Submerged buoy
View Patent ↗This invention relates to a submerged buoy ( 1 ) consisting of: a housing ( 2 ) containing a receiver ( 4 ) of a radioacoustic signal; a mooring rope ( 11 ) with one end attached to a mooring point; a mechanism for releasing said buoy, allowing it to return to the surface; and a flotation reserve; said buoy being noteworthy in that the release mechanism ( 7 ) is of electromechanical type and is enclosed in a hermetically sealed tank ( 5 ) which thus forms the flotation reserve; said mechanism ( 7 ) controlling a catch ( 8 ) which either prevents or allows the free rotation of a winding drum ( 10 ) around which the mooring rope ( 11 ) is wound. This buoy may be used particularly for marking submerged objects such as fishing equipment, nets, fish pots etc., for controlling mooring sites in pleasure ports or even to mark off a sensitive area (such as around an underwater mine).
1. Submerged buoy comprising a casing containing a radioacoustic signal receiver, a mooring rope attached at one of its ends to a mooring point, a mechanism for releasing said buoy enabling it to rise to a surface, and a flotation reserve, the release mechanism being of the electromechanical type and being contained in a hermetically sealed tank thus constituting the flotation reserve, said mechanism controlling a catch which either prevents or allows the free rotation of a winding drum around which the mooring rope is wound.
2. Buoy according to claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism is a geared motor driving the catch which, by engaging with teeth disposed at a periphery on an external face of a plate of the drum, forms a ratchet mechanism ensuring the free unwinding of the mooring rope when a suitable radio acoustic signal is sent to the receiver, and conversely locking thereof after rewinding of said mooring rope around the drum.
3. Buoy according to claim 1 , wherein a rotation axis of the drum is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the buoy.
4. Buoy according to claim 1 , wherein one of the ends of a rotation axis of the drum emerges outside the casing, enabling the mooring rope to be rewound around the drum by means of a portable electric or manual tool.
5. Buoy according to claim 4 , further comprising an additional device mounted outside the buoy enabling its submersion depth to be adjusted.
6. Buoy according to claim 5 , wherein the additional device comprises a winding motor intended to be connected to the end of the shaft of the drum and associated with a depth meter, supplied by a self-contained battery.
7. Buoy according to claim 1 , wherein said buoy is equipped with a system for security against electrical or sealing failures, consisting of automatically disengaging the catch.
8. System for locating submerged objects by means of submerged buoys provided with a surface signal that can be read following the reception of acoustic signals, said system comprising a transmitter and said buoys being equipped with receivers, the transmitter having a transmitting unit connected to a submerged transducer and wherein the submerged buoys being those defined in claim 1 .
9. A method for managing mooring locations in a marina, the method comprising:
receiving payment in exchange for a mooring location; and
sending a signal to a submerged buoy so as to trigger rising of the submerged buoy, the signal being sent by a central transmitter connected to a server and to a bank terminal, the submerged buoy carrying a ring connected to a mooring cable and to the central transmitter, the submerged buoy being the buoy according to claim 1 .
10. Buoy according to claim 2 , wherein a rotation axis of the drum is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the buoy.
11. Buoy according to claim 2 , wherein one of the ends of a rotation axis of the drum emerges outside the casing, enabling the mooring rope to be rewound around the drum by means of a portable electric or manual tool.
12. Buoy according to claim 3 , wherein one of the ends of a rotation axis of the drum emerges outside the casing, enabling the mooring rope to be rewound around the drum by means of a portable electric or manual tool.
13. System for locating submerged objects by means of submerged buoys provided with a surface signal that can be read following the reception of acoustic signals, said system comprising a transmitter and said buoys being equipped with receivers, wherein the transmitter has a transmitting unit connected to a submerged transducer and wherein the submerged buoys are those defined in claim 2 .
14. System for locating submerged objects by means of submerged buoys provided with a surface signal that can be read following the reception of acoustic signals, said system comprising a transmitter and said buoys being equipped with receivers, the transmitter has a transmitting unit connected to a submerged transducer and wherein the submerged buoys are those defined in claim 3 .
15. System for locating submerged objects by means of submerged buoys provided with a surface signal that can be read following the reception of acoustic signals, said system comprising a transmitter and said buoys being equipped with receivers, wherein the transmitter has a transmitting unit connected to a submerged transducer and wherein the submerged buoys are those defined in claim 5 .
16. System for locating submerged objects by means of submerged buoys provided with a surface signal that can be read following the reception of acoustic signals, said system comprising a transmitter and said buoys being equipped with receivers, wherein the transmitter has of a transmitting unit connected to a submerged transducer and wherein the submerged buoys are those defined in claim 7 .
17. A method for managing mooring locations in a marina, the method comprising:
receiving payment in exchange for a mooring location; and
sending a signal to a submerged buoy so as to trigger rising of the submerged buoy, the signal being sent by a central transmitter connected to a server and to a bank terminal, the submerged buoy carrying a ring connected to a mooring cable and to central transmitter, the submerged buoy being the buoy according to claim 2 .
18. A method for managing mooring locations in a marina, the method comprising:
receiving payment in exchange for a mooring location; and
sending a signal to a submerged buoy so as to trigger rising of the submerged buoy, the signal being sent by a central transmitter connected to a server and to a bank terminal, the submerged buoy carrying a ring connected to a mooring cable and to central transmitter, the submerged buoy being the buoy according to claim 3 .
19. A method for managing mooring locations in a marina, the method comprising:
receiving payment in exchange for a mooring location; and
sending a signal to a submerged buoy so as to trigger rising of the submerged buoy, the signal being sent by a central transmitter connected to a server and to a bank terminal, the submerged buoy carrying a ring connected to a mooring cable and to central transmitter, the submerged buoy being the buoy according to claim 5 .
20. A method for managing mooring locations in a marina, the method comprising:
receiving payment in exchange for a mooring location; and
sending a signal to a submerged buoy so as to trigger rising of the submerged buoy, the signal being sent by a central transmitter connected to a server and to a bank terminal, the submerged buoy carrying a ring connected to a mooring cable and to central transmitter, the submerged buoy being the buoy according to claim 7 .