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:
Apr. 23, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 08, 2000
John Whiteside, Lenexa, KS (US);
Craig Mehan, Overland Park, KS (US);
Garmin Corporation, Taipei, TW;
Abstract
An ultrasonic sonar transducer ( ) for attachment to a water vessel that more effectively transmits and receives sonar signals even when the water vessel is traveling at high speeds. The sonar transducer includes a transducer element ( ) and a transducer housing ( ) for housing the transducer element. The transducer housing includes a lower housing section ( ) having a bottom wall ( ) that is continuously curved with no major portion thereof parallel to the bottom face of the transducer element. The curved bottom is preferably bow-shaped so that the front of the transducer housing is raised relative to the rear to create a positive angle of attack relative to the oncoming water. This pressurizes water flow under the bottom of the transducer housing and promotes a laminar flow. Such a laminar flow reduces turbulence and cavitation and therefore nearly eliminates undesirable attenuation and reflection of transmitted and received energy. Although the transducer housing bottom is curved, the bottom face of the transducer element remains parallel to the surface of the water so that sonar is transmitted and received perpendicular to the surface of the water.