Patent ID: 8483013

Claim:
Underwater antenna for fitting to the hull of a submarine, having a transducer arrangement ( 15 ) which, in the installed position, extends along the hull ( 11 ), extends over an area, has a multiplicity of electroacoustic transducer elements ( 20 ), in particular hydrophones, which are arranged at a distance alongside one another and one above the other, and has a reflector ( 21 ) which is arranged behind the electroacoustic transducer elements ( 20 ) in the sound incidence direction and has a length which extends over all the transducer elements ( 20 ) which are arranged alongside one another and a width which extends over all the transducer elements ( 20 ) which are arranged one above the other, characterized in that the reflector ( 21 ) is in the form of a spring-and-mass system with a panel ( 23 ) which reflects/carries sound poorly, preferably an elastic soft material panel, and having a mass panel ( 24 ) which rests on that surface of the panel ( 23 ) which reflects/carries sounds poorly but faces in the sound incidence direction, and is preferably composed of steel or lead, in that the reflector ( 21 ) is subdivided into reflector areas ( 211 , 212 ) which are located one above the other, have a length which extends over the length of the reflector ( 21 ) and have a width (b 1 , b 2 ) which increases from the lowest to the highest reflector area ( 211 , 212 ) and whose reflection behaviour is matched to the reception frequency bands from different frequency ranges, such that the thickness of the reflector ( 21 ) and the distance between the reflector ( 21 ) and the transducer elements ( 20 ) which are arranged in front of it in the respective reflector area ( 211 , 212 ) is matched to the mid-frequency of the reception frequency band associated with the respective reflector area ( 211 , 212 ), wherein, in order to associate the reception frequency band from the highest frequency range with the reflector area ( 212 ) which is highest in the installed position, the thickness of the reflector ( 21 ) and its transducer element separation are smallest in the uppermost reflector area ( 212 ), and in order to associate the reception frequency band from the lowest frequency range with the reflector area ( 211 ) which is lowest in the installed position, the thickness of the reflector ( 21 ) and its transducer element separation are greatest in the lowermost reflector area ( 211 ).