Marine instrument

Claim 2

A marine speed sensor comprising: (a) a housing having an upper vertically extending portion and a lower horizontally extending portion, said horizontally extending portion including an aft, a bow, and an intermediate section; (b) means for mounting the housing through an opening in the hull of a marine vehicle, such that the upper portion extends through the hull into the vessel and the lower portion projects below the hull; (c) a paddlewheel having a plurality of magnetized paddles extending from a central hub, said paddlewheel being mounted within a cavity formed within the lower portion of the housing for rotation about an axle extending through said hub along an axis transverse an axis extending longitudinally between the bow and aft sections, the lowest portion of the periphery of said hub being located within the cavity and tangentially aligned with or vertically above the bottom surface of the lowest portion of said housing; and (d) sensor means for sensing variations in the magnetic field as the paddles rotate.

Claim 3

The speed sensor of claim 1 wherein the width of the paddle on said paddlewheels between the walls of said cavity is contoured such that the contoured width of said paddles is substantially less than the width of the cavity and the cross-sectional area of the paddles in a plane transverse the direction of flow versus the available cross-sectional area within the cavity is in a range between about 0.25 to 0.5.

Claim 4

The speed sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor means is located adjacent said paddles and including coupling means for coupling signals sensed by said sensor means to a speedometer.

Claim 5

The speed sensor of claim 3 wherein said sensor means is mounted on a wall of said horizontally extending portion.

Claim 6

The speed sensor of claim 4 wherein the paddlewheel is mounted in the intermediate section and the sensor means is mounted in the aft section.

Claim 7

The speed sensor of claim 5 including a sonar transducer element mounted in the bow section.

Claim 8

The speed sensor of claim 6 including a thermistor mounted in the lower portion with the coupling means, including means for coupling signals from said transducer element and thermistor to depth sounding and temperature indicating instruments, respectively.

Claim 9

The sensor of claim 1 wherein said cavity extends into the housing from a surface co-planar with the bottom surface of said housing.

Claim 10

The sensor of claim 1 wherein said cavity is formed in the lower portion of a tubular body inserted into said housing and retained by seal rings.

Claim 11

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddlewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the ratio of the paddle length extending from the hub to the overall radius of the paddlewheel is less than about 0.6; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 12

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddlewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the ratio of the paddle length extending from the hub to the overall radius of the paddlewheel is less than about 0.6; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 13

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddlewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the ratio of the cross-section of the paddles in a plane transverse the direction of flow versus the available cross-sectional space within the cavity is in a range between about 0.25 to 0.5; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 14

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddlewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the ratio of the cross-section of the paddles in a plane transverse the direction of flow versus the available cross-sectional space within the cavity is in a range between about 0.25 to 0.5; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 15

The sensor of claim 11 wherein the ratio is in the order of 0.40.

Claim 16

The sensor of claim 11 wherein the side walls of the paddles are contoured inwardly to reduce the cross-section.

Claim 17

A marine speed sensor comprising: (a) a housing having an upper vertically extending portion, said horizontally extending portion including an aft, a bow, and an intermediate section; (b) means for mounting the housing through an opening in the hull of a marine vehicle, such that the upper portion extends through the hull into the vessel and the lower portion projects below the hull; (c) a paddlewheel having a plurality of magnetized paddles extending from a central hub, said paddewheel being mounted within a cavity formed within the lower portion of the housing for rotation about an axis transverse an axis extending longitudinally between the bow and aft sections, the periphery of said hub being located adjacent or vertically above the lowest portion of said cavity; the width of the paddle on said paddlewheels between the walls of said cavity being contoured such that the contoured width of said paddles is substantially less than the width of the cavity and the cross-sectional area of the paddles in a plane transverse the direction of flow versus the available cross-sectional area within the cavity is in a range between about 0.25 to 0.5; and (d) sensor means for sensing variations in the magnetic field as the paddles rotate.

Claim 18

A marine speed sensor comprising: (a) a housing having an upper vertically extending portion, said horizontally extending portion including an aft, a bow, and an intermediate section; (b) means for mounting the housing through an opening in the hull of a marine vehicle, such that the upper portion extends through the hull into the vessel and the lower portion projects below the hull; (c) a paddlewheel having a plurality of magnetized paddles extending from a central hub, said paddewheel being mounted within a cavity formed within the lower portion of the housing for rotation about an axis transverse an axis extending longitudinally between the bow and aft sections, the periphery of said hub being located adjacent or vertically above the lowest portion of said cavity; the width of the paddle on said paddlewheels between the walls of said cavity being contoured such that the contoured width of said paddles is substantially less than the width of the cavity and the cross-sectional area of the paddles in a plane transverse the direction of flow versus the available cross-sectional area within the cavity is in a range between about 0.25 to 0.5; and (d) sensor means for sensing variations in the magnetic field as the paddles rotate.

Claim 19

The speed sensor of claim 14 wherein said sensor means is mounted on a wall of said horizontally extending portion.

Claim 20

The speed sensor of claim 15 wherein the paddle wheel is mounted in the intermediate section and the sensor means is mounted in the aft section.

Claim 21

The speed sensor of claim 16 including a sonar transducer element mounted in the bow section.

Claim 22

The speed sensor of claim 17 including a thermistor mounted in the lower portion with the coupling means, including means for coupling signals from said transducer element and thermistor to depth sounding and temperature indicating instruments, respectively.

Claim 23

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the ratio of the fore drag coefficient of the paddles to the aft drag coefficient of the paddles is about 2.5 or more and the periphery of said hub does not extend below the lowest portion of said cavity; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 24

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the ratio of the fore drag coefficient of the paddles to the aft drag coefficient of the paddles is about 2.5 or more and the periphery of said hub does not extend below the lowest portion of said cavity; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 25

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddlewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a circular central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending through an opening in said hub across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the lowest point on the periphery of the hub is located tangentially adjacent to or vertically above the lowest portion of the cavity; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.

Claim 26

A through-hull speed sensor for mounting in an opening in the hull of a marine vessel comprising: (a) a housing secured in said opening; (b) a removable body disposed in said housing; (c) a paddlewheel cavity formed in said body; (d) a magnetized paddlewheel having a plurality of paddles extending from a circular central hub and adapted to be rotatably mounted on an axle extending through an opening in said hub across said cavity transverse the fore and aft direction of travel of the vessel; and wherein the lowest point on the periphery of the hub is located tangentially adjacent to or vertically above the lowest portion of the cavity; (e) a magnetic sensor located adjacent said paddlewheel.