Trolling motor with integral sonar transducer

• US 6,652,331 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Healey, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vasudeva, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US09/900,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 871 Days
• Field of Search: 440/1, 440/6, 440/7, 440/900, 114/144.E, 114/144.RE, 181/140, 367/87, 367/88, 367/131, 367/141, 367/165, 367/173, 367/174, 367/188, 367/910, 174/27, 174/32, 174/35.R, 174/102.R, 174/104, 174/105.R, 174/106.R, 174/107, 174/113.R, 174/115, 174/36
• US Class Current: 440/6
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/007 Trolling propulsion units trolling plates for slowing down B63H25/50; dynamo-electric machines of trolling units H02K
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features

Abstract

A trolling motor having an integral sonar transducer including: a submerged motor housing; an electric motor housed in the housing; a sonar transducer housed in the housing; a motor controller having a pulse width modulated output and a shielded electrical cable connecting the sonar transducer to a sonar device. Noise from all sources (i.e., electrical noise from ground loops, radio frequency interference, and magnetic interference) is suppressed in the output signal of the transducer through a number of techniques. The electrical cable includes an outer shield connected to the chassis ground of the trolling motor; an inner shield connected to the circuit ground of the sonar device; and a pair of signal carrying conductors comprising a twisted pair. In addition, the resonant frequency of the transducer is selected such that it is not a harmonic of the operating frequency of the pulse width modulated output of the motor controller.

Claims

1. A trolling motor comprising

a submerged motor housing;

a sonar transducer housed in said motor housing, said transducer having a transducer output; and

an electrical cable connected to said transducer output comprising;

a pair of conductors connected to said transducer output, said pair of conductors twisted about each other;

an inner conductive shield surrounding said pair of conductors;

a dielectric jacket surrounding said inner conductive shield; and

an outer conductive shield surrounding said jacket.

2. The trolling motor of claim 1 further comprising:

a motor housed in said motor housing; and

a motor controller having a pulse width modulated output to provide electrical power to said motor,

wherein said sonar transducer has a resonant frequency, and said pulse width modulated output operates at an output frequency, and

wherein said resonant frequency is not a harmonic of said output frequency.

3. The trolling motor of claim 2 wherein said sonar transducer will exhibit a low impedance at a shunting frequency and wherein said shunting frequency is a harmonic of said output frequency.

4. A trolling motor comprising:

a submerged motor housing;

a motor housed in said motor housing;

a sonar transducer housed in said motor housing, and having a transducer output said transducer having a resonant frequency;

an electrical cable connected to said transducer output, wherein said cable includes an inner conductive shield surrounding a twisted pair of conductors, a dielectric jacket surrounding said inner conductive shield, and an outer conductive shield surrounding said dielectric jacket and

a motor controller having a pulse width modulated output to provide electrical power to said motor, said output operating at an operating frequency, wherein said resonant frequency is not a harmonic of said operating frequency.