting a sonar transducer to the boat comprising:

a. an elongated housing having opposed end walls, opposed side walls, and a front wall spaced from the transom, the housing defining first and second ends, the front wall defining a hole located near the housing first end and at least one longitudinally extending slot that terminates near the housing second end, the slot being located and adapted to permit fastening the transducer to the housing front wall by means of the slot;

b. first mounting means for passing through the housing transom drain hole and housing hole and for releasably securing the housing first end to the boat transom; and

c. second mounting means for passing through a housing slot and releasably securing the housing second end to the boat transom.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein:

a. the housing front wall hole is in the form of an obround hole having the major axis thereof transverse to the housing longitudinal axis, the obround hole major axis being larger than the first mounting means passing therethrough to thereby enable the housing to be angularly adjusted about the second mounting means on the selected surface; and

b. the housing front wall defines a plurality of parallel slots extending generally between the housing second end and the housing obround hole.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein the first mounting means comprises:

a. a member having an elongated threaded shank and a head, the shank extending through the boat train hole and through the housing hole with the member head located inside the boat;

b. a nut threaded onto the member shank and bearing against the outside of the transom between the transom and the housing front wall to releasably secure the member to the boat; and

c. a knob threaded onto the member shank to bear against the housing front wall to releasably secure the housing to the outside of the boat.

8. In combination with a boat having a transom and drain hole in the transom, a transducer mounter for releasably mounting a sonar transducer to the boat comprising:

a. an elongated housing having first and second ends and a front wall and a pair of opposed side walls connected to the front wall to give a generally U-shaped cross-section to the housing, the front wall defining a hole located near the housing first end in the form of a obround hole having the major axis thereof transverse to the housing longitudinal axis, the housing front wall defining a plurality of parallel slots extending generally between the housing second end and the housing obround hole, wherein;

i. the housing front wall defines first and second sets of at least two longitudinally extending slots, the slots in the first set being generally colinear with the respective slots in the second set, the slots being located and adapted to permit fastening the transducer to the housing by means of the slot;

ii. a transverse rib is connected to the housing front wall and two side walls and separates the respective slots in the first and second sets thereof; and

iii. a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs are attached to the front wall and lie alongside the respective slots;

b. first mounting means for passing through the housing hole and for releasably securing the housing first end to the boat transom; and

c. second mounting means for passing through a housing slot and for releasably securing the housing second end to the boat transom.

9. In combination with a boat having a transom and a drain hole in the transom, a transducer mounter for releasably mounting a sonar transducer to the boat comprising:

a. an elongated housing first and second ends and a front wall, the front wall defining a hole located near the housing first end and at least one longitudinally extending slot that terminates near the housing second end, the slot being located and adapted to permit fastening the transducer to the housing by means of the slot;

b. first mounting means for passing through the housing hole and for releasably securing the housing first end to the boat transom; and

c. second mounting means for passing through a housing slot and for releasably securing the housing second end to the boat transom, wherein the second mounting means comprises;

i. a suction cup adapted to be pressed against the boat transom and having an elongate threaded stem passing through a slot in the housing front wall; and

ii. a nut threaded onto the suction cup stem to releasably secure the housing second end to the boat transom.

10. In combination with a boat having a transom and drain hole in the transom, a transducer mounter for releasably mounting a sonar transducer to the boat comprising:

a. an elongated housing having first and second ends and a front wall, the front wall defining a hole located near the housing first end and at least one longitudinally extending slot that terminates near the housing second end, the slot being located and adapted to permit fastening the transducer to the housing by means of the slot;

b. first mounting means comprising;

i. a member having an elongated threaded shank and an enlarged head, the shank extending through the boat drain hole and through the housing enlarged hole, the member head being located on the inside of the boat;

ii. a nut threaded onto the member shank and bearing against the boat transom to releasably secure the member to the boat; and

iii. a knob threaded onto the member shank and bearing against the housing wall to secure the housing to the outside of the boat transom; and

c. second mounting means comprising;

i. a suction cup pressed against the boat transom and having an elongated threaded stem passing through a slot in the housing front wall; and

ii. a nut threaded onto the suction cup stem and bearing against the housing front wall to releasably secure the housing second end to the boat transom,

so that the housing and transducer fastened thereto may be removed from the boat by loosening the knob turned onto the adapter and the nut turned onto the suction cup stem to thereby render the housing and the transducer portable as a unit.

11. In combination with a boat having a transom, a transducer mounter for adjustably mounting a sonar transducer to the boat comprising:

a. an elongated housing having a front wall that defines a plurality of generally parallel longitudinally extending slots, each slot terminating in at least one end thereof in an opening larger than the slot width, the housing having a pair of side walls joined to the front wall to give the housing a generally U-shaped transverse cross section, wherein;

i. the housing front wall is formed with longitudinally extending ribs that lie alongside the respective slots; and

ii. the transducer is mounted to the housing by nuts that are insertable through the front wall enlarged openings and that straddle the slot ribs; and

b. fastening means for fastening the housing to the boat transom,

so that the transducer may be adjustably fastened to the housing by means of the slots.

12. A method of releasably mounting a sonar transducer to a boat transom having a drain hole therethrough comprising the steps of:

a. providing an elongated housing having a hole and a plurality of longitudinally extending slots;

b. inserting a first threaded member through the boat transom drain hole;

c. turning a nut onto the first member to retain the member in the drain hole;

d. providing a suction cup having a threaded stem, and pressing the suction cup against the boat transom;

e. fastening a sonar transducer to the housing;

f. placing the housing hole over the first member and a housing slot over the suction cup threaded stem; and

g. turning nuts onto the first and second members and against the housing to secure the housing to the boat transom.