EP2244249B1 - Electroacoustic underwater antenna - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electroacoustic underwater antenna according to the preamble of claim 1.

A arranged on a hull of a submarine, referred to as flank array, known, linear underwater antenna ( DE 38 34 669 A1 ) has arranged at a distance from the hull body transducer assembly with a plurality of in the mounting position of the underwater antenna along the hull horizontally lined up, spaced apart hydrophones and the screening effect against the hull radiated sound in the direction of sound incidence behind the hydrophones arranged insulation board on the spring Mass principle is designed and acts as a low-noise reflector in the lower frequency range. The hydrophones are held on the insulation board via a clamp construction, and the insulation board is fixed with resilient elements to a bending wave absorbing damping layer which is connected to the hull. The transducer assembly is mechanically protected by an enveloping body attached to the hull. Due to a streamlined structure, the enveloping body offers protection against flow noise at the same time. The acoustic wave impedance of the envelope is approximately equal to that of the surrounding water, whereby the acoustic transmission loss and the reflection factor of the envelope for incident sound waves is low. If the enveloping body constructed as a layer composite, as this from the DE 36 42 747 C2 is known, also the radiation of noise, which is caused by bending waves due to structure-borne noise and turbulence, avoided by the enveloping body on the transducer assembly.

The invention has for its object to design a cost-effective underwater antenna with only a few individual components in particular for attachment to the hull of a submarine, in which the reflector carrying the electronic transducer assembly a sufficiently large distance from the antenna carrier, So from the hull, has, from this acoustically well decoupled and is largely resistant to shock load.

The object is achieved by the features in claim 1.

The electroacoustic underwater antenna according to the invention has the advantage that a large distance of the reflector and a good acoustic decoupling of the reflector from the antenna carrier is achieved by the two wings, each extending over the entire length of the reflector. The required spring constant of the wings can be easily adjusted by shape and material thickness. The impact energy of shock waves impinging on the reflector is transmitted to the antenna carrier distributed over the wings so that the antenna structure is shock-proof. Due to the different shapes of the two wings can be achieved with sufficient shock resistance of the antenna structure vertical alignment of the reflector on the hull of a submarine.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention underwater antenna with advantageous developments and refinements of the invention will become apparent from the other claims.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the rockers are arranged so that the U-openings in the two wings point away from each other. With this constructive arrangement of the wings, a more compact underwater antenna with smaller dimensions in the vertical direction can be achieved with the same dimensions of the reflector, so that even a usually provided enveloping body can be made significantly smaller.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the intermediate space between the upper and lower rocker is filled by a buoyant body which extends on the one hand to the antenna support and on the other hand ends at a distance in front of the reflector. By appropriate design of the buoyancy body, which preferably consists of a rigid foam core enclosed by a potting compound, the underwater antenna is kept substantially neutral in weight under water. In addition, through the connection of the Buoyancy body to the rear part of the two wings made a certain stiffening between the wings and thus their spring property can be influenced.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the two wings with their rear abutment legs with interposition of an elastic layer, which preferably consists of rubber cork, on the antenna carrier and encompass with at least two reproached in each rear bearing leg slots each one projecting from the antenna support, cylindrical cog. In each lug one of the rear bearing limbs is frictionally screwed on the antenna carrier tightening bolts. Between the bolt heads of the bolts and the plant legs existing transverse power disks are arranged made of fiberglass reinforced plastic, which are placed largely without play on the rump. Through this constructive determination of the wings on the antenna carrier tolerances are compensated in the distance serving to attach a rocker lugs and thus facilitates the assembly of the wings. An acoustic decoupling of the rocker from the antenna support is improved by the fact that between the transverse power disk and a metallic tensioning disk pressed onto the transverse power disk by the bolt head, an elastic disk, preferably made of rubber cork, is inserted.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the determination of the reflector to the front abutment legs of the upper and lower rocker is screwed by means of the plant legs screwed, preferably made of polyamide plastic cam and the reflector clamped resiliently on the plastic cam. Each plastic cam has a front cam portion resting against the front bearing limb and a front cam portion concentrically connected thereto, with a larger outer diameter than the rear cam portion. In each cam portion a threaded blind hole is introduced from its end face, wherein in the threaded blind hole of the rear cam portion a penetrating the front bearing leg of the rocker screw and in the threaded blind hole of the front cam portion a screw is screwed, which is inserted through a resting on the reflector clamping disk. The fact that two introduced into the plastic cams, separate threaded blind holes are provided and has been dispensed with a continuous threaded bore, the plastic cams on a much higher stability against transverse and shear forces.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the reflector is set to its front side remote from the antenna support an acoustically transparent enveloping body and set the enveloping body on the upper and lower rocker. In this case, the fixing of the enveloping body preferably takes place via nubs arranged on the rockers, to which the enveloping body is clipped in a form-fitting manner, each with a recess. In the knobs, a screw is screwed, which clamps the enveloping body on the rocker. In this case, each recess in the enveloping body is preferably associated with a coaxial recess with a larger clear diameter, and in each recess a clamping screw which engages over the enveloping body is inserted, through which the screw shank of the screw is passed. A slipped on the knobs elastic disc, preferably made of rubber cork, ensures a certain acoustic decoupling of the envelope of the respective rocker.

Fig. 1

einen Schnitt einer an einen Antennenträger anmontierten, elektro- akustischen Unterwasserantenne,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht der vom Antennenträger abgenomme- nen Unterwasserantenne in Fig. 1 bei entferntem Hüllkörper und Re- flektor,

Fig. 3

eine vergrößerte Schnittdarstellung des Ausschnitts III in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

eine vergrößerte Detaildarstellung des Ausschnitts IV in Fig. 1, teil- weise geschnitten,

Fig. 5

einen Ausschnitt V in Fig. 1 einer in diesem Bereich modifizierten Un- terwasserantenne,

Fig. 6

eine vergrößerte Detaildarstellung des Ausschnitts VI in Fig. 5.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing. In a schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a section of a mounted on an antenna support, electro-acoustic underwater antenna,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the taken from the antenna support underwater antenna in Fig. 1 with the enveloping body and reflector removed,

Fig. 3

an enlarged sectional view of the section III in Fig. 1 .

Fig. 4

an enlarged detail of the section IV in Fig. 1 , partially cut,

Fig. 5

a section V in Fig. 1 a submarine antenna modified in this area,

Fig. 6

an enlarged detail of the section VI in Fig. 5 ,

In the Fig. 1 Shown schematically in cross-section, electroacoustic underwater antenna is connected to an antenna support 10, z. B. attached to the hull of a submarine. For manufacturing and assembly reasons, the underwater antenna has a horizontal length limited in cultivation position I ( Fig. 2 ) from Z. B. one to two meters. For the realization of a submarine usually on the port and starboard arranged side antenna several such Fig. 1 shown in cross-section underwater antennas horizontally strung together without spacing.

The underwater antenna has a reflector 11 which is set acoustically decoupled via resilient elements on the antenna carrier 10. The reflector 11 is formed in a known manner as a spring-mass system and has, for example as a spring a soft material plate 12 and a lead plate 13 in conjunction with one of these superior in sound incidence composite of two thin aluminum plates 14, 15 with an intermediate, bending waves damping Layer 16, z. As rubber, on. On the side facing away from the antenna carrier 10 front of the reflector 11 is a transducer assembly 17 of a plurality of electro-acoustic transducers, preferably hydrophones, fixed in a known manner. In this case, a plurality of vertically arranged with each other transducers, which are formed for example of small ball ceramics, by embedding in an acoustically transparent potting compound to a transducer rod or a so-called. Stave 18 summarized. Several staves 18 are spaced apart along the length I of the underwater antenna. All staves 18 are attached to the top and bottom of the reflector 11, which is in Fig. 1 not shown separately.

The reflector 11 is arranged by means of the resilient elements for the sake of reducing the radiated structure emitted by the antenna carrier 10 at a relatively large distance from the antenna support 10. For this and for reasons of stability of the reflector attachment against shock waves have the resilient elements an upper spring-elastic rocker 19 and a lower spring-elastic rocker 20. Both wings 19, 20 are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic and have the required spring constant adjusting shape and material thickness. Each rocker 19, 20 has a horizontal position in cultivation position I ( Fig. 2 ) corresponding to the dimension of the reflector 11 in the horizontal direction. Each rocker 19, 20 has a front abutment leg 191 and 201 for abutment and fixation on the reflector 11 and a rear abutment leg 192 and 202 for conditioning and attachment to the antenna support 10. In this case, the upper rocker 19 has an approximately U-shaped profile and the lower rocker 20 has a profile which is composed of two front and rear bearing limbs 201 and 202 containing U-shaped end portions and an integrally connecting them, stretched middle portion 203 , The two wings 19, 20 are arranged so that the U-openings in the two wings 19, 20 face away from each other. The space between the upper rocker 19 and the lower rocker 20 is filled by a buoyant body 21, on the one hand extends to the antenna support 10 and on the other hand ends at a distance in front of the reflector 11. At the antenna carrier 10 is the buoyant body 21 with the interposition of an elastic film 22, z. B. rubber cork, to. The distance between the buoyant body 21 and the reflector 11 is set so that the bottom of the front bearing leg 191 or 201 contained end portion of the upper rocker 19 and the lower rocker 20 from the buoyant body 21 is released. The buoyant body 21, which is designed so that the weight of the underwater antenna is largely compensated by the buoyancy it generates in the water, has a hard foam core surrounded by a waterproof casting compound.

The attachment of the rocker 19, 20 on the antenna carrier 10 is carried out for each rocker 19, 20 at least two attachment points of the rear abutment legs 192 and 202. In Fig. 3 one of the attachment points is shown enlarged in section. The antenna carrier 10 has so-called. Knag 23, which are lined up in the horizontal direction spaced from each other. In each case two rows of lugs 23 are vertically superimposed on the antenna support 10. Under lugs 23 are understood by the antenna support 10, that is from the hull of the submarine, protruding, preferably cylindrical mounting posts, which are each provided with a threaded hole 231. Each rear plant thigh 192 or 202 of the upper rocker 19 and the lower rocker 20 includes at least two elongated holes 24 (FIGS. Fig. 2 ), which are arranged at the same distance as the lugs 23 from each other. To attach the rocker 19 and 20, the rear bearing limb 192 and 202 is pushed with each of the slots 24 via one of the lugs 23, wherein previously around the lugs 23 around an elastic layer 25, preferably made of rubber cork, placed on the antenna support 10 on which the rear abutment legs 192 and 202 are supported to achieve a certain acoustic decoupling. With the oblong holes 24 distance tolerances between the lugs 23 on the antenna support 10 on the one hand and the slots 24 in the wings 19, 20 on the other hand can be compensated. On each lug 23 then a transverse power disk 26 is pushed radially largely without play. On each transverse power disc 26 is an elastic disc 27, preferably made of rubber cork, and placed on the elastic disc 27, a clamping plate 28 made of metal, preferably a steel disc, by screwing a screw 29 into the threaded bore 231 of the lugs 23 pressed until the tension pulley 28th to the end face of the knob 23 applies. Thus, each rear bearing limb 192 or 202 of the rocker 19, 20 non-positively and acoustically decoupled fixed to the antenna support 10.

The determination of the reflector 11 on the front abutment legs 191 and 201 of the upper rocker 19 and the lower rocker 20 by means of plastic cams 30 which are screwed to the front abutment legs 191 and 201. In Fig. 4 the attachment of the reflector 11 on the front abutment leg 191 of the upper rocker 19 is shown enlarged in detail. The same attachment of the reflector 11 is also carried out on the front bearing arm 201 of the lower rocker 20. Each of the preferably made of polyamide plastic cam 30, the z. B. are cylindrical, has a voltage applied to the front abutment leg 191 rear cam portion 301 and a coaxial, integrally adjoining cam portion 302, whose outer diameter is significantly smaller than the outer diameter of the rear cam portion 301. In each cam portion 301 and 302, a threaded blind hole 31 and 32 is introduced from the front side. In the threaded blind hole 31 in the rear cam portion 301, a cap screw 33 is screwed with its screw shank 331, which passes through a corresponding through hole 34 ( Fig. 2 ) is passed in the upper rocker 19. Each front abutment leg 191 or 201 of the upper rocker 19 and the lower rocker 20 has two such, spaced by the greatest distance from each other through holes 34, so that at each front abutment leg 191 and 201 respectively two plastic cams 30 are screwed on each rocker 19 and 20 have a maximum distance from each other.

The reflector 11 has, near its corner points, a total of four passage channels 35 stepped in diameter, via which the reflector 11 is exposed to the plastic cams 30 and fastened to the plastic cams 30. In Fig. 4 the attachment of the reflector 11 to the front abutment leg 191 of the upper rocker 19 is shown in detail, which applies to all attachment points of the reflector 11.

The passageway 35 has a larger diameter rear channel portion 351, which overlaps the rear cam portion 301 of the plastic cam 30 with little play, and a smaller diameter front channel portion 352, whose clear diameter is significantly larger than the outer diameter of the front cam portion 302. Between the rear channel portion 351 and the front channel portion 352, a radial shoulder 353 is formed with which the reflector 11 with the interposition of an elastic disc 37 on the front cam portion 302 surrounding annular end face of the rear cam portion 301 rests. Between the front cam portion 302 and the front channel portion 352, a resilient sleeve 36 is inserted, which is axially clamped between the end face of the rear cam portion 301 and a metallic clamping plate 38. The clamping disk 38 is fixed on the end face of the front cam portion 302 by means of a cap screw 39, the screw shaft 391 of which is passed through the tensioning disk 38 and screwed into the threaded blind hole 32 in the front cam portion 302. The clamping disk 38 protrudes radially beyond the sleeve 36 and presses an elastic disk 40 onto the reflector 11. The two elastic discs 37, 40 are preferably made of rubber cork.

The thus constructed and fixed to the antenna support 10 reflector 11 with superior transducer assembly 17 is on the front facing away from the antenna carrier 10 front acoustically transparent enveloping body 41 set. The enveloping body 41 is a laminate of two outer layers 411 of glass fiber reinforced plastic and an intermediate, significantly thicker rubber layer 412 (FIG. Fig. 6 ) and is attached to the two wings 19, 20. As in Fig. 1 is shown, the enveloping body 12 at the free end of the rear abutment leg 192 of the upper rocker 19 and the middle portion 203 of the lower rocker 20 is fixed. In both cases, the determination takes place in the manner of a so-called. "Sheet pile lock", in which correspondingly integrally formed on the wings 19, 20 and on the enveloping body 41 areas liquid. By doing Fig. 1 illustrated embodiment is formed on the rocker 19 and 20 respectively forming head 42 which is encompassed by a molded into the Hüllkörper41 shell or pan 43. At the lower rocker 20 is still a cover 44 releasably secured, which is fixed on the one hand on the enveloping body 41 and on the other hand at the free end of the butt Anlageschenkels 202 of the lower rocker 20 and the U-opening of the rear U-shaped end portion of the lower rocker 20 closes. The enclosed by the enveloping body 41 with cover 44 and the antenna support 10 space in which the reflector 11 with transducer assembly 17 and the swing system are housed with buoyant body 21 is flooded.

At the in Fig. 5 shown section of the underwater antenna is only the attachment of the enveloping body 41 to the rockers 19, 20 modified. Moreover, the undersea antenna outlined there agrees with the Fig. 1 described, so that the same components are provided with the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment of Fig. 5 the determination of the enveloping body 41 on the rockers 19, 20 with formed on the rockers 19, 20 nubs 45, to which the enveloping body 41 is clipped with a respective recess 45 form fit. In Fig. 6 this determination of the enveloping body 41 is shown enlarged on the rear abutment leg 192 of the upper rocker 19 in section. This attachment applies in the same way for the determination of the enveloping body 41 at the central portion 203 of the lower rocker 20. The nubs 45 facing, this form-fitting cross-recess 46 in the enveloping body 41 merges into a larger diameter coaxial recess 47, so that in the enveloping body 41 a stepped, diameter-shaped opening is formed. About the studs 45 is an elastic disc 48, preferably made of rubber cork, pushed and the enveloping body with the recess 46 positively pressed onto the studs 45, so that the enveloping body 41 via the elastic disc 48 to the rear abutment leg 192 of the upper rocker 19 applies. In the recess 47, a clamping plate 49 made of metal is positively inserted, which is provided with a central through hole 491 with a Einfasung for the countersunk head of a countersunk screw 50. The countersunk screw 50 guided through the through hole 491 with its screw shank 501 is screwed into a threaded blind hole 51 held in the burl 45 and thereby fixes the tensioning disc 49 on the end face of the burl 45, wherein the tensioning disc 49 engages the enveloping body 41 via the elastic disc 48 on the rear abutment leg 192 of the upper rocker 19 presses.

All mentioned in the foregoing description and in the claims features according to the invention can be used individually as well as in any combination with each other. The invention is therefore not limited to the described or claimed feature combinations. Rather, all combinations of individual features are to be regarded as revealed.

Claims (18)

1. Electroacoustic underwater antenna with a reflector (11) and resilient elements fixing the reflector (11) on an antenna carrier (10), in particular on a boat hull of a submarine, which elements engage on the reflector (11) close to its upper and lower longitudinal edge in the mounting position of the reflector, characterised by that the resilient elements have an upper and a lower resilient lever (19, 20), which extend respectively over the horizontal dimension of the reflector (11) in the mounting position and each have a front attachment shank (191, 201) for attachment and fixing on the reflector (11) and a rear attachment shank (192, 202) for attachment and fixing on the antenna carrier (10), wherein the upper lever (19) has a roughly U-shaped profile and the lower lever (20) has a profile that is composed of two U-shaped end sections each having one of the attachment shanks (201, 202) and an extended middle section (203) connecting the end sections in one piece.
2. Underwater antenna according to claim 1, characterised by that the levers (19, 20) are arranged so that the U-openings in the two levers (19, 20) point away from one another.
3. Underwater antenna according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by that the intermediate space between the upper and lower levers (19, 20) is filled by a buoyancy body (21), which extends on the one hand as far as the antenna carrier (10) and ends on the other hand at a distance before the reflector (11).
4. Underwater antenna according to claim 3, characterised by that the distance between the buoyancy body (21) and the reflector (11) is fixed so that the bottom of the U-area of the upper and lower lever (19, 20) containing the front attachment shank (191, 201) is left free by the buoyancy body (21).
5. Underwater antenna according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterised by that arranged between the buoyancy body (21) and the antenna carrier (10) is an elastic film (22) covering the contact surface of the buoyancy body (21).
6. Underwater antenna according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised by that the upper and lower lever (19, 20) abut on the antenna carrier (10) with their rear attachment shanks (192, 202) with intermediate positioning of an elastic layer (25), preferably of rubber cork, and respectively encompass a projecting edge (23) protruding from the antenna carrier (10) with at least two elongated holes (24) provided in the rear attachment shank (192, 202) and that screwed into each projecting edge (23) is a stud bolt (29) fastening the rear attachment shanks (192, 202) on the antenna carrier (10) in a force-fitting manner.
7. Underwater antenna according to claim 6, characterised by that placed onto each projecting edge (23) largely without play is a shear plate (26) resting on the rear attachment shank (191, 201) and consisting preferably of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, that the shear plate (26) is overlaid with an elastic disc (27) preferably consisting of rubber cork and that a metal spring washer (28), preferably a steel washer, covering the elastic disc (27) is fastened by the stud bolt (29) on the end face of the projecting edge (23) and the spring washer (28) protruding radially over the projecting edge (23) presses an elastic disc (37) preferably consisting of rubber cork onto the shear plate (26).
8. Underwater antenna according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised by that the fixing of the reflector (11) on the front attachment shanks (191, 201) of the upper and lower levers (19, 20) is accomplished by means of plastic pins (30), preferably of polyamide, screwed onto the attachment shanks (191, 192), onto which pins the reflector (11) is pressed in a form-fit manner and fastened in a resilient manner.
9. Underwater antenna according to claim 8, characterised by that two plastic pins (30) are provided at a maximum distance from one another on each front attachment shank (191, 201) of the levers (19, 20).
10. Underwater antenna according to claim 8 or 9, characterised by that each plastic pin (30) has a rear pin section (301) abutting on the front attachment shank (191, 201) and a front pin section (302) connecting coaxially thereto with a larger outer diameter compared with the rear pin section (301), that each pin section (301, 302) has a threaded blind hole (31, 32) introduced from its end face and that a cap screw (33) penetrating the front attachment shank (191) with its screw shaft (331) is screwed into the threaded blind hole (31) of the rear pin section (301) and a cap screw (39) penetrating a spring washer (38) with its screw shaft (391) is screwed into the threaded blind hole (32) of the front pin section (302).
11. Underwater antenna according to claim 10, characterised by that the reflector (11) has assigned to each plastic pin (30) a through duct (35) with a stepped diameter with a rear duct section (351) of a larger diameter encompassing the rear pin section (301), a front duct section (352) surrounding the front pin section (302) at a radial distance and a radial shoulder (353) formed between the duct sections (351, 352), which shoulder rests on the annular end face of the rear pin section (301) with an elastic disc consisting preferably of rubber cork in an intermediate position, that a resilient sleeve (36) is pushed onto the front pin section (302), which sleeve is clamped axially between the end face of the rear pin section (301) and the spring washer (38), and that the spring washer (38) is fixed by means of the cap screw (39) on the end face of the front pin section (302) and presses an elastic disc (40) pushed onto the sleeve (36) onto the reflector (11).
12. Underwater antenna according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised by that an acoustically transparent sheath body (41) is placed in front of the reflector (11) on its front side facing away from the antenna carrier (10) and that the sheath body (41) is fixed on the upper and lower lever (19, 20).
13. Underwater antenna according to claim 12, characterised by that the fixing of the sheath body (41) on the upper lever (19) is accomplished at the free end of the rear attachment shank (191) and on the lower lever (20) at its middle section (203).
14. Underwater antenna according to claim 13, characterised by that a cover (44) is arranged on the lower lever (20), which cover closes the U-opening of the end section of the lever (20) having the rear attachment shank (202) and is fastened detachably on the one hand on the sheath body (41) and/or on the middle section (203) of the lower lever (20) and on the other hand on the free end of the rear attachment shank (202) of the lower lever (20).
15. Underwater antenna according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterised by that the fixing of the sheath body (41) on the levers (19, 20) is accomplished respectively in the manner of a "sheet pile wall lock", in which two mouldings engage in one another in a form-fit manner.
16. Underwater antenna according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterised by that the fixing of the sheath body (41) on the levers (19, 20) is accomplished by nubs (45) moulded on the levers (19, 20), onto which the sheath body (41) is clipped in a form-fit manner by one recess (46) respectively, and with cap screws (50) screwed into the nubs (45) and bracing the sheath body (41) on the lever (19, 20).
17. Underwater antenna according to claim 16, characterised by that an elastic disc (48), preferably of rubber cork, abutting on the lever (19, 20) is pushed onto each nub (45), via which disc the sheath body (41) is pressed onto the lever (19, 20) in a force-fitting manner.
18. Underwater antenna according to claim 17, characterised by that each recess (46) in the sheath body (41) passes over into a coaxial recess (47) with a larger inside diameter and that inserted in each recess (47) is a spring washer (49) overlapping the sheath body (41), which washer is fastened on the end face of the nub (45) by means of the cap screw (50), which is preferably screwed into a threaded blind hole (51) provided in the nub (45).

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