Marine velocity detection device with channel to wash out debris

• US 5,583,289 A
• Filed: 08/19/1994
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airguide Instrument Company
• Original Assignee: Airguide Instrument Company
• Inventors: Gates, Craig, Wiggerman, Ronald E., Hollowed, Edward J., Habbley, Dale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): FELBER, JOSEPH LEON
• Application Number:
  US08/294,476
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 73/182
• US Class Current: 73/182
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/122 Speed recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/00 Measuring speed of fluids, e.g. of air stream; Measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids, e.g. of ship, of aircraft application of speed-measuring devices for measuring volume of fluid G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/14 by measuring differences of pressure in the fluid

Abstract

An apparatus, according to the invention, detects the relative speed of the apparatus with respect to the fluid into which it extends. The apparatus includes a streamlined body portion having an upper end, a lower end, a front edge, a back edge, and a pair of sides. A conduit extends through the body portion and is exposed to the fluid at an orifice located beneath the fluid line. The other end of the conduit is coupled to a pressure transducer which produces an output proportional to the pressure acting on the orifice and thus proportional to the speed of the apparatus relative to the fluid. This apparatus can be connected to an appropriate speedometer and is particularly useful for measuring the speed of a watercraft to which the apparatus is mounted.

Claims

1. A velocity detection device configured for insertion into a fluid to provide an output proportional to the relative velocity of the detection device with respect to the fluid, the detection device comprising:

a streamlined body portion having an upper end, a lower end, a front edge, a back edge, and a pair of sides extending from the front edge to the back edge, wherein the fluid flows past the streamlined body portion generally from front edge to back edge;

a conduit extending through the streamlined body portion from the upper end generally towards the lower end and terminating at an orifice exposed to the fluid;

a pressure transducer coupled to the conduit at the upper end, wherein the pressure in the conduit increases as the relative velocity increases and the pressure transducer provides an output proportional to the pressure; and

a channel disposed along the front edge of the lower end, the channel having an upper arcuate region, wherein the orifice is located in the upper arcuate region.

2. The velocity detection device of claim 1, wherein the sides each include a tapered region which tapers inwardly to the back edge, the back edge being generally pointed.

3. The velocity detection device of claim 2, wherein the front edge is generally rounded.

4. The velocity detection device of claim 3, further comprising a longitudinal axis extending through the upper end and the lower end, the longitudinal axis being disposed at an angle between 10°

and 65°

from vertical.

5. The velocity detection device of claim 4, wherein the lower end trails the upper end as the fluid flows past the streamlined body portion.

6. The velocity detection device of claim 1, wherein the front edge extends in an arcuate path from the upper end to the lower end to provide a narrower body portion between the front edge and the back edge at the lower end than at the upper end.

7. The velocity detection device of claim 6, wherein the conduit includes a first conduit portion extending at least partially through the body portion generally parallel with the longitudinal axis and a second conduit portion extending between the orifice and the first conduit portion.

8. The velocity detection device of claim 1, further comprising a housing integral with and disposed at the upper end of the body portion, the housing having a chamber configured to receive the pressure transducer.

9. The velocity detection device of claim 8, further comprising a mounting bracket pivotably attached to the housing to facilitate attachment of the velocity detection device to a mounting surface.

10. The velocity detection device of claim 9, further comprising an amplifier to amplify the output signal, the amplifier being operably connected to the pressure transducer and disposed in the housing chamber.

11. The velocity detection device of claim 10, further comprising an adjustment shim having a wedge shape, the adjustment skim being configured for insertion between the mounting bracket and the mounting surface.

12. An apparatus for measuring the speed of a watercraft relative to the water through which it travels, the apparatus providing an electrical output to a speedometer device proportional to the relative speed of the watercraft, the apparatus comprising:

a streamlined body portion configured to extend at least partially below the water line, the body portion having an upper end, a lower end, a front edge, a back edge, and a pair of sides extending from the front edge to the back edge, wherein the water generally flows past the sides from the front edge to the back edge when the watercraft moves relative to the water;

a conduit extending through the streamlined body portion from the upper end generally towards the lower end and terminating at an orifice disposed in proximity to the front edge where it is exposed to the water when the streamlined body portion is inserted into the water;

a pressure transducer coupled to the conduit at the upper end of the body portion, the pressure transducer providing the electrical output proportional to the pressure in the conduit;

a housing integral with the streamlined body portion and disposed at the upper end thereof, the housing including a chamber configured to receive the pressure transducer;

a channel disposed along the front edge wherein the channel has an upper arcuate region and the orifice is located in the upper arcuate region of the channel; and

a mounting bracket connected to the housing to mount the housing and the body portion to the watercraft so the body portion may extend beneath the water line a sufficient distance to cover the orifice when the watercraft is moving, wherein the sides of the body portion each include a tapered region which tapers inwardly to the back edge, the back edge being generally pointed, wherein the front edge of the body portion is generally rounded, and wherein the lower end of the body portion trails the upper end as the fluid flows past the streamlined body portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the channel is disposed in the front edge of the lower end, the channel having an upper arcuate region, wherein the orifice is located in the upper arcuate region.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the front edge extends in an arcuate path from the upper end to the lower end to provide a narrower body portion between the front edge and the back edge at the lower end then at the upper end.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an amplifier to amplify the output signal, the amplifier being operably connected to the pressure transducer and disposed in the housing chamber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an adjustment shim having a wedge shape, the adjustment skim being configured for insertion between the mounting bracket and a mounting surface of the housing.

17. In a marine speedometer system including a velocity detection device and an electrical display, the velocity detection device being configured for insertion into a fluid to provide an electrical output representative of the relative velocity of the detection device with respect to the fluid, the electronic display being remote from the velocity detection device and displaying the relative velocity in response to the electrical output, the velocity detection device comprising:

a body portion having an upper end, a lower end, a front edge, back edge, and a pair of sides extending from the front edge to the back edge, wherein the fluid flows past the body portion from the front edge to the back edge, the body portion including an orifice located at a first location in the body portion, wherein the fluid flows past the orifice, the body portion having a channel disposed along the front edge of the lower end, the channel having an upper arcuate region, the orifice being disposed in the upper arcuate region;

a conduit extending through the streamlined body portion from the upper end generally towards the lower end and terminating at the orifice exposed to the fluid; and

an electronic pressure transducer located in a second location in the body portion apart from the first location and coupled to the orifice by the conduit extending through the body portion, the electronic pressure transducer being electrically coupled to the electronic display, the electronic pressure transducer being remote from the electronic display, wherein the pressure in the conduit increases as the relative velocity increases and the pressure transducer is configured to produce a signal representative of the pressure in the conduit.

18. The velocity detection device of claim 17, wherein the front edge of the body portion is rounded and the back edge is generally pointed.

19. In a marine speedometer system including a velocity detection device and an electronic display, the velocity detection device being configured for insertion into a fluid to provide an electronic output representative of the relative velocity of the detection device with respect to the fluid, the electronic display being remote from the velocity detection device, the electronic display displaying the relative velocity in response to the electronic output, the velocity detection device comprising:

a body portion having an upper end, a lower end, a front edge, a back edge, and a pair of sides extending from the front edge to the back edge, wherein the fluid flows past the body portion from the front edge to the back edge, the body portion including an orifice located at a first location and a body portion, wherein the fluid flows past the orifice, the body portion having a channel disposed along the front edge of the lower end, the channel having upper arcuate region, the orifice being disposed in the upper arcuate region;

a conduit extending through the streamlined body portion from the upper end generally towards the lower end and terminating at the orifice exposed to the fluid;

an electronic pressure transducer located in a second location in the body portion apart from the first location and coupled to the orifice by the conduit extending through the body portion, wherein the pressure in the conduit increases as the relative velocity increases and the pressure transducer is configured to produce a signal representative of the pressure in the conduit, the electronic pressure transducer being remote from the electronic display; and

an electronic amplifier located in the body portion proximate said second location and electrically coupled to the electric pressure transducer, the electronic amplifier being physically proximate the pressure transducer and remote from the electronic display, the electronic amplifier being electrically coupled to the electronic display, the amplifier being configured to amplify the signal produced by the pressure transducer and generate the electric output.

20. The velocity detection device of claim 19, wherein the front edge of the body portion is rounded and the back edge is generally pointed.