Mounting apparatus for directional dependent components
View Patent ↗A mounting device for a directional component, such as a forward-facing transducer or sonar. The mounting device can have a housing portion and a pole portion. The housing portion can include a main body positioned between a top cover and a bottom cover. The main body can have an interior sidewall. A portion of the interior sidewall can have a gear portion. The pole portion can have a gear interface portion that interfaces with the gear portion of the interior sidewall of the main body. As the main body rotates around an axis, the gear portion can turn the gear interfacing portion of the pole portion around the pole axis. The gear ratio can allow for the pole to rotate a rate at least two times greater than the rotation of the main body.
1 . A mounting device for rotating a directional transducer around an axis comprising:
a housing portion comprising:
a main body positioned between a top cover and a bottom cover, wherein the main body has an exterior sidewall and an interior sidewall, wherein the interior sidewall has a gear sidewall portion, wherein the main body is freely rotatable around a first vertical axis between the top cover and bottom cover at prescribed degrees of rotation;
a lower pole portion, comprising;
a pole having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the pole has a gear interfacing cup having a cup portion and a gear portion, wherein the gear portion of gear interfacing cup interfaces with the gear sidewall portion of the main body, wherein the pole is freely rotatable around a second vertical axis at prescribed a rotational rate upon the movement of the main body at the prescribed rotational rate, wherein the pole rotates around the second vertical axis at a rate at least twice as great as the rotational rate of the main body, wherein the directional transducer is coupled to the second end of the pole;
a directional indicator positioned at the top surface of the top cover, wherein the directional indicator is coupled to the first end of the lower pole portion and rotates around the second vertical axis at the same rotational rate of the pole;
a first bushing positioned between the top cover and the main body; and
a second bushing positioned between the main body and the bottom cover, wherein the first bushing and second bushing provide a smooth surface for the main body to freely rotate around the first axis.
2 . The mounting device of claim 1 , wherein the gear sidewall portion comprises half of the interior sidewall of the main body.
3 . The mounting device of claim 2 , wherein a handle portion is pivotably coupled to the main body of the housing portion, wherein the handle portion is coupled on the opposite side of the main body from the gear portion.
4 . The mounting device of claim 3 , wherein the lower pole portion rotates at least 360 degrees around the second axis when the main body is rotated around the first axis 180 degrees.