Patent ID: 9335412
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: G01S,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A sonar transducer assembly for a water craft, the sonar transducer assembly comprising: at least one transmit-only transducer element positioned within a housing and aimed outwardly and downwardly, wherein the at least one transmit-only transducer element is configured to transmit sonar pulses within a transmit beam to insonify a first volume; at least one receive-only transducer element positioned within the housing and aimed outwardly and downwardly, wherein the at least one receive-only transducer element is configured to receive sonar returns from the sonar pulses within a second volume defined by a fan-shaped beam, wherein the fan-shaped beam is defined by a relatively narrow beamwidth in a first plane and a relatively wide beamwidth in a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the second volume is smaller than the first volume, wherein the at least one receive-only transducer element is aimed within the housing such that the second volume is wholly contained within the first volume such that a first portion of the transmit beam defining the first volume extends beyond one side of the fan-shaped beam defining the second volume in the first plane and a second portion of the transmit beam defining the first volume extends beyond another side of the fan-shaped beam defining the second volume in the first plane; wherein the at least one transmit-only transducer element is distinct from the at least one receive-only transducer element; and wherein the housing is mountable to the water craft so as to enable rotation of the at least one transmit-only transducer element and the at least one receive-only transducer element with respect to the water craft within a rotation plane, wherein the at least one transmit-only transducer element and the at least one receive-only transducer element are aimed within the housing in a fixed direction with respect to each other so as to rotate together such that the first portion and the second portion of the transmit beam extend beyond respective sides of the second volume in the rotation plane in either direction of rotation.