The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 20, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 07, 1989
Gunter Backstein, Meerbusch, DE;
Anette Brinkmann, Bochum, DE;
Steffen Weber, Meerbusch, DE;
Klaus-Jurgen Pohl, Dormagen, DE;
Eckhardt Knabel, Julich, DE;
Hermann Schaper, Vallendar, DE;
Rheinmetall GmbH, Duesseldorf, DE;
Abstract
A minehunting apparatus is carried by an underwater transporting drone to the mooring cable of a mine. The minehunting apparatus includes a housing and clamping levers pivotably mounted on the housing to close around the mooring cable. Inside the housing are explosives which are detonated by a coded sonar signal. To improve the maneuverability of the transporting drone, the weight of the minehunting apparatus is balanced so that the apparatus has an essentially neutral buoyancy during the transporting process in the water. After the clamping mechanism has clamped itself around the mooring cable, a lighterweight is released to cause the remainder of the minehunting apparatus to float upwardly toward the mine.