Variable buoyancy cable
First Claim
1. A variable buoyancy cable, comprising:
- a flexible sleeve having an inner wall and an outer wall;
a core positioned in the sleeve and having at least two longitudinally disposed outwardly projecting splines, the at least two splines being circumferentially spaced apart to define at least one external channel, the at least one external channel and the inner wall of the flexible sleeve defining at least one fluid passage for receiving a fluid to affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable;
a slackened utility line positioned in the at least one external channel; and
a fluid supply coupled to the flexible sleeve and being operable to move fluid into and out of the at least one fluid passage to selectively affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variable buoyancy cable is provided. In one aspect, the variable buoyancy cable includes a flexible sleeve that has an inner wall and an outer wall. A core is positioned in the sleeve and has a longitudinally disposed external channel with opposing first and second sidewalls. The channel and the inner wall of the flexible sleeve define a fluid passage for receiving a fluid to affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable. A slackened utility line is positioned in the channel and a fluid supply is coupled to the flexible sleeve and is operable to move fluid into and out of the fluid passage to selectively affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable. The core protects utility lines in the cable from damage due to ambient pressure and/or bending during deployment and retrieval. The buoyancy may be varied to suit various water conditions and mission requirements.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A variable buoyancy cable, comprising:
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a flexible sleeve having an inner wall and an outer wall;
a core positioned in the sleeve and having at least two longitudinally disposed outwardly projecting splines, the at least two splines being circumferentially spaced apart to define at least one external channel, the at least one external channel and the inner wall of the flexible sleeve defining at least one fluid passage for receiving a fluid to affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable;
a slackened utility line positioned in the at least one external channel; and
a fluid supply coupled to the flexible sleeve and being operable to move fluid into and out of the at least one fluid passage to selectively affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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20. A variable buoyancy cable, comprising:
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a flexible sleeve having an inner wall and an outer wall;
a core positioned in the sleeve and having a plurality of longitudinally disposed outwardly projecting splines, the plurality of splines being circumferentially spaced apart to define a plurality of external channels, the plurality of external channels and the inner wall of the flexible sleeve defining a plurality of fluid passages for receiving a fluid to affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable;
a plurality of slackened utility lines positioned in select of the plurality of external channels; and
a fluid supply coupled to the flexible sleeve and being operable to move fluid into and out of the plurality of fluid passages to selectively affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 37, 38)
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39. A variable buoyancy cable, comprising:
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a flexible sleeve having an inner wall and an outer wall;
a core positioned in the sleeve and having a plurality of outwardly protecting splines, the plurality of splines being circumferentially spaced apart to define a plurality of helical external channels, the plurality of helical external channels and the inner wall of the flexible sleeve defining a plurality of fluid passages for receiving a fluid to affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable;
a plurality of slackened utility lines positioned in select of the plurality of helical external channels; and
a fluid supply coupled to the flexible sleeve and being operable to move fluid into and out of the fluid passages to selectively affect the buoyancy of the variable buoyancy cable. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification