Land based unit for seismic data acquisition

• US 8,611,191 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magseis FF, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fairfield Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Ray, Clifford H., Fisseler, Glenn D., Guyton, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J
• Application Number:
  US12/154,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 367/188, 367/178, 181/122
• US Class Current: 367/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/162 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/18 Receiving elements, e.g. seismometer, geophone or torque detectors, for localised single point measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/181 Geophones
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/223 Radioseismic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/24 Recording seismic data
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/247 Digital recording of seismic data, e.g. in acquisition units or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/585 Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1427 Housings

Abstract

A self-contained, wireless seismic data acquisition unit having a cylindrically shaped case with smooth side walls along the length of the case. A retaining ring around the circumference is used to secure the cylindrical upper portion of the case to the cylindrical lower portion of the case. Interleaved fingers on the upper portion of the case and the lower portion of the case prevent the upper portion and the lower portion from rotating relative to one another. Ruggedized external electrical contacts are physically decoupled from rigid attachment to the internal electrical components of the unit utilizing electrical pins that “float” relative to the external case and the internal circuit board on which the pins are carried. The seismic sensors in the unit, such as geophones, and the antennae for the unit are located along the major axis of the cylindrically shaped case to improve fidelity and timing functions.

Claims

1. A land-based seismic data collection system comprising:

a case comprising a cap and a container, each of said cap and container having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface and a closed end, each of said walls forming an open end characterized by a periphery, one of said ends is disposed to seat inside the other said end, wherein each of said ends is provided with a plurality of teeth around its periphery, wherein said teeth of said cap and said container engage one another when one of said ends is seated inside the other end;

a geophone disposed in said case,

at least one through bore passing through a wall or closed end of said cap or container;

an elongated, electrically conductive pin having a first end and a second end and defined along an axis;

an o-ring groove defined along the pin;

a fastener attachment structure defined adjacent the second end;

a shoulder defined on said pin between said o-ring groove and said fastener structure;

a wire attachment structure defined adjacent the second end; and

an o-ring mounted in said o-ring groove of said pin and sealably engaging the through bore of said cap or container.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said shoulder tapers axially outward from said first end to said second end to form a flange.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said through bore has a first end and a second end and a portion of said through bore tapers outwardly from said first end to said second end so that the flange of said pin is adjacent the outward taper portion of said through bore.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said fastener attachment structure is a c-clip groove.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said wire attachment structure is a bore axially defined in said pin at said second end.