US 11,987,326 B2
Container for launching sonar buoys
Luca Andrea Pernechele, Sesto San Giovanni (IT)
Assigned to AEREA S.P.A., Turate (IT)
Filed by AEREA S.p.A., Turate (IT)
Filed on May 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/663,944.
Claims priority of application No. 102021000013286 (IT), filed on May 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0371694 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B63B 22/00 (2006.01); B64D 1/12 (2006.01)
CPC B63B 22/003 (2013.01) [B64D 1/12 (2013.01); B63B 2022/006 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Container for housing and launching sonar buoys (sonobuoy), designed to be installed in a launch tube provided with a pneumatic system, said container including:
a cylindrical casing comprising a first portion designed to contain a first sonobuoy of class G, and a second portion designed to contain a second sonobuoy of class G,
said cylindrical casing including:
a proximal end provided with an interface with said pneumatic system of the launch tube,
a watertight intermediate diaphragm for separating said first portion and said second portion of the casing from each other,
a distal end provided with a cap for the watertight front closure of said second portion,
a pneumatic connection between said proximal end and said second portion of the casing,
valve means automatically switchable from a first configuration, in which said pneumatic system is placed in communication with said second portion of the casing by said pneumatic connection, so as to eject said cap and said second buoy from said container, to a second configuration, in which said pneumatic system is placed in communication with said first portion of the casing, so as to eject said first buoy, and
said valve means comprising
a spring closing device provided with watertight sealing means to allow or cut off the communication between said pneumatic connection and said second portion of the casing, and
a diaphragm closing device, to cut off or allow the communication between said pneumatic system and said first portion of the casing, in which said diaphragm closing device is in contact with said first buoy.