Hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch

• US 9,281,146 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: High Tech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: High Tech Incorporated
• Inventors: Spychalski, Brian Stephen, Erickson, Scott Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): BREIER, KRYSTINE E
• Application Number:
  US13/507,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20130343162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 200/86.R, 307/144, 367/4, 367/178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/04 with sensing of the position of the pointer of a measuring instrument
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/24 Switches operated by change of fluid pressure, by fluid pressure waves, or by change of fluid flow wherein the change of pressure is caused by change of temperature H01H37/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/245 actuated by the deformation of a body of elastic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/38 actuated by piston and cylinder

Abstract

The present invention concerns a hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, for limiting hydrophone signal operability to water depths less than a predetermined, proscribed depth. The primary components of the shunt switch are a protected plunging bolt, at least one disk spring and an electrically conducting foot, none of which are ever in direct contact with the ocean environment. Flexure of the disk spring is the sole determinant of switch actuation. Upon sensing a predetermined, proscribed operating depth, the protected plunging bolt forces the electrically conducting foot to shunt the electrical connection between the associated hydrophone and the hydrophone transmission cable, consequently, quenching the hydrophone signal at the proscribed depth.

Claims

1. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, for limiting hydrophone signal operability to water depths less than a predetermined, proscribed depth, said shunt switch comprising,

a protected plunging bolt, said bolt having a bolt head, a bolt adjustment tool aperture, a primary bolt shaft section, a secondary bolt shaft section, a threaded bolt shaft section, a bolt snap-ring groove, a circumferential shoulder, said protected plunging bolt, rotatable around and movable along its primary axis, in its entirety, responsively communicating maritime hydrostatic pressure from said bolt head, via said primary bolt shaft section and said secondary bolt shaft section, to said threaded bolt shaft section;

an electrically conducting foot, said foot having a threaded bore, a foot upper face, a foot lower face, a foot truncated face, said threaded bore of said foot engaged by threads with said threaded bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said electrically conducting foot movable in consonance with movement of said protected plunging bolt;

a base, said base having a base bore, a base upper surface, a base threaded collar, a base o-ring groove, a base lower collar, a base lower collar face, a base foot well, said base foot well, incorporating a key to form a truncated cylinder, providing appropriate containment housing for said foot, said foot also in the form of a truncated cylinder, and preventing said foot from rotating when said protected plunging bolt is rotated to adjust proscribed depth actuation of said shunt switch, said base bore accommodating and protecting said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt;

a shroud, said shroud having a shroud bore, a shroud bore o-ring groove, a threaded shroud collar, a shroud fixture shoulder, a shroud outer surface, a shroud base well threaded surface, a shroud base well, said shroud base well threaded section engaged with said base threaded collar by threads, said shroud base well, encompassing said base, said shroud bore accommodating and protecting said primary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said shroud includes said shroud bore o-ring groove for seating o-ring A, sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, the seam bounding the oil filled cavity, preventing oil leakage into the switch body;

pressure communicating means for communicating external ocean hydrostatic pressure to said bolt head;

proscribed depth adjustment means for adjusting said shunt switch to respond at a predetermined, proscribed water depth;

environmental protection means for protecting said shunt switch from undesired shunt switch oil leakage and direct contact with the ocean environment;

switch activation means for activating said shunt switch, shunting, and consequently quenching the hydrophone electric signal from an associated conjoined hydrophone when the hydrophone is lowered to a proscribed water depth;

a plurality of electrically conducting, spring-loaded pins, said pins operatively inserted in and firmly affixed to a glass-ceramic shunt switch end piece of said shunt switch, said pins providing electrical signal conductivity between said shunt switch and the associated, conjoined conventional hydrophone, the number of said spring-loaded pins matching and in consonance with the number of pins utilized in electrically connecting the conjoined hydrophone to a conventional submarine transmission cable;

said shunt switch, readily adjustable to a predetermined, proscribed depth setting during fabrication, however, tamper-proof following fabrication, configured for a simple modification and conjoining with a conventional, commercially available hydrophone, for limiting the operability of that hydrophone to depths above a predetermined, proscribed water depth.

2. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 1, wherein said pressure communicating means is effected by an oil-filled cavity, the oil in direct contact with said bolt head of said bolt, said plunging bolt head transducing the pressure within the oil filled cavity, through its cross section area, into a linear force communicating through said primary bolt shaft section to said retaining ring and said shim washer to at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface, linear movement of said plunging bolt resisted by said at least one disk spring, said plunging bolt having negligible movement in response to an applied pressure, then moving nonlinearly when the correlating preload force of said at least one disk spring is exceeded, the oil contained within a pliable water-proof silicone rubber boot, the outer surface of the boot responsive to the hydrostatic pressure of the environment, the oil communicating the external hydrostatic pressure to said bolt head.

3. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 2, wherein said proscribed depth adjustment means is effected, during fabrication, by insertion of an adjustment tool in said bolt adjustment tool aperture, turning said threaded bolt shaft section in said threaded bore of said foot effecting controlled flexing of said at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface, circumscribing said base bore and said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said shroud being threaded onto said base and being rotated to adjust the preload force of said at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring maintained into position and responsive to force from rotation of said shroud, the force from rotation of said shroud communicated to said at least one disk spring from a shim washer interposed between said at least one disk spring, and a retaining ring positioned in said bolt snap-ring groove of said for connected plunging bolt, said threaded bolt shaft section, further, having a compression spring positioned circumferentially around said threaded bolt shaft and interposed between said foot upper face and said circumferential shoulder of said protected plunging bolt, the compression spring exerting a force on to said foot preventing unintended movement of said foot while said protected plunging bolt is rotated, rotating said plunging bolt adjusting the relative position of said electrically conducting foot along said plunging bolt threaded shaft section, actuation depth being set by the physical properties of said at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring having a nonlinear force response and collapses to a flat position when the force, defined by the geometry of said at least one disk spring itself, is exceeded, rotating said plunging bolt allowing for said foot to be precisely located along said plunging bolt threaded shaft section such that said foot contacts said spring loaded pins as said at least one disk spring collapses, actuation depth determined by measuring the force/deflection characteristics of said at least one disk spring in selecting and/or matching said at least one disk spring such that said at least one disk spring collapses to a flat position when a particular desired applied force, correlating to the desired actuation pressure transduces to a linear force through the cross-section area of said plunging bolt primary shaft section, is exceeded, said plunging bolt then rotated to position said foot such that said foot makes contact with said spring-loaded pins as said at least one disk spring collapses due to the applied force of said plunging bolt acting through said retaining ring and said shim washer said spring-loaded pins directly connected to the hydrophone ceramic element, consequently, shunting said spring-loaded pins of said switch also shorting the hydrophone ceramic element itself, preventing any signal from forming, said o-ring A seated within said o-ring groove located within said shroud bore, effectively sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, consequently, containing said oil filled cavity within the bounds of said silicone rubber boot and said shroud bore o-ring, preventing any oil presence in said switch below said shroud bore o-ring, a second set of at least one o-ring positioned in said base o-ring groove of said base, so positioned to prevent polyurethane from entering said switch during the encapsulation process.

4. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 3, wherein said switch activation means is effected by said protected plunging bolt, responding to hydrostatic pressure on said bolt head, said plunging bolt having negligible movement in response to an applied pressure, then moving nonlinearly when the correlating preload force of said at least one disk spring is exceeded, communicating flexing force to said at least one disk spring, forcing said electrically conducting foot in direct electrical contact on plurality of said electrically conducting spring-loaded pins, creating a short-circuit shunt across all of said spring-loaded pins, further creating a shunt across all circuit pins of the associated, conjoined hydrophone, effectively quenching the operability the hydrophone, said spring-loaded pins directly connected to the hydrophone ceramic element, consequently, shunting said spring-loaded pins of said switch also shorts the hydrophone ceramic element itself, preventing any signal from forming.

5. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 4, wherein said environmental protection means is at least one shroud bore o-ring positioned within a female o-ring groove located within said shroud bore, effectively sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, consequently, containing said oil filled cavity within the bounds of said silicone rubber boot and said shroud bore o-ring, preventing any oil presence in said switch below said shroud bore o-ring, a second set of at least one o-ring positioned in said base o-ring groove of said base, so positioned to prevent polyurethane from entering said switch during the encapsulation process.

6. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 5, wherein said protected plunging bolt, said foot, said shroud, said base are formed from durable material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, polycarbonate composition, and aluminum alloy.

7. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 6, wherein said bolt adjustment tool aperture is selected from a group consisting of screwdriver slot, Phillips head, and hex key.

8. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, for limiting hydrophone signal operability to water depths less than a predetermined, proscribed depth, said shunt switch comprising,

a protected plunging bolt, said bolt having a bolt head, a bolt adjustment tool aperture, a primary bolt shaft section, a secondary bolt shaft section, a threaded bolt shaft section, a bolt snap-ring groove, a circumferential shoulder, said protected plunging bolt, rotatable around and movable along its primary axis, in its entirety, responsively communicating maritime hydrostatic pressure from said bolt head, via said primary bolt shaft section and said secondary bolt shaft section, to said threaded bolt shaft section;

an electrically conducting foot, said foot having a threaded bore, a foot upper face, a foot lower face, a foot truncated face, said threaded bore of said foot engaged by threads with said threaded bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said electrically conducting foot movable in consonance with movement of said protected plunging bolt;

a base, said base having a base bore, a base upper surface, a base threaded collar, a base o-ring groove, a base lower collar, a base lower collar face, a base foot well, said base foot well, incorporating a key to form a truncated cylinder, providing appropriate containment housing for said foot, said foot also in the form of a truncated cylinder, and preventing said foot from rotating when said protected plunging bolt is rotated to adjust proscribed depth actuation of said shunt switch, said base bore accommodating and protecting said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt;

a shroud, said shroud having a shroud bore, a shroud bore o-ring groove, a threaded shroud collar, a shroud fixture shoulder, a shroud outer surface, a shroud base well threaded surface, a shroud base well, said shroud base well threaded section engaged with said base threaded collar by threads, said shroud base well, encompassing said base, said shroud bore accommodating and protecting said primary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt;

at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface of said base, circumscribing said base bore and said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, flexure of said disk spring by force exerted from said protected plunging bolt the sole determinant of actuation pressure of said shunt switch;

pressure communicating means for communicating external ocean hydrostatic pressure to said bolt head;

environmental protection means for protecting said shunt switch from undesired shunt switch oil leakage and direct contact with the ocean environment;

a plurality of electrically conducting, spring-loaded pins, said pins operatively inserted in and firmly affixed to a glass-ceramic shunt switch end piece of said shunt switch, said pins providing electrical signal conductivity between said shunt switch and the associated, conjoined conventional hydrophone, the number of said spring-loaded pins matching and in consonance with the number of pins utilized in electrically connecting the conjoined hydrophone to a conventional submarine transmission cable;

actuation depth determined by measuring the force/deflection characteristics of said at least one disk spring in selecting and/or matching said at least one disk spring such that said at least one disk spring collapses to a flat position when a particular desired applied force, correlating to the desired actuation pressure transduces to a linear force through the cross-section area of said plunging bolt primary shaft section, is exceeded, said plunging bolt then rotated to position said foot such that said foot makes contact with said spring-loaded pins as said at least one disk spring collapses due to the applied force of said plunging bolt acting through said retaining ring and said shim washer, proscribed depth adjustment effected, during fabrication, by insertion of an adjustment tool in said bolt adjustment tool aperture, turning said threaded bolt shaft section in said threaded bore of said foot effecting controlled flexing of said at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface, circumscribing said base bore and said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said at least one disk spring maintained into position and responsive to force from rotation of said shroud, the force from rotation of said shroud communicated to said at least one disk spring from a shim washer interposed between said at least one disk spring, and a retaining ring positioned in said bolt snap-ring groove of said for connected plunging bolt, said shroud being threaded onto said base and being rotated to adjust the preload force of said at least one disk spring, rotating said plunging bolt adjusting the relative position of said electrically conducting foot along said plunging bolt threaded shaft section, actuation depth being set by the physical properties of said at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring having a nonlinear force response and collapses to a flat position when the force, defined by the geometry of said disk spring itself, is exceeded, rotating said plunging bolt allowing for said foot to be precisely located along said plunging bolt threaded shaft section such that said foot contacts said spring loaded pins as said at least one disk spring collapses, said threaded bolt shaft section, further, having a compression spring positioned circumferentially around said threaded bolt shaft and interposed between said foot upper face and said circumferential shoulder of said protected plunging bolt, the compression spring exerting a force on to said foot preventing unintended movement of said foot while said protected plunging bolt is rotated, switch activation effected by said protected plunging bolt, responding to hydrostatic pressure on said bolt head, communicating flexing force to said at least one disk spring, forcing said electrically conducting foot in direct electrical contact on plurality of said electrically conducting spring-loaded pins, creating a short-circuit shunt across all of said spring-loaded pins, further creating a shunt across all circuit pins of the associated, conjoined hydrophone, effectively quenching the operability of the hydrophone, said spring-loaded pins directly connected to the hydrophone ceramic element, consequently, shunting said spring-loaded pins of said switch also shorting the hydrophone ceramic element itself, preventing any signal from forming;

said shunt switch, readily adjustable to a predetermined, proscribed depth setting during fabrication, however, tamper-proof following fabrication, configured for a simple modification and conjoining with a conventional, commercially available hydrophone, for limiting the operability of that hydrophone to depths above a predetermined, proscribed water depth.

9. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 8, wherein said pressure communicating means is effected by an oil-filled cavity, the oil in direct contact with said bolt head, the oil contained within a pliable water-proof silicone rubber boot, the outer surface of the boot responsive to the hydrostatic pressure of the environment, the oil communicating the external hydrostatic pressure to said bolt head of said bolt, said plunging bolt having negligible movement in response to an applied pressure, then moving nonlinearly when the correlating preload force of said at least one disk spring is exceeded, said plunging bolt head transducing the pressure within the oil filled cavity, through its cross section area, into a linear force communicating through said primary bolt shaft section to said retaining ring and said shim washer to said at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface, linear movement of said plunging bolt resisted by said at least one disk spring, the hydrostatic force communicated from said bolt to said foot for actuation of said switch.

10. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 9, wherein said environmental protection means is accomplished by said shroud including said shroud bore o-ring groove for seating said o-ring A, sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, the seam bounding the oil filled cavity, preventing oil leakage into the switch body, said o-ring A seated within said o-ring groove located within said shroud bore, effectively sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, consequently, containing said oil filled cavity within the bounds of said silicone rubber boot and said shroud bore o-ring, preventing any oil presence in said switch below said shroud bore o-ring, a second set of at least one o-ring positioned in said base o-ring groove of said base, so positioned to prevent polyurethane from entering said switch during the encapsulation process.

11. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 10, wherein said protected plunging bolt, said foot, said shroud, said base are formed from durable material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, polycarbonate composition, and aluminum alloy.

12. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 11, wherein said bolt adjustment tool aperture is selected from a group consisting of screwdriver slot, Phillips head, and hex key.

13. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, for limiting hydrophone signal operability to water depths less than a predetermined, proscribed depth, said shunt switch comprising,

a protected plunging bolt, said bolt having a bolt head, a bolt adjustment tool aperture, a primary bolt shaft section, a secondary bolt shaft section, a threaded bolt shaft section, a bolt snap-ring groove, a circumferential shoulder, said protected plunging bolt, rotatable around and movable along its primary axis, in its entirety, responsively communicating maritime hydrostatic pressure from said bolt head, via said primary bolt shaft section and said secondary bolt shaft section, to said threaded bolt shaft section;

an electrically conducting foot, said foot having a threaded bore, a foot upper face, a foot lower face, a foot truncated face, said threaded bore of said foot engaged by threads with said threaded bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said electrically conducting foot movable in consonance with movement of said protected plunging bolt;

a base, said base having a base bore, a base upper surface, a base threaded collar, a base o-ring groove, a base lower collar, a base lower collar face, a base foot well, said base foot well, incorporating a key to form a truncated cylinder, providing appropriate containment housing for said foot, said foot also in the form of a truncated cylinder, and preventing said foot from rotating when said protected plunging bolt is rotated to adjust proscribed depth actuation of said shunt switch, said base bore accommodating and protecting said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt;

a shroud, said shroud having a shroud bore, a shroud bore o-ring groove, a threaded shroud collar, a shroud fixture shoulder, a shroud outer surface, a shroud base well threaded surface, a shroud base well, said shroud base well threaded section engaged with said base threaded collar by threads, said shroud base well, encompassing said base, said shroud bore accommodating and protecting said primary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said shroud being threaded onto said base and being rotated to adjust the preload force of said at least one disk spring, said shroud includes said shroud bore o-ring groove for seating o-ring A, sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, the seam bounding the oil filled cavity, preventing oil leakage into the switch body;

at least one disk spring, said disk spring positioned on said base upper surface of said base, circumscribing said base bore and said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, flexure of said disk spring by force exerted from said protected plunging bolt the sole determinant of actuation pressure of said shunt switch;

a plurality of electrically conducting, spring-loaded pins, said pins operatively inserted in and firmly affixed to a glass-ceramic shunt switch end piece of said shunt switch, said pins providing electrical signal conductivity between said shunt switch and the associated, conjoined conventional hydrophone, the number of said spring-loaded pins matching and in consonance with the number of pins utilized in electrically connecting the conjoined hydrophone to a conventional submarine transmission cable, said spring-loaded pins directly connected to the hydrophone ceramic element, consequently, shunting said spring-loaded pins of said switch also shorting the hydrophone ceramic element itself, preventing any signal from forming;

proscribed depth adjustment effected, during fabrication, by insertion of an adjustment tool in said bolt adjustment tool aperture, turning said threaded bolt shaft section in said threaded bore of said foot effecting controlled flexing of at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface, circumscribing said base bore and said secondary bolt shaft section of said protected plunging bolt, said at least one disk spring maintained into position and responsive to force from rotation of said shroud, the force from rotation of said shroud communicated to said at least one disk spring from a shim washer interposed between said at least one disk spring, and a retaining ring positioned in said bolt snap-ring groove of said for connected plunging bolt, rotating said plunging bolt adjusting the relative position of said electrically conducting foot along said plunging bolt threaded shaft section, actuation depth being set by the physical properties of said at least one disk spring, said at least one disk spring having a nonlinear force response and collapses to a flat position when the force, defined by the geometry of said disk spring itself, is exceeded, rotating said plunging bolt allowing for said foot to be precisely located along said plunging bolt threaded shaft section such that said foot contacts said spring loaded pins as said at least one disk spring collapses, said threaded bolt shaft section, further, having a compression spring positioned circumferentially around said threaded bolt shaft and interposed between said foot upper face and said circumferential shoulder of said protected plunging bolt, the compression spring exerting a force on to said foot preventing unintended movement of said foot while said protected plunging bolt is rotated, actuation depth determined by measuring the force/deflection characteristics of said at least one disk spring in selecting and/or matching said at least one disk spring such that said at least one disk spring collapses to a flat position when a particular desired applied force, correlating to the desired actuation pressure transduces to a linear force through the cross-section area of said plunging bolt primary shaft section, is exceeded, said plunging bolt then rotated to position said foot such that said foot makes contact with said spring-loaded pins as said at least one disk spring collapses due to the applied force of said plunging bolt acting through said retaining ring and said shim washer;

switch activation effected by said protected plunging bolt, responding to hydrostatic pressure on said bolt head of said bolt, said plunging bolt having negligible movement in response to an applied pressure, then moving nonlinearly when the correlating preload force of said at least one disk spring is exceeded, said plunging bolt head transducing the pressure within the oil filled cavity, through its cross section area, into a linear force communicating through said primary bolt shaft section to said retaining ring and said shim washer to said at least one disk spring positioned on said base upper surface, linear movement of said plunging bolt resisted by said at least one disk spring, communicating flexing force to at least one said disk spring, forcing said electrically conducting foot in direct electrical contact on plurality of said electrically conducting spring-loaded pins, creating a short-circuit shunt across all of said spring-loaded pins, further creating a shunt across all circuit pins of the associated, conjoined hydrophone, effectively quenching the operability of the hydrophone;

pressure communicating from external hydrostatic pressure to said bolt head effected by an oil-filled cavity, the oil in direct contact with said bolt head, the oil contained within a pliable water-proof silicone rubber boot, the outer surface of the boot responsive to the hydrostatic pressure of the environment, the oil communicating the external hydrostatic pressure to said bolt head;

environmental protection effected by said o-ring A seated within said o-ring groove located within said shroud bore, effectively sealing the seam between said plunging bolt and said shroud bore, consequently, containing said oil filled cavity within the bounds of said silicone rubber boot and said shroud bore o-ring, preventing any oil presence in said switch below said shroud bore o-ring, a second set of at least one o-ring positioned in said base o-ring groove of said base, so positioned to prevent polyurethane from entering said switch during the encapsulation process;

said shunt switch, readily adjustable to a predetermined, proscribed depth setting during fabrication, however, tamper-proof following fabrication, configured for a simple modification and conjoining with a conventional, commercially available hydrophone, for limiting the operability of that hydrophone to depths above a predetermined, proscribed water depth.

14. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 13, wherein said protected plunging bolt, said foot, said shroud, said base are formed from durable material selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, polycarbonate composition, and aluminum alloy.

15. A hydrophone signal limiting shunt switch, electrically associated and physically conjoined with a conventional hydrophone, as recited in claim 14, wherein said bolt adjustment tool aperture is selected from a group consisting of screwdriver slot, Phillips head, and hex key.