Patent ID: 7483335

Claim:
An ocean-bottom-cable (OBC) array comprising: (a) a plurality of cable sections, each cable section including one or more conductor cables that terminate at each end at an electrical connector, wherein the plurality of cable sections are connected at the electrical end connectors of the cable sections to form the OBC array; (b) a plurality of spaced apart receiver stations coupled to the one or more conductor cables of the plurality of cable sections; (c) a stress member mechanically coupled externally to the one or more conductor cables, wherein the stress member is substantially continuous along the length of the OBC array and wherein the stress member is braided to the one or more conductor cables; (d) a braiding system on a marine vessel that joins the stress member and the plurality of seismic cable sections; and (e) a mechanical coupling member mechanically coupling a receiver housing of at least one of the plurality of the spaced apart receiver stations to the stress member.