System for interchangeable mounting options for a sonar transducer

• US 9,142,206 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Dell, Kyle D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Isam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baghdasaryan, Hovhannes
• Application Number:
  US13/183,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20130016588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 248/205.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/006 Transducer mounting in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys

Abstract

Systems and apparatuses for interchangeable mounting options for a transducer housing are provided herein. Such a system may provide for easy change of mounting to a watercraft, such as between transom mounting, portable mounting, trolling motor mounting, and thru-hull mounting. A system for interchangeable mounting options of a sonar transducer to a watercraft may comprise at least one transducer, a transducer housing configured to house the at least one transducer, and a mount adapter. The transducer housing may comprise at least one upper engagement surface configured to adjacently engage the mount adapter to facilitate mounting. The at least one upper engagement surface may be configured to releasably engage the mount adapter to allow the mount adapter to be detached and removed without damaging or altering the transducer housing.

Claims

1. A system for interchangeable mounting options of a sonar transducer to a watercraft, the system comprising:

at least one transducer;

a transducer housing configured to house the at least one transducer, wherein the transducer housing defines at least one upper engagement surface that is configured to adjacently engage at least two different types of mount adapters; and

a first mount adapter to facilitate a first type of mounting,

wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to adjacently engage the first mount adapter in a first instance to facilitate the first type of mounting, wherein the upper engagement surface is further configured to adjacently engage a second mount adapter in a second instance to facilitate a second type of mounting, wherein the first type of mounting is different than the second type of mounting, wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to slide into engagement with the first mount adapter to maintain the transducer housing in a fixed orientation with respect to the watercraft, wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to slide into engagement with the second mount adapter to maintain the transducer housing in a fixed orientation with respect to the watercraft, and

wherein the at least one upper engagement surface is configured to releasably engage the first mount adapter to allow the first mount adapter to be detached and removed without damaging or altering the transducer housing, wherein the at least one upper engagement surface is configured to releasably engage the second mount adapter to allow the second mount adapter to be detached and removed without damaging or altering the transducer housing.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to attach to the first mount adapter through a snap-fit engagement, wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to attach to the second mount adapter through a snap-fit engagement.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to attach to the first mount adapter without fasteners, wherein the upper engagement surface is configured to attach to the second mount adapter without fasteners.

4. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a transom mounting bracket, wherein the first mount adapter is configured to attach to the transom mounting bracket, and wherein the transom mounting bracket is configured to attach to the transom of the boat.

5. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a thru-hull mounting bracket, wherein the second mount adapter is configured to attach to the thru-hull mounting bracket, and wherein the thru-hull mounting bracket is configured to mount through the hull of the boat.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first mount adapter is configured to mount to a boat.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first mount adapter is configured to mount to the hull of a boat.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first mount adapter is configured to mount to the transom of a boat.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transducer housing is configured to separably house the at least one transducer.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transducer comprises at least one of a cylindrical transducer, a rectangular transducer, or an elliptical transducer.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transducer comprises more than one transducer.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the transducers include transducers of at least two different shapes.

13. A transducer housing configured for interchangeable mounting options for a watercraft, wherein the transducer housing is configured to house at least one transducer;

wherein the transducer housing comprises;

at least one upper engagement surface configured to adjacently engage at least two different types of mount adapters, wherein the at least one upper engagement surface is configured to adjacently engage a first mount adapter in a first instance to facilitate a first type of mounting, wherein the at least one upper engagement surface is further configured to adjacently engage a second mount adapter in a second instance to facilitate a second type of mounting, wherein the first type of mounting is different than the second type of mounting, wherein the at least one upper engagement surface of the transducer housing is configured to slide into engagement with the first mount adapter to maintain the transducer housing in a fixed orientation with respect to the watercraft, wherein the at least one upper engagement surface of the transducer housing is configured to slide into engagement with the second mount adapter to maintain the transducer housing in a fixed orientation with respect to the watercraft; and

at least one lower engagement surface configured to adjacently engage a third mount adapter in a third instance to facilitate a third type of mounting, wherein the third type of mounting is different than the first type of mounting and the second type of mounting.

14. The transducer housing according to claim 13, wherein the first mount adapter comprises a transom mount adapter and the first type of mounting comprises mounting to a transom of a boat, and wherein the third mount adapter comprises a trolling motor mount adapter and the third type of mounting comprises mounting to a trolling motor.

15. The transducer housing according to claim 14, wherein the second mount adapter comprises a kayak mount adapter to facilitate mounting to a kayak or a portable mount adapter to facilitate portable mounting to the transom of the boat.

16. The transducer housing according to claim 13, wherein the transducer housing is configured to removably attach to the first mount adapter without fasteners, wherein the transducer housing is configured to removably attach to the second mount adapter without fasteners.

17. The transducer housing according to claim 16, wherein the transducer housing is configured to attach to the first mount adapter through snap-fit engagement.

18. The transducer housing according to claim 13, wherein the third mount adapter comprises a thru-hull mount adapter, and wherein the third type of mounting comprises a thru-hull mounting to a boat.