JPH0645355B2 - Floating bag device - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to stably holding structures at or on the liquid level of a fluid medium, particularly communication buoys used at sea. It is about.

“Prior Art, Problems to be Solved by the Invention” There are many types of floating devices having different characteristics.

Damper plates and ring-shaped floating devices have been used to make buoys, which are wave followers. For example, Buoy Engineering, H. Oh. Berthe Oaks, John and Sons, (Buoy Engin
eering, H .; O. Berteaux, John
and Sons,) 1976 pages 212-213.
Please refer to. These liquid level tracking buoys are subject to severe vertical movement and pitching due to sea movements.

Here, "up-and-down movement" represents the movement of the buoy in the vertical direction with respect to the liquid level, and here the liquid level acts as a horizontal plane for the antenna. On the other hand, "pitch" means the tilt angle from the vertical direction that is generated in the buoy by the movement of the waves.

A more stable buoy can be created by reducing the cross section of the buoy on the water surface. Such a device receives little vertical movement. The mass of the buoy can also be distributed so as to generate the buoy's restoring moment. This reduces pitch.

Surface separation still provides such stability.
A buoyant cylinder with a counterweight suspended from the bottom is a typical example, for which Bert is described above.
See eaux. Such a cylindrical buoy may not have much reserve buoyancy and usually has a large draft. These factors reduce the usefulness of these types of buoys in the open ocean.

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication buoy having an antenna using the sea surface as a ground surface, the buoy having a structure for restricting the movement of the antenna with respect to the sea surface within 4 inches of vertical movement and 25% pitch. Especially.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a stable buoy that can withstand marine conditions up to and including State 5.

In addition, "state" means a sea state here. The term "sea state" is one of the well-known marine terms to describe the state of the sea. This represents the state of the sea with a number starting from 0. For example, the "sea state 5" described above.
Indicates that the wave height is 4-12 feet.

The buoy according to the present invention can be used as part of a search and ball assistance system to locate the location of struck aircraft and distressed ships. Such buoys are carried by means of transport and opened when needed. The distress signals are received by the satellite and their location is determined.

The buoy according to the present invention can hold various other types of mounts or various antenna structures. In addition, it can be used as an oceanographic surveillance buoy and a satellite-connected linobuoy.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for stably holding a structure such as an antenna in a flowing medium such as water.

Another object of the present invention is to limit the movement of the antenna held above the sea surface within the usable range of the transmission system.

Another object of the present invention is to keep the electronic payload near the sea surface so that the power loss between the electronic payload and the antenna held on the surface is within the usable range, especially below 3db. is there.

The present invention is an apparatus for stably holding a structure such as an antenna in a flowing medium such as water. The device includes a buoyant first member and first means for engaging a structure. The first means is associated with the first member. A second means is provided for flowing the fluid entering the buoyant first member by the movement of the first member with respect to the liquid surface of the flowing medium, and the fluid entering the first member is The kinetic energy of the buoyant first member is extinguished when the fluid is flowed back into the fluid medium and the fluid is flowed back into the fluid medium.

Alternatively, the apparatus according to the present invention may include a buoyant first member for holding the structure, a load, and a first movement of the load holding the load below the buoyant first member. Separating means for separating from the member to prevent movement of the first member from being transmitted to the load.

Alternatively, a device according to the invention may include a buoyant member having an inwardly arcuately formed bottom and means associated with the buoyant member for engaging a structure.

Alternatively, the device according to the invention comprises an antenna and a buoyant member, r. f. A first means for generating a signal, a second means for coupling the first means and an antenna, and a first means underneath a buoyant member to separate movement of the member from the first means. And separating means for preventing movement of the first means from being transmitted to the member.

The “rf signal” means a radio frequency.

Alternatively, the present invention may be a communication buoy that is stable in a flowing medium and has a structure that minimizes buoy pitch and pitch. More specifically, the antenna is held by a floating bag having a concave bottom by pulling the center of the bottom of the bag with a string fixed to the inner wall of the bag. When this device floats on a fluid medium,
The semi-rigid dumper cart that spreads around the base of the bag is
It is submerged in water. The bag is provided with a ribbon fence, which includes a container having an opening above the liquid level and below the liquid level, which allows the fluid to flow into the vessel when the device floats on the medium. So that it can flow out of the vessel. The payload is held in a cylindrical chamber connected to the floating bag by a flexible cable,
Allows rocking of the mounted object.

[Example] The floating bag 1 will be described with reference to Figs.
Is a balloon-like structure that has a specific gravity smaller than that of the fluid medium W and is expanded. The bag 1 has an antenna 2 inside and holds a mount 3 below the liquid surface of the medium W.

In this embodiment, the floating bag 1 has the antenna 2 therein, but the present invention includes various types of floating devices for holding structures.

FIG. 5 shows the radiating antenna pattern on a buoy under various sea conditions.

In FIGS. 5a to 5g, the operational performance requirement 101 for successful transmission and the estimated performance 102 of the antenna such as the antenna 3 are shown in comparison when the vertical movement and the vertical movement state change. . The antenna 3 uses the liquid surface of the fluid W as a ground surface. Vertical movement and pitching disturb the relationship between the radiating antenna 3 and the ground plane and change the radiation pattern of the antenna 3. Fifth
As shown in the graphs of a, 5b, and 5f, the estimated performance 102 of the antenna 3 does not satisfy the operational performance requirement for successful transmission between the points 103 and 104, and is lower than that. In summary, when the antenna 3 is moved up and down by 4 inches or pitched by 25 degrees or more, the transmission is not successful. According to the device according to the present invention, the movement of the antenna with respect to the ground plane is 4 inches up and down and 2 pitches under the sea condition up to the sea condition 5.
It can be limited within 5 °.

The dump cart 4 extends around the base of the floating bag 1 and is formed of a semi-rigid material held horizontally by a ribbon fence 5.

When the device is floating, the dump cart 4 is below the liquid level of the medium. The weight of the load, the bottom shape of the floating bug 1,
The buoyancy of the bag 1 and the buoyancy of the bag 1, which will be described in detail below, are selected so that the damper cart 4 is below the liquid surface when the apparatus is stable.

The dump cart 4 has an increased surface area in contact with the sea, giving it a surface that resists the movement V in the medium W. In order to rise or tilt in response to a wave,
The dump cart 4 must move upward in the fluid. Due to the presence of fluid above the skirt 4, there is resistance as the skirt 4 moves upwards. The energy that causes the floating bag 1 to move up and down and pitch unless it is erased is erased by the resistance and the movement of the skirt 4 in the medium W.

As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the ribbon fence 5 holding the damper cart 4 has a series of adjacent compartments 5a.
It's about 5g. The damper cart 4 acts as a base of the partition portions 5a to 5g of the ribbon fence 5,
The side portion 1S of the floating bag 1 forms the rear wall of the partition portion. The walls of the compartments in the illustrated embodiment consist of strips made of a semi-rigid material which are joined to the sides of the floating bag 1 at points P which are spaced apart. The floating bag 1, the damper cart 4 and the strips form adjacent compartments, the connection of which is referred to herein as the ribbon fence 5.

Each compartment 5a-5g has an opening 6 in its lower part where the strip connects to the damper cart 4. The compartment has an open top 7. When the sea is stable, the bottom opening 6 having a smaller cross-section than the top 7 opening is
Below the liquid surface. When the device is stationary at sea, the water line of the floating bag is approximately at the midpoint 80 of the ribbon fence 5 height.

The partition sections 5a to 5h act as vessels for the fluid medium. The fluid entering the bag 1 can enter the compartment through the opening 6 or the opening top 7 and flow out of the compartment through the opening 6. When the bag 1 rises due to the movement of the sea, seawater flows out of the opening 6 and quenches the kinetic energy of the bag 1 created by the upward movement of the seawater. Therefore, the swing of the floating bag 1 in the medium W is
Weakened. According to the partition part, when the floating bag 1 rises in response to the wave, the fluid damper cart, which partly contains the fluid and is partially contained in the partition part, has to be lifted, so that the damper cart. Resistance to four moves is increased. As a result, vertical movement and pitching of the floating bag can be further reduced.

The damper cart 4 and the ribbon fence 5 have been described in relation to each other and have been described as being made of a semi-rigid material to stabilize the floating bag 1. However, the dump cart 4 may be a plate submerged in water, and a means for temporarily storing the liquid that has entered the device to dissipate its kinetic energy, and then take it out of the device. Such an arrangement can be used separately or in combination to reduce both vertical movement and pitch of the device.

The mount 3 includes an electronic device 31 arranged in a cylindrical housing 32. The housing 32 is connected to the bottom of the floating bag 1 by a nylon cord 8. One end of the nylon cord 8 is connected to a portion 8a in the housing at about 1/4 from the top of the housing, and the other end of the nylon cord 8 is connected to the center of the bottom of the bag 8b, which is a fixing portion, by a partition wall 9. is doing. The electric wire 311 also leads from the electronic device 31 into the partition wall 9. Below the partition wall 9,
A microphonic noise bumper 91 is provided.

A connection point 8a is provided between the housing 32 and the floating bag 1.
Since nylon cord 8 is connected at 8 and 8b,
The movement of the floating bag 1 is separated from the housing 32, so that the movement of the bag 1 does not affect the movement of the cylindrical housing 32 and thus the movement of the cylindrical housing 32 over a certain range. Does not affect the movement of bag 1. The particular range of motion depends on the dimensions of the separation device, including the diameter of the housing 32 and the distance between the top of the housing 32 and the microphonic noise bumper 91.

The housing 32 can swing freely like a pendulum until the top 32a of the housing collides with the microphonic noise bumper 91. Similarly, the floating bag 1 can freely pitch until the bumper 91 collides with the top 32a of the housing.

This prevents the top 32a of the housing from coming into contact with the microphonic noise bumper 91 even if the mounting object 3 is tilted by 10 ° to 15 ° from the vertical direction. The bumper 91 absorbs some of the energy from the collision between the bag 1 and the load 3 and reduces the effect that such collision would have on the up and down and pitch of the floating bag. Further, the bumper 91 protects the electric wire that sends a signal to the antenna, and interferes with the message transmission due to a collision between the top 32a of the housing and the partition wall 9 through which the electric wire 311 passes,
It prevents interference.

In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic device 31 to the cable 31
The electronic device 31 is provided close to the antenna 2 so as to minimize the power loss that occurs when a signal is transmitted through the antenna 1 to the antenna 2. The power loss is preferably less than 3db.

As shown in FIG. 2, the buoy according to the present invention transmits a radio signal from the antenna 2.

The upper portion 33 of the housing 32, referred to herein as the collar, houses the entire floating device before the floating device is opened, as shown in FIG. After the umbrella is opened, the upper portion 33 is filled with water through the side holes 14 as shown in FIGS. Due to such water filling, the buoyancy of the load 3 is reduced, and as a result, the load 3 pulls the floating bag 1 into the water and the bottom openings 6 of the damper cart 4 and the ribbon fence 5 become:
It is definitely submerged. This increases the stability of the floating bag 1.

As a result of the upper portion 33 being filled with water, the center of mass of the housing 32 is located lower in the medium W, increasing the vibration cycle of the housing 32. For this reason, the entire structure is stabilized, and the vertical movement and pitching of the floating bug 1 are reduced.

The center of the bottom of the floating bag 1 is pulled upward by a string 13 fixed along 131 and provided along the inner wall of the floating bag 1. As a result, the buoyancy of the bag 1 is reduced, helping to maintain the required waterline above the damper cart 4 and at the midpoint of the ribbon fence 5. The base of the bag 16 is bowed inward at its center 15 so that maximum buoyancy is located outside the bag 16. Therefore, the torque arm with respect to the rotation of the floating bag becomes longer, and the vertical swing of the floating bag 1 is reduced. This restoring moment further helps stabilize the floating bag. Also,
Since an adhesive force is generated inward between the surface of the bottom portion 16 of the bag and the fluid medium W by the arcuate center portion 15, the vertical movement of the floating bag is also reduced.

Although in this particular embodiment a floating bag having a concave bottom has been described, the present invention includes various floating devices made of any material having an inwardly bowed bottom.

The flotation device and payload are ejected in the form of a cylindrical housing 32 as shown in FIG. Antenna 4, floating back 1, ribbon fence 5, and dump cart 4
Are all housed in the upper chamber 33 of the housing 32. The buoyant housing 32 floats on the surface of the sea after its ejection. Then the floating bag and antenna are opened and the pre-programmed message is transmitted.

Although the floater has been described as a buoy for divers, it can be used for a variety of purposes that require a very stable floater. The scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a communication buoy according to the present invention opened on the water, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway first view to show the internal structure.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the buoy shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a communication buoy according to the present invention in an unopened state, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a floating bag according to the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the transmission requirements and estimated performance of the antenna system according to the present invention when the sway condition changes. 1 ... Floating bag, 2 ... Antenna, 3 ... Equipped object, 4 ... Dampers cart, 5 ... Ribbon fence, 5a-5g ... Compartment part, 6 ... Opening, 7 ... Top part, 8 ... Nylon cord, 8a, 8b ... part, 9 ... partition, 13 ... string, 15 ... center, 31 ... electronic device, 32 ... housing, 33 ... upper, 80 ... midpoint, 91 ... Microphonic noise bumper, 311 ... electric wire, W ... medium.

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Wayne Seymour Sula USA Masachi Yousets State 02346 Lake View Utsudubi Drive 44 (72) Inventor William Jay Wallis USA Masachi Yousets State 02360 Plymouth Warren Avenyu 61 Earl (56) References (JP, U) Jitsuko Sho 44-5130 (JP, Y1)

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A device for stably holding a structure such as an antenna in a flowing medium such as water, which has a side wall so that when it is placed in the flowing medium, the lower part of itself is submerged. A buoyant first member having buoyancy greater than that of the fluid medium so as to float; first means attached to a lower portion of the first member and engaged with the structure; A ribbon fence attached to the side wall, the ribbon fence comprising at least one container having a top opening, a side opening, and a closed bottom when floating on a fluid medium. The upper side opening is supported by the sidewall of the buoyant first member such that it is above the fluid level of the fluid medium and the side openings are below the fluid level of the fluid medium. Is the buoyancy The fluid medium entering the side wall by the movement between the first member and the fluid medium enters the upper opening and is temporarily stored in the container to dissipate its kinetic energy, and then the side. A device located at the location of the side wall that allows it to exit the container through the opening. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ribbon fence is provided with a plurality of partition portions which are held by the side wall and are positioned around the side wall, each partition portion having an upper opening and an upper portion. An apparatus comprising a side opening having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the opening and a closed bottom. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein each of the compartments has a side wall, and the side wall has a plurality of side surfaces attached to the side wall and is located at the side thereof. A substantially vertical wall having an opening,
All of the closed bottoms consist of concave semi-rigid discs attached to the bottom of the buoyant first member and the bottom edges of all vertical walls, the disk An apparatus for reducing the vertical movement and pitching of the buoyancy-type first mounting member caused by the movement of the fluidized medium by preventing the movement of the apparatus with respect to the fluidized medium by being immersed in the medium. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a load and a buoyant member attached to the lower side of the load to separate a predetermined range of movement of the load from the member. And a separating means for supporting the lower load of the buoyant member so as to separate a predetermined range of movement of the member from the load. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mount includes a housing, and the separating means comprises:
A device that is a flexible member that couples the housing and a buoyant member together. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a collar extending from the housing and surrounding the flexible member, and supported by an underside of the buoyant first member, A rigid portion, such as connected to a flexible member, and supported by said rigid portion, which engages the collar when rotation of the housing relative to the rigid portion is within a predetermined range and greater than or equal to a predetermined angle. A bumper like this. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the bumper is a microphonic noise pumper.
A device where the predetermined angle is approximately 10 °. 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the housing contains the buoyant member when the device is not opened, and the device is a fluid medium. A device that includes a chamber that is filled with water after being opened. 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the buoyant member is a floating bag, and the floating bag includes a trap connected to an inner wall of the bag and a central portion of the bottom of the bag. A device that has a bottom center portion of a bag and draws a concave shape inside. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: an antenna supported by the buoyant member, and r. f. An apparatus comprising first means for generating a signal, and means for mutually coupling said antenna and said first means. 11. A communication buoy that is stable in a flowing medium and includes a structure that minimizes vertical movement and pitch of the buoy, wherein the buoy supports an antenna and an internal wall of the buoy. A floating bag with a concave bottom formed by pulling it to the center of its bottom using a fixed trap, and extending around the base of the bag, submerged in water when the device floats on a fluid medium Such as a semi-rigid dump cart and an opening above and below the liquid level to allow the medium to flow in and out when the device floats on the medium. A ribbon fence having a container with: a damper cart supported in a substantially horizontal position by the container to prevent up and down and pitching of the floating bag relative to the bag; f. A mount comprising a first means for generating a signal and a longitudinal cylindrical housing supporting the mount, said housing having a chamber through which water is drained,
The buoy further characterized in that the housing is connected to a rigid portion of the floating bag by a flexible cable surrounded by the chamber to allow the housing to rock. 12. The buoy as set forth in claim 11, wherein the bag is r. f. A buoy supporting the antenna above the surface of the flowing medium such that the surface of the flowing medium acts as a horizontal plane for the antenna when the antenna is radiating from the first means by excitation.