Raytheon Company

Cilag International Gmbh

David J Salisbury

Steven H Nguyen

Pierre R Mesnil

Charles W Ouellette

David A Sharp

Nicolo Garbin

John Cupolo

Benjamin N Barnes

Megan M Greenwood

Marcus P Pantoja

Daniel V Jones

A suspension system for an air-dropped sonobuoy includes a transducer housing wherein the upper portion is emptied upon deployment of a float. The weight distribution of the transducer and housing provide for a center of mass and a center of buoyancy at a location beneath a pivot in the upper portion of the housing. A suspension line connects the pivot with the float, and a pair of opposed extensible fins at the top of the housing locate the center of hydrodynamic pressure at the pivot. Thereby, the housing is maintained in a stabilized vertical attitude during descent through the water and during deployment at a predetermined depth independently of a difference in velocity of fluid movement at the float and at the sonobuoy.

Stabilized suspension system

A buoy flotation system, wherein a container of a compressed fluid is utilized for expansion of a float, includes a cutter for severing and removal of a portion of the container for releasing the compressed fluid. The cutter includes a piston having a recess in a side wall thereof for mating with the container, the piston being contained within a housing, the piston and the housing having cutting edges. An explosive charge drives the piston transversely of the container whereupon the cutting edges sever and remove a portion of the container for evacuation of the compressed fluid therefrom.

Buoy flotation system

A suspension system for an air-dropped sonobuoy includes a transducer housing wherein the upper portion is emptied upon deployment of a float. The weight distribution of the transducer and housing provides for a center of mass and a center of buoyancy at a location beneath a pivot in the upper portion of the housing. A suspension line connects the pivot with the float, and a pair of opposed extensible fins at the top of the housing locate the center of hydrodynamic pressure at the pivot. Thereby, the housing is maintained in a stabilized vertical attitude during descent through the water and during deployment at a predetermined depth independently of a difference in velocity of fluid movement at the float and at the sonobuoy.

Stabilized sonobuoy suspension

Growing community of inventors

Barrington, RI, United States of America

David J Salisbury