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:
Dec. 27, 1994
Filed:
May. 05, 1994
Kenneth M LaPointe, Narragansett, RI (US);
Ronald E Waclawik, Fairhaven, MA (US);
Robert C Thibodeau, Wakefield, RI (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Submarines are provided with underwater self-propelled vehicles that are nched from the submarines and guided by trailing fiber optic cables. Each underwater vehicle has a hull that is separable, and that defines a socket for mating with one end of the separable forward hull portion of another identical vehicle. The separable hull portions of one vehicle, when separated remain connected by a fiber optic line so that a homing device on this line can be used to link up with the transponder aboard the other vehicle. Wings on the latter vehicle guide the line toward a socket that accepts or mates with the end of the one vehicle hull portion.