Ships – Building – Observation boats
Patent
1987-05-04
1989-03-07
Basinger, Sherman D.
Ships
Building
Observation boats
114312, 114315, B63C 1100
Patent
active
048096300
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a view port, and particularly to a view port for an underwater vehicle, e.g. for a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) usable for underwater inspection.
Early ROVs for underwater inspection had pressure-sealed and water-proofed cameras mounted externally of the ROV pressure hull. Such cameras were liable to both leakage and collision damage. More recently, ROVs have had cameras sealed behind optically transparent view ports. Such view ports have been made of materials such as acrylic and glass and have been fitted to ROV pressure hulls with suitable seals. Generally, a flat plate view port has been used where the the ROV has a forward looking camera and a hemispherical port has been used where the camera is required to pan and tilt. With conventional hemispherical view ports the pan and tilt angles are limited to approximately 70.degree..
The present invention provides a view port which can form a component of a pressure hull of an underwater vehicle, and which can be sandwiched between hull ports to provide a transparent section girdling the hull. Preferably, the view port can form a component of a substantially spherical pressure hull, the view port being sandwiched between two similar part-spherical hull ports. The invention further provides an underwater vehicle having a view port which forms a component of a pressure hull and which provides a transparent section girdling the hull.
In an underwater vehicle having a view port according to the invention, a camera may be pivotally mounted in the hull so as to allow rotation of the camera to view through the port. A light source may be provided in the hull and arranged so as to allow light from the light source to be shone out through the view port.
As a further aspect of the invention, an underwater vehicle could be provided with a hull extension comprising a view port sandwiched between hull portions to provide a transparent section girdling the hull extension.
In an underwater vehicle, it is a particular advantage of the invention that the joint faces between the view port and the hull sections are bevelled in order that external pressure may assist in sealing the joints.
The view port can provide a field of view over a full 360.degree.. When the view port forms part of a substantially spherical pressure hull it is a particular advantage that the view is not distorted by the port (i.e. the port is optically correct) because the view at any angle from the centre of the sphere is through a view port section which forms an arc.
Preferably, an underwater vehicle may have a view port according to the invention which is an integral ring of transparent material, but it is conceivable that the port could be discontinuous. Whilst it is a feature of the invention that a view port can provide a 360.degree. field of view, in some instances parts of the view port may be obstructed, or parts may even be absent, so that the field of view is substantially but not completely all the way around the hull.
The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic sectional drawings of an underwater vehicle incorporating a view port according to the invention; and
FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and side elevations of a spherical ROV incorporating a view port according to the invention.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an underwater vehicle has an equatorial view port 2 made from transparent acrylic plastics material. The view port 2 is sandwiched between two part-spherical hull sections 4. The thickness of the port and the hull sections is chosen to be sufficient to withstand the external pressures which will be encountered under water at the operational depth range of the vehicle.
The joint faces 6 of the port and hull sections 4 are angled (bevelled) radially towards the centre 8 of the hull. External pressure on the hull sections and port will tend to press the joint faces 6 together and so assist in sealing of the joints.
In this embodiment a video camera 10 i
REFERENCES:
patent: 3450082 (1969-06-01), Demarest
patent: 3633370 (1972-01-01), McKinley
patent: 3635183 (1972-01-01), Keatinge
patent: 3750547 (1973-08-01), Walthier et al.
patent: 3757725 (1973-09-01), Horn
patent: 3774564 (1973-11-01), Bondon et al.
patent: 3779201 (1973-12-01), Spahn
patent: 3839109 (1974-10-01), Horn
patent: 4063258 (1977-12-01), Allen
Avila Stephen P.
Basinger Sherman D.
Hydrovision Limited
Peterson Gordon L.
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