Gyrocompass

• US 7,194,813 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Denshikiki Company Limited (Higaki Sangyo Kaisha Ltd.), Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kogure, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez; Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, AMY COHEN
• Application Number:
  US11/069,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 333/27, 333/24, 333/16, 333/17.R, 333/18, 333/19, 74/56.D, 74/58, 74/51, 74/52.2, 74/54.1
• US Class Current: 33/327
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/38 with north-seeking action by other than magnetic means, e.g. gyrocompasses using earth's rotation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1275 Electrical

Abstract

A gyrocompass has a gyrosphere which incorporates a rotor and floats in a liquid tank filled with an electrolyte, and a plurality of electrodes which are disposed in the gyrosphere and the liquid tank, and are respectively opposed through the electrolyte, wherein at least one circuit which supplies electric power to the rotor involves the electrodes, and the plurality of the electrodes includes a first belt-shaped electrode disposed in an equatorial portion of the gyrosphere, the first belt-shaped electrode is formed of a metal which is corrosion-resistant and is a good conductor, and an insulating film is formed on a portion of a surface of the first belt-shaped electrode.

Claims

1. A gyrocompass comprising:

a gyrosphere which incorporates a rotor and floats in a liquid tank filled with an electrolyte; and

a plurality of electrodes which are disposed on the gyrosphere and the liquid tank, and are respectively opposed through the electrolyte, wherein at least one circuit which supplies electric power to the rotor involves the electrodes, and the plurality of the electrodes includes a first belt-shaped electrode disposed in an equatorial portion of the gyrosphere, the first belt-shaped electrode is formed of a metal which is corrosion-resistant and is a good conductor, and an insulating film is formed on a portion of a surface of the first belt-shaped electrode.

2. The gyrocompass according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a second belt-shaped electrode disposed in a portion of the liquid tank that faces the equatorial portion of the gyrosphere, and the second belt-shaped electrode is formed of a metal which is corrosion-resistant and is a good conductor.

3. The gyrocompass according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes dish-shaped electrodes which are disposed in a vicinity of a bottom of the gyrosphere, and are respectively opposed, and at least one of the dish-shaped electrodes is formed of a metal which is corrosion-resistant and is a good conductor.

4. The gyrocompass according to claim 1, wherein the metal is a titanium.

5. The gyrocompass according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electrodes is plated to be corrosion-resistant on a surface thereof.

6. A gyrocompass comprising:

a liquid tank;

a gyrosphere made from a first material which is sized to incorporate a rotor and to floats in the liquid tank when filled with an electrolyte; and

a plurality of electrodes which are disposed on the gyrosphere and the liquid tank and are respectively opposed through the electrolyte, wherein

said electrodes are adapted to supply electric power to the rotor,

the plurality of the electrodes includes a first belt-shaped electrode made of a second material and formed on said first material and being disposed in an equatorial portion of the gyrosphere, said second material being a metal which is corrosion-resistant and is a good conductor and a second belt-shaped electrode disposed on an inner wall of said liquid tank, and

an insulating film formed on a portion of a surface of the first belt-shaped electrode.

7. The gyrocompass according to claim 6, wherein the first belt-shaped electrode comprises a central belt-shaped electrode and at least one multi-rowed electrode, said first belt-shaped electrode being disposed at an equatorial portion on a side surface of the gyrosphere with a predetermined width in a latitude direction and with a length extending slightly less than about half around the gyrosphere.

8. The gyrocompass according to claim 7, further comprising a second multi-rowed electrode formed on an outer peripheral surface opposite to the first belt-shaped electrode in such a manner as to be spaced apart a predetermined distance, with an equator located there between on the side surface of the gyrosphere, said second multi-rowed electrodes having a length extending slightly less than about half around the gyrosphere.

9. The gyrocompass according to claim 6, wherein the second belt-shaped electrode comprises a plurality of multi-rowed electrodes including a first pair of multi-rowed electrodes and a second pair of multi-rowed electrodes.

10. The gyrocompass according to claim 9, wherein at least one pair of multi-rowed electrodes is disposed on the inner wall surface of the liquid tank in such a manner as to be arranged in a face-to-face relation to at least a portion of the first belt-shaped electrode on the gyrosphere side, while keeping a predetermined distance there between in the latitudinal direction.

11. The gyrocompass according to claim 10, wherein the length of the electrodes extends slightly less than about half around the inner wall of the liquid tank.