JP2585596B2 - Ultrasonic transducer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving apparatus for detecting and detecting the presence of a school of fish or the like using an ultrasonic pulse, and more particularly, to a cylindrical ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element. The ultrasonic transmission / reception element is also disposed in a container having a shape of a circle or a spherical container, and the container is substantially naturally suspended in an outer container filled with liquid and locked to the bottom of the vessel, so that the ultrasonic transmission / reception element can be transmitted / received even by rocking the hull. The present invention relates to an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving apparatus configured so that a wavefront maintains a predetermined same depression angle position with respect to a horizontal plane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Underwater acoustic devices have been widely used to check objects existing in water. A good example would be a fish finder. This fish finder is for transmitting an ultrasonic pulse having directivity into water and confirming the existence of the fish shoal by a reflection echo reflected from the fish shoal or the like. In other words, focusing on the fact that the intensity of the reflected echo from an underwater object such as a school of fish is proportional to the magnitude of the school of fish, etc., the envelope detection of the reflected echo is performed, and the amplitude of the signal wave is displayed on a recording paper in shades of gray or a cathode ray tube or the like. Color display to confirm the existence of schools of fish.

Here, as a fish finder for detecting a school of fish by generating an ultrasonic pulse, a searchlight sonar having both features of small size and low cost is widely used. This searchlight sonar emits ultrasonic pulses horizontally downward while oscillating an ultrasonic transducer placed in the dome at the bottom of the ship like a searchlight by remote control operation, and emits a target such as a school of fish. To search for the return wave, or interrupt the swinging operation and hold the ultrasonic beam so as to radiate it to a specific depression angle position in the target detection direction to perform a fishing operation.

By the way, in this case, as shown in FIG. 1a, the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam 8 radiated from the transducer arranged in the dome 6 fixed to the hull 4 when the sea surface constituting the horizontal plane 2 or calm is Is maintained at a predetermined set angle θ ₁ °.

However, when the hull 4 swings by an angle α ゜ as shown in FIG. 2b due to the horizontal plane 2 swaying due to the influence of the wave wind or the like, the transducer fixed to the hull 4 also swings integrally. As a result, the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam is apparently (θ ₁ +
α) There is a risk that the angle will tilt to ゜ and the fish school etc. will be lost.

Therefore, for this improvement, the set depression angle θ of the ultrasonic beam
Hull 4 using a clinometer or the like to maintain
A method has been put to practical use in which a swing angle α is detected and the depression angle θ of the transducer is driven by driving a motor (not shown) based on the output signal.

However, it has been pointed out that the swing correction device using the clinometer becomes complicated and large in size, and that the manufacturing cost is significantly increased. Because of this, the original advantages of the searchlight sonar,
That is, there is an inconvenience that the compactness and low cost are reduced.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above-described disadvantages, and an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element having a wave transmitting / receiving function is provided in a cylindrical container or a spherical container. The ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving surface of the wave transmitting / receiving element that generates the ultrasonic waves even by swinging of the hull by being substantially naturally suspended in the outer container filled with liquid automatically has a predetermined same depression angle position with respect to the horizontal plane. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving apparatus which is configured to hold the information and as a result, can realize both the small size and low cost of the apparatus itself.

[Means for Achieving the Object] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element that includes a setting mechanism capable of fixing the transmitting / receiving surface of a transmitting / receiving element in a specific direction or setting the transmitting / receiving surface in a predetermined direction. A sound wave transmitting and receiving device, comprising: a cylindrical or spherical inner container including the setting mechanism; and an outer container surrounding the inner container, and passing through the center of the circular both sides of the cylindrical body or the center of the spherical body. The inner container is rotatably supported horizontally on the outer container with the straight line as a rotation axis, the center of gravity of the inner container supported by the outer container is disposed below the center of the support shaft, and the outer container is Fixed to the hull,
Even when the hull oscillates, the inner container is always fixed in a specific direction, with the transmitting / receiving surface of the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving element disposed in the inner container by following the gravitational direction and following. It is characterized in that it is configured to point in a predetermined direction set in advance.

[Embodiment] Next, a preferred embodiment of an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an entire block of the searchlight sonar, and the searchlight sonar 10 basically includes an indicator 12 and an up-down device 14. Therefore,
The ultrasonic transmission pulse energized by the timer circuit 16 in the indicator 12 is amplified by the transmission circuit 18 and introduced to the transducer 22 in the up-and-down device 14 via the transmission / reception switching circuit 20. On the other hand, a mechanism section 26 in the up-down device 14 is driven by an output signal of the up-down device control circuit 24 in the indicator 12, and the up-down position of the transducer 22 (position in the direction of arrow A) by the operation of the mechanism section 26; The turning angle (the angle in the direction of arrow B) and the depression angle θ are set to predetermined values, respectively. Then, the ultrasonic transmission pulse is radiated from the transmitting / receiving surface S of the transmitter / receiver 22 as an ultrasonic beam 28 to the sea floor. In the ultrasonic beam 28 radiated in this way, the return signal from the target is converted into an electric signal through the transmission / reception switching circuit 20 in the indicator 12 through the transmission / reception device 22, and then the reception circuit 30 Amplified by One output signal of the receiving circuit 30 is introduced to a receiver SP such as a speaker via a listening circuit 32, and the other output signal is introduced to a display means 36 such as a CRT via a video amplifier circuit. In this case, the sweep signal related to the timer circuit 16 is modulated and controlled by the output signal from the video amplifier circuit 34, and is displayed on the display means 36. On the other hand, the CRT rotation motor 38 is driven by a turning motion signal from the up-down device control circuit 24, and the first gear 40, which is mounted on the shaft of the CRT rotation motor 38, is mounted on the display means 36. The display means 36 rotates in the direction of arrow C about the axis 43 by engaging with 42. The signal related to the depression angle θ among the output signals of the vertical device control circuit 24 is introduced to the depression angle display 46, and the depression angle θ set on the depression angle display 46 is displayed.

FIG. 3 shows a transmission / reception device 50 according to the main part of the present invention, including the transmission / reception device 22, in the lifting device 14. The transmitting and receiving device 50
Is provided with a disc-shaped transducer 22 having a transceiving surface S. The transducer 22 is rotatably supported by a first shaft 52 so as to be rotatable in the direction of arrow C (direction of depression angle θ). One end of the first shaft 52 is rotatably supported via a hole (not shown) formed below the first support plate 54, and the other end of the first shaft 52 has a transducer.
A third gear 55 that rotates the motor 22 in the direction of arrow C is mounted, and penetrates through the third gear 55 to be supported by a lower portion of the second support plate 56. Further, a fourth gear 58 having a small diameter is disposed above the third gear 55 so as to mesh with the third gear 55, and the fourth gear 58 is a rotary drive shaft of a drive motor 60 of the transducer 22. Is attached to the shaft. The drive motor 60 is fixed to the first support plate 54, while a second shaft 61 is provided at the other end of the first support plate 54 and the second support plate 56, The support 54 and the second support plate 56 are integrally supported together with the first shaft 52.

The adjustment mechanism 62 for the depression angle θ configured as described above is disposed in a cylindrical inner container 64. That is, the U-shaped support metal fitting 70 is provided through the third and fourth shafts 66 and 68 that extend through the center of the left and right circular surfaces of the inner container 64 and extend outward in the horizontal direction.
Are pivotally supported by the arm portions 72 and 74. In this case, the adjusting mechanism 62 for the depression angle θ disposed in the inner container 64 is used.
Of the inner container 64, that is, the axes of the third and fourth shafts 66 and 68, as depicted in the figure, is configured to be as low as possible. This is to lower the center of gravity.

In order to further lower the center of gravity, it is preferable that a weight 80 such as lead is disposed below the inner container 64, and a buoyancy member 82 such as air is sealed above the inner container 64. . In this case, the inside of the inner container 64 is filled with a liquid 81, such as castor oil, having substantially the same acoustic characteristic impedance as seawater and having electrically insulating properties.

A drive shaft 78 extending upwardly and turning in the direction of arrow B by a motor (not shown) is provided in the concave portion of the U-shaped support bracket 70.
Is fixed. Further, the inner container 64, a U-shaped support bracket
70 is an outer container 86 composed of a cylindrical body having one end formed in a substantially spherical shape
The outer container 86 is filled with a liquid 81 such as castor oil in the same manner as described above, and then the lid constituting the outer container 86 is formed.
Sealed by 90. A hole 93 is formed in the center of the lid 90 of the outer container 86 at a portion where the drive shaft 78 penetrates,
An O-ring (not shown) or the like is fitted into the peripheral surface of the hole 93 to keep the chamber 92 of the outer container 86 airtight.

Further, the lid 90 of the outer container 86 is fixed to a vertical drive shaft (not shown), and the other end of the vertical drive shaft is engaged with the mechanism section 26 in the vertical device 14.

The searchlight sonar 10 incorporating the wave transmitting and receiving device 50 according to the present invention is basically configured as described above. Next, the operation and effects thereof will be described.

First, using the operation table (not shown) of the searchlight sonar 10, desired turning angles γ and depression angles θ according to the boat speed and the expected fish species are set. With this setting,
In 14, the transducer 22 automatically turns. That is, in this case, the transmission / reception surface S of the transducer 22 locked to the first shaft 52 in the transmission / reception device 50 is rotated by the drive motor 60 so that the second gear 42 the third gear 55 which meshes with driven is rotated in the depression angle theta direction is set to a predetermined setting angle theta ₁ to. On the other hand, is automatically rotated by the transducer 22 is inner receptacle 64 is horizontal directivity in accordance drive shaft of predetermined from being driven turning in the arrow B direction by 78 turn angle γ within ₁ surrounding it .

Then, a search for a target such as a school of fish is started. In this case, after the ultrasonic transmission / reception pulse signal generated by the timer circuit 16 is amplified by the transmission circuit 18, the transmission / reception switching circuit
When the ultrasonic transmission pulse is introduced into the transmitter / receiver 22 from the transmission / reception switching circuit 20, the transmitter / receiver 22 moves forward in the direction of the arrow B in front of the transmission / reception surface S as described above. Emit an ultrasonic beam 28. In the emitted ultrasonic beam 28, a signal reflected from a target such as a school of fish and returned is received again by the transmitter / receiver 22, and the received signal is introduced into the receiving circuit 30 through the transmission / reception switching circuit 20. Is done. The signal amplified by the receiving circuit 30 to a signal sufficient to drive the display means 36 via the video amplifier circuit 34 is supplied to the timer circuit.
The sonar imaging is displayed on the CRT screen by performing luminance modulation on the sweep line on the CRT screen where the sweep has been started by step 16. At this time, the distance in the radial direction from the axis 43 of the display means 36 is converted and displayed as the distance to the target, and the display means at that time is displayed.
The azimuth of the target on the 36 is calibrated in the bow direction of the hull (not shown) by the display means 36 being calibrated by the first gear 40 and the second gear 42 mounted on the CRT rotation motor 38, so that the transducer 22
Is controlled so that it always coincides with the direction of the transmitting / receiving wave surface S, so that it is always displayed correctly.

In this case, the image on the display means 36 is represented, for example, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 100 denotes a display on the display screen of the display means 36, and reference numeral 102 denotes an intensity-modulated fish school echo. The center 104 of the concentric circles on the tube display 100 indicates the hull position, and the concentric circles 104a to 104c are provided with a memory for every measuring distance, for example, every 100 m. Therefore, as can be easily understood from the tube surface display 100, at present, the fish echo 102 is located approximately 50 ° to the upper right from the hull, and the distance is approximately 220m. A schematic diagram of a ship and a school of fish according to such a display 100 is shown in FIG. Then, in this case, when the fish school echo 102 is detected, the turning angle γ of the ultrasonic beam 28 is maintained at, for example, 50 ° as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the depression angle θ is set. The fish school may be tracked by emitting the ultrasonic beam 28 only in the direction of the fish school echo 102. Here, the turning angle γ and the depression angle θ are, as described above, the rotation of the drive shaft 78 in the direction of arrow B relating to the horizontal directivity shown in FIG.
This is possible by rotating the transmitting / receiving surface S of the transmitter / receiver 22 in the direction of arrow C under the action of the third gear 58, the third gear 58 and the fourth gear 55. Since the inside of the outer container 86 and the inside of the inner container 64 are filled with a liquid 81 such as castor oil or the like, which has a good acoustic characteristic impedance with seawater and is electrically insulating, for example, The ultrasonic signal transmitted / received from the transmitting / receiving surface S of the vessel 22 is radiated outward from the outer container 86 with almost no attenuation, and the received signal reflected from the school of fish and the like is also less attenuated. It returns to the transmitting / receiving surface S of the transmitter / receiver 22.

Therefore, now, the hull (not shown) is in progress in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6 angle alpha ₁ relative to the hull vertical line 9
Or trying to have an angle α ₂ swing. In this case, the inner container
As described above, the weight 64 is configured so that the position of the center of gravity exists below the third shaft 66 and the fourth shaft 68 that support the weight, and the weight 80 attached to the lower end of the inner container 64 and the content Since the buoyancy member 82 attached to the upper end of the container 64 directs the gravitational force in the direction of gravity, the outer container 86, that is, the arms 72 and 74 of the U-shaped supporting bracket 70 swing even at angles α ₁ and α _2. Inner container slidably configured with U-shaped support bracket 74
The third and fourth shafts 66, 68 of 64 do not swing, and thus the third
And a transducer integrally fixed to the fourth shafts 66 and 68
The depression angle θ of the wave transmitting and receiving surface S at 22 is kept constant (see FIGS. 7a and 7b).

FIG. 8 is a partially omitted perspective view showing another embodiment according to the present invention. In FIG. 8, the same components as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 8, a wide support wheel 112 is disposed around the center of the spherical inner container 110 in the horizontal direction at a predetermined distance. Four support shafts, that is, fifth to eighth shafts 114, 116, 118, and 120 are mounted at positions where the peripheral surface of the support wheel 112 is divided into four. In this case, the inner container 110 is the fifth axis
A support wheel 112 is rotatably supported in the direction of arrow H by a seventh shaft 118 and an eighth shaft 120, while being rotatably supported in the direction of arrow G by 114 and the sixth shaft 16. Therefore, the inner container 110
Similar to the inner container 64, a weight (not shown) is disposed below the inner container 110, and a buoyancy member (not shown) is disposed above the inner container 110. The components such as the transducer 22 disposed inside the inner container 110 are incorporated so that the position of the center of gravity is as low as possible. This allows the inner container 110 to always be directed vertically downward by gravity, regardless of which direction the outer container 86 swings back and forth, left and right, so that the transmitting and receiving surface S of the transducer 22 always has the same depression angle θ and the same horizontal position. Can be held.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element having a wave transmitting / receiving function is provided in a cylindrical container or a spherical container, and the cylindrical container or the spherical container stores liquid. It is configured to be substantially naturally suspended by being surrounded by the filled outer container. For this reason, even when the hull swings by the action of gravity, the transmitting / receiving surface of the transducer that generates the ultrasonic waves can always be automatically kept at the same depression angle position with respect to the horizontal plane. Thereby, even when the hull is shaken by the wind, it is possible to preferably detect the fish school and improve the fish catch.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various improvements and design changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1a and 1b are explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the sway of a hull and the depression angle of an ultrasonic beam according to the prior art, FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a searchlight sonar incorporating a transmitting / receiving device according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration of a wave transmitting / receiving apparatus according to the invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a display example on a display means of a searchlight sonar. FIG. 5 is a ship including a school of fish and an ultrasonic beam according to the display example of FIG. FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the wave transmitting and receiving apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the wave transmitting and receiving apparatus according to the present invention. 10… Searchlight sonar, 12… Indicator 14 …… Upper and lower unit, 22 …… Transducer / receiver 50 …… Transducer / receiver, 64 …… Inner container 86 …… Outer container

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving apparatus including a setting mechanism capable of fixing a transmitting / receiving surface of an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element in a specific direction or setting the transmitting / receiving surface in a predetermined direction, comprising: a cylindrical body including the setting mechanism; Including a spherical inner container and an outer container surrounding the inner container, the inner container is rotatable relative to the outer container with a straight line passing through the center of the circular both sides of the cylindrical body or the center of the sphere as a rotation axis. Horizontally supported, the center of gravity of the inner container supported by the outer container is disposed below the center of the support shaft, the outer container is fixed to the hull, and the inner container is also swung by the hull, The transmitting and receiving surface of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving element disposed in the inner container is always fixed to a specific direction by pointing and following the gravity direction and configured to follow a predetermined direction. An ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving device characterized by performing: 2. The ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inner container and the outer container are substantially filled with a liquid comprising an electric insulator. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a weight member is disposed below the ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving element included in the inner container and / or a buoyancy member is disposed above the ultrasonic transmitting / receiving element. Ultrasonic transmitting and receiving device.