Remote operated vehicles

• US 6,986,320 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: H2Eye Limited
• Original Assignee: H2Eye Limited
• Inventors: Sanders, Mark, Pullin, Graham Michael, Currer, Tracy, Miro, Jaime Valls, Dormer, Michael William, Tyson, Lawrence Samuel, O'Connor, Steve, Paoli, Jan Matteo, Shelton, Chris D., Kempt, Nicholas Ian, Samalionis, Frances, South, Paul, Cooper, Jeremy Daniel, Househam, Shaun David, Bontoft, Martin, Jagger, Nigel Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): AVILA, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US10/695,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 440/6, 441/1, 114/312, 114/313
• US Class Current: 114/312
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/48 Means for searching for underwater objects means for indicating the location of sunken objects B63C7/26; locating by use of the reflection or reradiation of radio or other waves G01S ; mountings of acoustic transducers in underwater equipment G10K11/006
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/007 by means of a physical link to a base, e.g. wire, cable or umbilical
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/38 Arrangement of visual or electronic watch equipment, e.g. of periscopes, of radar periscopes, optical aiming or sighting devices per se G02B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/17 by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/22 the propulsion power units being controlled from exterior of engine room, e.g. from navigation bridge; Arrangements of order telegraphs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/125 for tilting and rolling F16M11/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2009/0257 Multisided remote control, comprising control or display elements on at least two sides, e.g. front and back surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/04 Operating part movable angularly in more than one plane, e.g. joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0214 Hand-held casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 : for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 : Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/523 : for use under water
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/625 : Casing or ring with bayonet engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/1285 : of the submersible type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 : Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An ROV comprising a topside, a fish and an umbilical cable for connecting the topside and the fish together. The fish is adapted to be powered by an onboard battery inductively coupled to the fish. The cable is of a fine diameter to reduce drag through the water. RF transmissions carry control and return signals to and from the fish and topside. The fish has two cameras. The front facing camera is located behind a dual layer flooded dome. A pan and tilt mechanism is fitted to one of the cameras and uses a pivotable gimbal frame driven by a lead nut moving along an arcuate bolt.

Claims

1. A method of transferring power on an in- or an under-the-water, electrically operated device from a battery that is both fully water sealed and, in use, fully electrically insulated to a water and an electrically sealed electric circuit in the device, wherein said power is transferred from the battery to the electric circuit using non-electrical contact coupling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-electrical contact coupling is induction coupling on an induction core.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the core is in two parts, one part of the core being provided in the battery and one part of the core being provided on the circuits.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the core is a pair of E shaped members.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a fixed power and a variable power are simultaneously transferred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is an fish of an ROV and power is transmitted from the battery to the fish through a part of the bulkhead of the fish.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the transfer of data by non-electrical contact coupling means between a water and electrically sealed circuit in the device and a further water and electrically sealed circuit in an umbilical cable connected to the device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein each E shaped member comprises twin opposed pairs of windings provided on outer limbs of the E shaped member and a third coil provided on a central limb of the member.