Grounding device for high speed water vehicles

Details Grounding device for high speed water vehicles Grounding device for high speed water vehicles

2002-05-23

2004-10-19

Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Boxes and housings

With grounding means

C174S101500, C174S078000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06806423

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water vehicles, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for the electrical grounding of water vehicles.
(2) Brief Description of Prior Developments
Many high speed water vehicles are built with hulls comprised of nonconductive materials such as composite fiberglass and resin materials and wood. Electrical grounding of on board RF transmitters and on board electrical equipment can, therefore, require particular adaptations on the hull which may be expensive and time consuming to install. For example, in some cases a partial metal liner is installed on nonconductive hulls to facilitate grounding.
In other situations, the difficulty in grounding water vehicles with nonconductive hulls may limit communications capabilities on such vehicles. For example, many smaller high speed water vehicles with nonconductive hulls make use of VHF RF transmitters even though such transmitters are limited in terms of range. Although the extended range HF RF transmitters may be desirable for many such vessels, grounding requirements may limit the use of HF RF transmitters on such vessels.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a prior art arrangement for grounding an RF transmitter is shown in which a boat
10
equipped with a transmitter
12
and an outrigger
14
is moving in a forward direction
16
. The outrigger mounting
14
includes a lower horizontal beam
18
and an upper angled beam
20
. There is a lower pulley
22
on the lower horizontal beam
18
and an upper pulley
24
mounted on the outer end of the upper-angle beam
20
. An RF ground wire shown generally at numeral
26
extends from the RF transmitter
12
. This RF ground wire
26
includes an outward length
28
which extends from the RF transmitter
12
to the upper pulley
24
. From the pulley
24
to the lower pulley
22
the RF ground wire
26
includes a vertical length
30
. Extending in a rearward direction
32
which is generally opposite from the forward direction of the boat
10
there is a rearward length
24
of the RF ground wire
26
. At the terminal end of this rearward length
34
there is a rearward terminal weight
36
which is usually able to maintain the rearward length
34
of the RF ground wire
26
in a body of water
38
at low speeds. At higher boat speeds, however, the rearward terminal weight
36
and the rearward length
34
of the RF ground wire
26
will often begin moving in an outward and upward skipping motion
40
so that the rearward length will move out of the water as at
34
′ and the rearward terminal weight will similarly move to
36
′.
The velocity of the water vehicle containing the RF transmitter source is “speed limited”. Typically, under normal wave and weather conditions the water vehicle velocity range is only 4 to 7 knots. Under more adverse wave and weather conditions the water vehicle velocity must be reduced to maintain continuous contact with the RF ground conductor and water. The speed limitation of the water vehicle is created by a combination of the forward velocity of the water vehicle and the drag forces imposed on the weighted RF ground conductor increase causing the weighted RF ground conductor to lose continuous contact with the water. The loss of continuous contact or “skipping action” of the RF ground conductor wire causes loss of signal strength, increases interference with other electronics on the water vehicle, and can cause data collection loss during antenna calibration.
An improved method and apparatus for grounding electrical apparatus on water vehicles is, therefore, needed.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is a high speed RF ground device for water vehicles. The device includes an elongated electrical conductive section and an elongated rope for increasing water resistance positioned in an adjacent relation to the elongated electrical conductive section.
The present invention also encompasses a method for grounding an RF circuit on a water vehicle which includes the step of connecting an elongated grounding devise which includes an electrical conductive section and an elongated rope for increasing water resistance section to the RF circuit. The water vehicle is then caused to move in a forward direction. The elongating grounding device is then positioned to extend rearwardly from the water vehicle.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3636409 (1972-01-01), Stephens et al.
patent: 3805667 (1974-04-01), Orser
patent: 4017927 (1977-04-01), Massey
patent: 4099281 (1978-07-01), Bowley
patent: 4885902 (1989-12-01), Schmidt
patent: 5036785 (1991-08-01), Kittredge et al.
patent: 5379034 (1995-01-01), O'Connell
patent: 5408221 (1995-04-01), Carsella et al.
patent: 5454742 (1995-10-01), Robertson
patent: 5646366 (1997-07-01), O'Connell
patent: 6085628 (2000-07-01), Street et al.

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