US Patent 7800980 Electroacoustic underwater antenna

An electroacoustic underwater antenna, particularly a lateral antenna which can be fixed to the outer hull of an underwater craft, comprising a series of hydrophones (13) successively arranged in at least one elongate, closed, oil-filled cavity at a distance from each other. The aim of the invention is to achieve a high degree of reception sensitivity in the low frequency range with a sufficiently small, vertical aperture angle. The inventive device is easy to produce and mount and is characterized by several cavities (14) which are fitted with hydrophones (13) at a parallel distance from each other, arranged in front of a rigid plate (12) at a distance therefrom. The plate (12) and the cavities (14) are formed in a panel-type, acoustically transparent plastic element (11). Several of said plastic elements (11) are arranged close to each other or behind each other.