Patent ID: 7267070

Claim:
A device for controlling steering of a towed underwater object, the device comprising: a body having a longitudinal axis and comprising: a stationary inner portion that is constrained in rotation relative to the towed underwater object and provided with fastener means for fastening it releasably to said object; and an outer shell that is movable in rotation relative to the stationary inner portion, about said longitudinal axis; a plurality of stabilizer fins, each of which is coupled to the body and extends along an axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of said body, the angular position of each fin relative to the body being pivotable about its transverse axis, and a rotary drive system and control means for driving the angles of inclination of at least some of said fins, each of said driven fins being coupled to a shaft extending substantially radially relative to said longitudinal axis, each shaft of said driven fins passing through the moving outer shell so as to be mounted to turn, with said outer shell and about said longitudinal axis, about said inner portion in which the shaft co-operates with said rotary drive system for pivoting each of said driven fins about its corresponding transverse axis, wherein said rotary drive system comprises, for each driven fin, an eccentric coupled at a first end to the transverse shaft of said driven fin and at a second end to a lug engaged in the circular groove of a ring, which ring is mounted coaxially and slidably about said stationary inner portion, so that said driven fin pivots about its transverse axis by the ring moving along the longitudinal axis of the body.