P18776.S01 PCT/FR98/01388 STABILIZING DEVICE FOR SAILING BOAT This invention relates to a stabilizing device for sailing boat and a sailing boat equipped with such a device. Nautical sports, and more particularly sailing, have experienced rapid development in recent years owing specifically to technical advances related to the use of composite materials. Thus the boats used both by competitive sailors and recreational boaters have undergone changes enabling these boats to become increasingly lightweight and thus increasingly fast. However, such boats have disadvantages due to the list that they experience, for example, during heavy weather. Thus these boats are often equipped with systems adapted to stabilize them in the water such as, for example, the ballast situated at the lower extremity of the keel or devices such as those described in French Patent Application No. 2 727 668. Nonetheless most of the known devices are not fully satisfactory and have drawbacks, specifically in their implementation and in their effectiveness. 5 Thus, this invention proposes to resolve the problems cited above by simple, reliable, and effective means, adapted to allow for stabilizing the boat in the water and for arranging it in the hydraulic flow occasioned by its displacement. Thus, according to its principal feature, the stabilizing device for boats having a keel or a centerboard is characterized in that it comprises stabilizing means constituted by at least a mobile stabilizing element having at least one bearing surface, the mobile stabilizing element being arranged on the keel movable relative to the latter between an inoperative position, where its bearing surface is parallel to the 'direction of the hydraulic flow caused by the boat displacement, and at least an operative position where its bearing surface is arranged in the direction of said hydraulic flow. 5 According to one embodiment, the mobile stabilizing element is constituted by at least one pivoting foil arranged in the central part of the keel and contained in the longitudinal plane when it (they) is (are) in the inoperative position, the mobile foil(s) being articulated around a pivoting axis contained in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the boat. According to a complementary feature, the pivoting foil(s) is (are) essentially rectangular '0 in shape and is (are) articulated around an essentially vertical mean perpendicular, the pivoting foil(s) being arranged inside an orifice situated in the central part of the keel, in such a manner P18776.SO 2 PCT/FR98/01388 that in the operative position it (they) may present one of its (their) side wall(s) on either side of the keel in the direction of the hydraulic flow. According to the preferred embodiment of the stabilizing device for sailing boats, the device comprises two pivoting foils articulated around pivoting axes contained in the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the boat, said foils being arranged in an orifice or a window located in the central part of the keel. According to another feature of this embodiment, one of the foils is arranged to the fore of the window while the other foil is arranged abaft of said window, the fore foil being articulated alongside the fore edge of the window and the aft foil being articulated alongside aft edge of the window. According to this preferred embodiment of the stabilizing device for sailing boats, the pivoting of these two foils between their inoperative position and their operative positions is achieved due to a respective rotation in the same direction around their pivoting axes. According to a variant of the preferred embodiment of the stabilizing device for sailing boats, the two pivoting foils are different in length. According to another feature of the stabilizing device for sailing boats, the device comprises several mobile stabilizing elements, such as pivoting foils arranged, when they. are in an inoperative position, in the planes parallel to the direction of the hydraulic flow and secant with respect to the longitudinal plane. According to one embodiment, the pivoting foils are, in an inoperative position, arranged in planes that are orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal plane and are articulated around transverse axes positioned along their leading edge. According to a complementary feature of the stabilizing device for sailing boats according to the invention, the passage from an operative position to an inoperative position and vice versa of the mobile stabilizing element(s) is obtained due to control means. Moreover, the control means comprise a computerized control unit adapted to take into account the physical parameters linked to the environment of the boat and its displacement. According to the different embodiments, the invention has significant advantages for the sailing of the boat and its devices are adapted to stabilize the boat by reducing the list and thus to improve the sailing characteristics of the boat, specifically its speed. In the case of a mobile element constituted by a lower extension of the keel, also called an active keel, this makes it P18776.SO1 3 PCT/FR98/01388 possible to considerably reduce the dimensions of the keel and to eliminate or significantly reduce the ballast with respect to the dimensions and with respect to the ballast of the keel of current sailing boats; thus, the boat has less draft and allows for faster sailing with less list. According to another embodiment where the mobile elements are constituted by pivoting foils 5 arranged in planes that are orthogonal with respect to the keel and that may be called keel foils, for example, these foils advantageously enable the boat to sew in its axis even when the boat is listing, and thereby to increase its speed by establishing a smaller submerged volume. Moreover, the sailing boat advantageously has floats making it possible to balance the boat when it is stopped or moving at slow speed. Other features and advantages of the invention will be established in the following description, with reference to the attached drawings which are provided solely by way of example and not of limitation. Figures 1 through 13 illustrate various embodiments of the stabilizing device of a boat according to the invention. 5 Figures 1 through 3c illustrate a first embodiment. Figure 1 shows a lateral view of a boat equipped with a stabilizing device in an inoperative position. Figure 2 illustrates the stabilizing device in an operative position, in a view similar to that in Figure 1. 'O Figure 3a shows a transverse cross-section along BB of the stabilizing device in an inoperative position. Figures 3b and 3c show two different operative positions of the device, in views similar to those in Figure 3a. Figures 4 through 7b illustrate a second embodiment and a variant where the mobile 25 stabilizing element is constituted by pivoting longitudinal foils. Figure 4 shows a lateral view of the boat and its device. Figures 5a and 5b show, in a transverse cross-section along BB, the second embodiment of the device in its inoperative position and its operative position, respectively. Figure 6 shows a lateral view of a variant, in an inoperative position. 30 Figures 7a and 7b show a transverse cross-section along BB of said variant embodiment of the device, in an inoperative position and an operative position, respectively.
P18776.SO1 4 PCT/FR98/01388 Figures 8 through 9b illustrate a variant of the second embodiment which constitutes the preferred embodiment of the stabilizing device. Figure 8 shows, in a perspective, this preferred embodiment of the stabilizing device. Figures 9a, 9b show in cross-section along AA the inoperative position of the pivoting 5 foils and two different operative positions, respectively. Figures 10a through 13 show a third embodiment and its variants. Figure 10a shows a transverse cross-section along CC of an embodiment of the device in an inoperative position. Figure 10b shows the preferred variant of the third embodiment in an inoperative position, in a view similar to that of Figure 10a. Figure 11 a shows a schematic lateral view of this preferred variant in several positions. Figure 1 lb shows a variant of the third embodiment, in a view similar to that of Figure 11 a, where the pivoting axes are offset. Figure 12 shows a transverse cross-section along CC of another variant of the third 5 embodiment. Figure 13 shows a transverse section along line CC of a boat equipped with lateral flotation elements and a combination of different embodiments of the device. The stabilizing device designated by the general reference (1) is adapted to be arranged on sailing boats (2), such as recreational sailing boats or competition sailing boats, but it may 'l also be used on smaller sailing boats such as dinghies, for example. This device comprises stabilizing means constituted by at least one mobile stabilizing element (4) arranged on the keel of the sailing boat (2). In the case of dinghies, the centerboard may be equipped with such a device in order to improve their stability. Each of the mobile stabilizing element(s) (OM) is provided with at least one bearing 5 surface (SP) adapted to be arranged in the direction (F) of the hydraulic flow caused by the boat displacement in the water, in order to use this flow to create lift, the resultant of which makes it possible to prevent or to reduce the list of the boat. According to the invention, the mobile stabilizing element (OM) is adapted to be arranged on the keel (3) of the boat (2) movable relative to the latter between an inoperative position (A) 0 where its bearing surface (SP) is retracted with respect to the hydraulic flow (F) caused by the boat displacement, thus allowing the boat (2) to incline under the pressure exerted by the wind P18776.S01 5 PCT/FR98/01388 in its sails (6a, 6b), and at least one operative position (BI, B2) where its bearing surface (SP) is arranged in the direction (F) of the hydraulic flow so that it sustains the lift of the water. According to the invention, the mobile stabilizing element(s) (OM) is (are) controlled by control means (MC) adapted to permit its (their) passage from an inoperative position toward an 5 operative position and vice versa. According to the different embodiments of the invention, said passage advantageously takes place by pivoting of the bearing surface(s) (SP) about a pivoting axis (8, 8a, 8b, 8c), under the impulse of the control means (MC). The pivoting axis or axes (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) may advantageously be situated in the longitudinal plane of general symmetry (P) of the boat (2) corresponding to the plane of the keel (3), or in planes orthogonal to said plane (P) and essentially horizontal, so that in their respective inoperative positions, the bearing surface(s) (SP) is (are) situated in a plane parallel to the direction of the hydraulic flow and so that, after pivoting, said surface(s) is (are) positioned so that they are no longer situated in a plane parallel to the direction of said flow and therefore cutting said flow. According to a first embodiment of the stabilizing device (1) according to the invention, 5 illustrated in Figures 1 through 3c, the stabilization means are constituted by a single mobile element (OM). This element, when in an inoperative position (A), forms a lower extension (4) of the keel (3), as illustrated in Figure 3a, and may pivot about an essentially vertical axis (XX') contained in the longitudinal plane (P) of general symmetry of the boat (2) as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lower extension of the keel (4) is thus mobile in pivoting with respect to the longitudinal plane (P) and thus with respect to the keel (3) so that it may form a non-zero angle a with said plane (P) when it is in one of its operative positions (B1, B2), as shown in Figures 3b and 3c. The device (1) also comprises means for blocking the mobile element in position so that said element may be held rigidly in the desired operative or inoperative position. According to this first embodiment, the mobile element (OM) has, in a transverse plane, 5 a tapered profile identical to that of the keel (3) so that it may form an extension thereof. Thus, its two side walls (5a, 5b) extend the side walls (3a, 3b) of the keel (3) when it is in an inoperative position. Said side walls (5a, 5b) connect the leading edge (7a) to the trailing edge (7b) of the mobile stabilizing element (OM). Their profile is very slightly rounded which may be considered as being parallel to the plane (P) and therefore also parallel to the direction (F) of 0 the hydraulic flow when they are in an inoperative position. Thus, the flow of the water is parallel to said walls in a known manner, and along the keel, when the mobile element is in inoperative P18776.SOI 6 PCT/FR98/01388 position. When it is pivoted, the mobile element (OM) presents one of its side walls (5a, 5b) in the direction of the hydraulic flow with an incidence that makes it possible to obtain lift on said side wall (5a, 5b) which thus constitutes its bearing surface (SP). The lift, due to the flow around the mobile stabilizing element (OM) caused by the displacement of the boat, causes the 5 appearance of a restoring movement that tends to diminish the listing effect of the boat (2), i.e., to bring the keel (3) or the plane (P) linked with it into a vertical plane of the Galilean reference associated with the water area. According to this first embodiment, the control means (MC) may be constituted by a mechanical device of a known type, the mobile element (OM) being carried by an essentially 'a vertical pivoting axis (8) situated in the plane (P), the pivoting of which may be obtained and managed by a motorized manual control system. However, according to an improvement, the control means (MC) may be constituted by a computerized control unit making it possible to take into account the various physical parameters relating to the environment and to the displacement of the boat, such as the angle of list of the boat, its speed, the agitation of the sea, and wind 5 strength, for example, in order to be able to determine the angle of orientation Oa between the bearing surface (SP) of the mobile stabilizing element (OM) and the plane (P) of the keel by maximally optimizing the trade off between the angle of list and speed. The mobile stabilizing element (OM) may comprise, on its side walls (5a, b) that are adapted to form the bearing surface (SP), pressure sensors adapted to measure the lift obtained due to the fluid. Thus, the control unit may also take this lift value into account in modifying or not modifying the inclination a of the bearing surface of the mobile element. According to a second embodiment of the stabilizing device (1) illustrated in Figures 4, 5a, and 5b, the stabilizing means are formed by a mobile element (OM), such as a pivoting foil (9) arranged in the central part of the keel (3). The pivoting foil (9) is articulated in a pivoting Z5 manner about an axis (8) arranged essentially in accordance with the vertical axis (XX') of the plane (P). Advantageously, it is rectangular in its longitudinal section in accordance with the plane (P) and is articulated around a mean perpendicular of said rectangle. The foil (9) is thus arranged in an identical rectangular orifice (11) extending between the side walls (3a, 3b) of the keel (3) and located in the central part thereof.
P18776.SOI 7 PCT/FR98/01388 According to this second embodiment, the mobile foil (9), when pivoted, presents one of its side walls (9a, 9b) in the direction (F) of the hydraulic flow so as to obtain, by modifying the flow, a lift adapted to create restoring moment tending to right the boat. According to a variant of this second embodiment, the stabilizing means comprise several 5 pivoting foils each constituting a mobile stabilizing element (OM). Thus, according to the variant illustrated in Figures 6, 7a, and 7b, the device comprises three pivoting foils (10a, l0b, l0c) articulated according to axes (8a, 8b, 8c) parallel between them and essentially vertical. Said foils are rectangular and identical, and each pivot according to one of their mean perpendiculars, which is arranged in an essentially vertical manner. They are arranged in each other's extension U. when in an inoperative position, and entirely fill an orifice (11) of the type described in the second embodiment, in such a way as to integrate perfectly into the keel (3). According to this variant, the pivoting of these foils about their respective axes (8a, 8b, 8c), which is adapted to present one of the side walls (21a, 21b) in the direction (F) of the hydraulic flow, takes place simultaneously due to control means, such as a mechanical device, 5 for example, adapted to manage the pivot angle of each of the mobile foils (10a, 10b, 10c). It is evident that the angle given to each of the foils in an operative position may be identical but it may also be different as a function of the position of the foil near or remote from the leading edge of the keel. Moreover, the pivoting of the foils may also be managed by control means in a non simultaneous manner, thereby allowing only one of said foils (1Oa, 1Ob, 1Oc) to pivot when that ') is sufficient for righting the boat (2). According to this second embodiment and its variants having several pivoting foils, the control means may also comprise a computerized unit allowing for the different sailing parameters relating specifically to the boat, its operation, or its environment, as well as pressure sensors, to be taken into consideration, so as to calculate the angle or angles of the mobile 25 stabilizing element(s) (OM) for the optimum operative position of the stabilizing device. Said control means are of a known type permitting continuous adjustment of the angle of inclination of the bearing surfaces, thereby providing for them an unlimited number of possible operative positions; however, adjustment may also be of the step-by-step type, such that the mobile stabilizing element may assume only a determined number of different positions, without 30 exceeding the scope of protection of the invention.
P18776.SOI 8 PCT/FR98/01388 According to a variant of this second embodiment which is one of the preferred embodiments of the stabilizing device, the mobile stabilizing elements are formed by two pivoting foils (1Oa, 1Ob) arranged in an orifice or a window (11) located in the central part of the keel (3). These foils are articulated around two respective pivoting axes (8a, 8b) that are 5 essentially vertical and contained in the longitudinal plane of symmetry (P) of the boat (2). These foils are arranged in the window (11) at the same height each in the other's extension so as to close the window when they are in an inoperative position. In this manner, the device comprises a fore foil (1Oa) situated to the fore of the window (11) and advantageously articulated according to an axis (8a) situated essentially alongside the front edge (11 a) of said window and an aft foil situated abaft and articulated according to an axis (8b) arranged alongside the aft of said window as shown in Figures 8, 9a, and 9b. According to this preferred embodiment of the stabilizing device, the two foils (1Oa, 1Ob) are adapted to pivot in the same direction of rotation when they move toward an operative position so that they pivot on either side of the longitudinal plane of symmetry (P) with which 5 they form an advantageously identical angle P as shown in Figures 9a and 9b, the fore and aft foils (1Oa, 1Ob) being thereby advantageously parallel. It is evident that the angle of each of the foils formed with the plane of symmetry (P) may be different in the same operative position, the foils as a result no longer being parallel, without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention. As shown in Figures 9b and 9c, each of the foils may pivot in the two directions of 0 rotation, in order to orient itself on one side or the other with respect to the plane of symmetry (P), as a function of the direction in which the boat is listing. According to this preferred embodiment, the length of the fore foil (10a) is different from the length of the aft foil (10b) Its length may advantageously be less than the latter as shown in Figures 9a through 9b, however these lengths may be identical, or the length of the fore foil may 5 be greater than the aft foil, without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention. It is important to note that the positioning of the pivoting axes (8a, 8b) at the fore and aft ends, respectively, of the fore foil (10a) and aft foil (10b) allows, during the positioning of the foils in an operative position, for the hydraulic flow (F) to be diverted by opposing a side wall of each of said foils thereto, thus creating the restoring moment adapted to compensate for the listing of 0 the boat (2). The hydraulic flow is then deflected so that it crosses through the keel (3) of the boat P18776.S01 9 PCT/FR98/01388 (2) through the orifice or window (11) that the pivoting of the foils (10a, 10b) made it possible to open. According to a variant of this second embodiment of the stabilizing device (not illustrated), the mobile stabilizing elements may be formed by lateral foils arranged 5 symmetrically around the keel, but which are no longer situated in an orifice of said keel. These foils are thus arranged against the side walls thereof in an inoperative position, then pivot toward their operative position by forming a non zero angle open to the aft with the side walls of said keel. According to a third embodiment and its variants illustrated in Figures 10a through 13, the mobile stabilizing elements (OM) are formed by at least two pivoting foils (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d), which can more commonly be called "foils," said foils (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) being arranged symmetrically on either side of the keel (3) so as to extend from its side walls (3a, 3b) toward the exterior of the boat (2) in planes (Q1, Q2, H, HI, H2) secant with the longitudinal plane of symmetry (P) and parallel to the direction (F) of the hydraulic flow. In their inoperative position, 5 said pivoting foils (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) present their respective leading edges (13) in the hydraulic flow, and the flow occurs along their lower and upper walls (14a, 14b) advantageously situated in planes parallel to the direction of the hydraulic flow (F). According to the preferred variant of the third embodiment, the two pivoting foils (12a, 12b) are tapered and may, in their inoperative position, be arranged in a plane (H) that is 0 orthogonal to the plane (P) of the keel, as shown in Figure lOb. However, according to a variant of this -third embodiment, they may also be arranged respectively in two slightly inclined planes (Q1, Q2) each forming, in a transverse plane as illustrated in Figure 10a, an angle a with said plane (H) without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention. The pivoting foils (12a, 12b) are mounted, respectively, so that they pivot about transverse axes (16) arranged at the front 5 end of said foils advantageously along their respective leading edges (13). According to this third embodiment, the control means are constituted by a mechanical device of a known type, adapted to position the pivoting foils (12a, 12b) in one of their operative positions (B 1, B2), illustrated schematically by dotted lines in Figure 11 a, by causing them to pivot about their respective axis (16) and by blocking them in a predetermined position by 0 blocking means, said mechanical system being capable of being controlled by a computerized control unit in an automatic manner, for example, or by a manual device. Said foils may be P18776.S01 10 PCT/FR98/01388 articulated according to axes arranged in the central zone of said flaps, as shown in a variant illustrated in Figure 11 b, for example, or along their trailing edges (15), without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention. Similarly, as shown in Figure 12, the stabilizing device may comprise several pivoting foils (12a, 12b, 12c, 12d) on the same side wall (3a, 3b) of the keel (3) 5 and be coupled with another mobile stabilizing element (OM), such as a lower extension of the keel (4) of the type described above. Moreover, according to a variant illustrated in Figure 13, where the device has a combination of mobile stabilizing elements, such as those described in the different embodiments above, the stabilizing means comprise lateral flotation elements (17a, 17b) also adapted to reduce the list of the boat, specifically at slow speed or when stopped. Said lateral elements are advantageously constituted by two floats (17a, 17b) that are mobile between an operative position where they are positioned laterally in contact with the water, and an inoperative position, where they are no longer in contact with the water. According to the preferred embodiment, the floats (17a, 17b) are mounted on articulated 5 arms (1 8a, 18b) so as to enable them to move from the operative position toward the inoperative position and vice versa. Said arms are articulated longitudinally around two parallel longitudinal axes (19a, 19b) and blocking means are provided in order to hold the arms and the floats in a predetermined position, either operative (B) or inoperative (A) as illustrated in Figure 13. Moreover, an elastic restoring device may be provided so that, in an operative position, the arm '0 float assembly is not blocked rigidly in position, but may have a degree of limited freedom in its articulation around its axis, while also having a restoring couple tending to bring said assembly back into its operative position. It is evident that the floats may be positioned due to equivalent systems without exceeding the scope of protection claimed for the invention. Moreover, said positioning of the floats may be controlled by complementary control means linked to the control 25 means regulating the positioning of the mobile element. Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and represented by way of example, but also comprises all equivalent techniques and combinations thereof.