US 11,852,765 B1
Hydrophone module
Eric H Kirchoff, Newport, RI (US); and Michael J Kroger, Middletown, RI (US)
Assigned to The Government of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
Filed by The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Newport, RI (US)
Filed on Sep. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/900,941.
Application 17/900,941 is a division of application No. 17/015,144, filed on Sep. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,745,835.
Int. Cl. G01V 1/38 (2006.01); B63B 21/66 (2006.01); G01V 1/18 (2006.01); G01V 1/20 (2006.01); B63B 73/00 (2020.01)
CPC G01V 1/186 (2013.01) [B63B 21/66 (2013.01); G01V 1/202 (2013.01); G01V 1/3843 (2013.01); B63B 73/00 (2020.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hydrophone module comprising:
a locking ring;
a flexible hose;
a housing tube as an elongated sleeve having a first end and a second end;
a pre-tube assembly located in said housing tube, said pre-tube assembly including a plurality of hydrophones and a harness with a first end and a second end with a first connector insert connected to the first end of said harness and a second connector insert connected to the second end of said harness, said harness operationally connected to said plurality of hydrophones;
a forward coupling sealing the first end of said elongated sleeve;
a forward bulkhead device including o-ring grooves around a periphery to contain sealing o-rings and containing a first connector insert connected to the first end of said harness and capable of securing wiring as well as optical fibers and a female clevis capable of securing internal strength members therein and a sealing sleeve including o-ring grooves around a periphery of said sealing sleeve to contain sealing o-rings with said sealing sleeve capable of being pushed over an outside of said forward bulkhead device after said sealing sleeve has been pulled through said flexible hose and with said sealing sleeve capable of accommodating a locking ring wherein an outer diameter of said forward bulkhead device is smaller than an inner diameter of said first coupling;
an aft coupling connected to and sealing the second end of said elongated sleeve with said aft coupling including an aft bulkhead device with a plurality of alignment holes and o-ring grooves around a periphery of said aft bulkhead device to contain sealing o-rings, an aft connector insert connected to the second end of said harness and capable of securing wiring as well as optical fibers and a female clevis capable of securing internal strength members therein;
an alignment assembly including a notched key, said alignment assembly being mateable with said aft bulkhead device to align said forward connector insert with said aft connector insert on said notched key;
a locking ring capable of connecting said forward bulkhead device with said aft bulkhead device; and
a retained shoulder threaded onto said forward bulkhead device to ensure proper alignment of said forward bulkhead assembly with said aft bulkhead assembly and to provide a bearing surface for said locking ring and said alignment assembly;
wherein said forward bulkhead device is capable of being booted through said forward coupling and said flexible hose when said flexible hose is inflated;
wherein a portion of said aft bulkhead device is capable of being fitted within said locking ring and a portion of said aft connector insert is capable of fitting within said forward bulkhead device such that a distal end of said aft connector insert can form a mating junction at a distal end of a forward connector of another hydrophone module.