Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring water quality parameters is protected from the deleterious effects of its environment when water quality is not being monitored. In a preferred embodiment, a sensor is mounted to a leading end of an elongate worm gear that is mounted in a housing that is positioned above the water level of the body of water under study. An output shaft of a reversible motor engages the worm gear so that the worm gear and sensor are displaced in a first direction when the output shaft rotates in a first direction and are displaced in a second, opposite direction, when the output shaft rotates in a second direction. A hingedly mounted door closes an open end of the housing and is biased to a closed position when a bias member is in repose. When the worm gear is extended, it pushes the door open and the door closes under its bias when the worm gear is retracted. When the worm gear is fully retracted, the sensor is protected by the housing. In this way, the sensor is subjected to the effects of the environment only during brief periods of actual immersion in the water when data is collected. This substantially lowers the cost of maintaining the sensor in good working order relative to the cost of maintaining a sensor that is continuously immersed. The apparatus may be mounted to a piling, a buoy, or any other structure that enables mounting of the apparatus in a predetermined spatial relation to the water line.

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First Claim