Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H1/00—Propulsive elements directly acting on water
  • B63H1/30—Propulsive elements directly acting on water of non-rotary type
  • B63H1/36—Propulsive elements directly acting on water of non-rotary type swinging sideways, e.g. fishtail type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H16/00—Marine propulsion by muscle power
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H16/00—Marine propulsion by muscle power
  • B63H16/08—Other apparatus for converting muscle power into propulsive effort
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H16/00—Marine propulsion by muscle power
  • B63H2016/005—Marine propulsion by muscle power used on vessels dynamically supported, or lifted out of the water by hydrofoils

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a muscular propulsion boat comprising flotation and propulsion means having at least two blades. These blades can be in one piece or in some cases in two symmetrical parts but connected by the same axis which makes them so united that we consider them as a single blade although in two parts.
• this invention relates to a muscular propulsion boat comprising flotation and propulsion means having at least two rigid blades relative to the forces to which they are intended to be subjected, characterized in that the front edges of these blades are articulated along respective axes transverse to the axis of propulsion of the boat, which are spaced from each other along said axis of propulsion, on either side of the center of gravity of the boat, each of these blades extending symmetrically to said axis of propulsion, abutment means being intended to limit the angle of freedom of each blade around its axis of articulation and in that the volume of water capable of being displaced by immersion of said flotation means is chosen to correspond to 1 to 2 times, preferably 1.2 to 1.5 times the total loaded weight of the boat, so as to allow its passenger to print at the emb arcation a sinusoidal immersion / emersion movement by pitching the latter and thereby making the blades work in phase opposition between said stops, these flotation means having bearing surfaces for the feet distributed around the center of
• the advantage of this boat comes from two elements which, in combination, allow to considerably improve the propulsion efficiency.
• One of these elements is the use of rigid blades articulated freely between two stops which is a simple and effective system
• the other is the use of flotation means which allow, following the movement of pitch communicated to the boat to give it a sinusoidal immersion / emersion movement. Thanks to this movement the two blades located on either side of the center of gravity of the boat work in phase opposition, but produce forces directed alternately upwards and downwards which each have a component in the direction of propulsion.
• the sinusoid can have a large amplitude so that the dead times during which the phase reversal occurs of the blades which rock from one stop to the other represent only a small proportion of the total propulsion movement.
• this blade tilting phase does not constitute a loss of efficiency because the vertical force directed downwards or upwards is exerted at this moment empty (it only takes a slope part of the force to cause the tilting itself). Not encountering resistance, the speed of movement increases and when arriving at the stop at higher speed, the force is restored.
• each user can adjust the buoyancy of their boat according to their weight and muscular strength, which makes it possible to obtain sinusoidal immersion / emersion movements of greater or lesser amplitude.
• FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the first embodiment.
• FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FG.1 according to section AA '.
• FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the boat carrying a passenger.
• FIGURES 4a to 4d are side elevational views of this boat showing four phases of the sinusoidal immersion movement.
• FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the second embodiment.
• FIGURE 6 is a sectional view along V-V of Figure 5.
• FIGURES 7a and 7b are elevation views of the boat carrying a passenger, in the two support phases.
• FIGURES 8a to 8d are four elevation views of the FIG boat. 5 showing the different phases of the sinusoidal movement.
• FIGURE 9 is a view of a third embodiment.
• FIGURE 10 is a sectional view along VI-VI of FIG. 9.
• FIGURES 11a to 11d are four elevation views of the FIG boat. 9 showing the different phases of the sinusoidal movement.
• FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate a boat comprising a central buoyancy body 1 to which two blades 2 and 3 are hinged by their respective front edges. These blades extend transversely and are located respectively in front of and behind the center of gravity of the boat.
• FIGURE 2 we have located the axes of the front and rear blades on the central longitudinal axis of the float but these axes can be outside this alignment, in particular lowered so that the blades remain well submerged during work for r avoid cavit ation phenomena
• the buoyancy body contains a free volume 4 which can be accessed by a shutter 5, making it possible to adjust the buoyancy coefficient of the boat by means of an appropriate ballast, for example water.
• the ballast is preferably formed by a liquid phase, a solid phase divided into particles, preferably in the form of beads or a mixture of the two. This allows it to fulfill two functions.
• One used to adjust the buoyancy of the boat, the other thanks to the mobility of the ballast allowing, by accompanying the oscillating movement of the boat, to amplify this movement and thus to reduce muscular effort or increase its yield by moving freely in free volume 4, as a flyweight would do.
• its shape and volume can be studied with a view to optimizing the amplifying effect of the ballast. This is how this shape and this volume can be studied with a view to creating zones capable of controlling the flow of the liquid or of the beads or of their mixture inside the volume in order to maximize the effect.
• the mass of the ballast in motion on the propulsion of the boat.
• the mass of the ballast can be adjusted according to the desired behavior of the boat. It can be weighed down for long distances by reducing muscular effort. It can be lightened to make the boat more manageable.
• the blades have a density close to that of water so that being submerged they do not go up or down by their own fact.
• the front blade 2 has a cutout 7 whose front edge 7a serves as an axis and is engaged in a groove 6 formed towards the front of the float and whose rear edge 7b can be formed by an attached rod engaged in an opening 8 in arc.
• Two stops 9a and 9b constituted for example by adjustable screws serve to limit the angle of freedom of the blade 2. Any other arrangement aimed at producing the same effect can be envisaged, in particular the elimination of the arm 7b and of the opening 8.
• the stops can then be constituted by lateral projections formed on the float.
• the groove 6 may be a hole.
• the rear blade 3 is articulated between two preferably adjustable stops 10a and 10b secured to the central buoyancy body 1.
• Spring blades for these blades, ngides and pivoting as before, the stops are replaced by return springs or elastic blocks, either wound around the articulation axis, or directly connecting the blades to the float. Such blades, honzontales at rest, pivot under the vertical forces Ff. Fr. by compressing the springs and taking approximately the same propulsive positions as they previously took on the stops. During the next phase the springs restore part of the stored force.
• Semi rigid rigid blades These blades have elasticity to transverse pressure and flexibility increasing from front to back. These blades can be made of a reinforcing fiber - polymer material composite, the fabric layers of which decrease from front to back, but also of any elastic material having a decreasing profile and a suitable modulus of elasticity. Such blades can be pivoted between two stops or fixed, their front axis no longer pivoting and their progressive elasticity profile being calculated so that the rear part takes a correct propulsive inclination during vertical thrusts Ff. Fr.
• the buoyancy coefficient of the boat is adjusted between 1 and 2, that is to say so that the volume of water moves is between 1 and 2 times the total weight of the boat. preferably between 1.2 and 1.5 times depending on the muscular strength of the user and the desired amplitude of the dive.
• FIGURE 4a shows the boat in an apogee position of its sinusoidal movement, where the positions of the blades 2 and 3 are reversed, the blade 2 tilting in the direction of the arrow F1 and the blade 3 in the direction of the arrow F2. This is the top dead time of the sinusoidal movement.
• FIGURE 4b shows the sinusoidal downward immersion movement, with the blades 2 and 3 in high and low stops respectively. Each produces a force perpendicular to its plane with a component in the direction of propulsion. This component is all the greater the greater the angle made by the blade with the direction of propulsion.
• FIGURE 4c shows the perigee of the sinusoidal movement at the moment when the blade 2 rocks in a clockwise direction towards the bottom stop while the rear blade has already tilted into the top stop and is exerting its thrust. It can therefore be seen that the dead moments of the two blades do not completely coincide so that the boat receives almost constantly a propelling force.
• FIGURE 4d shows the boat in the ascending phase of the sinusoidal movement where the two blades 2 and 3, working in phase opposition, generate two propulsive forces which add up.
• the sinusoidal movement of the boat is generated by applying, alternately releasing the weight of the passenger's body at the locations of the arrows Ff. and Fr. who are sometimes dinging down or up depending on whether the passenger weighs with all his weight on a point and pushes it or else by pressing alternately on the other point the first goes up under the effect of the Archimede thrust and rocking game due to the fact that the buoyancy is greater than 1 and preferably 1.2.
• the passenger can hold onto a rope 11 fixed to the front of the boat.
• the turning radius of the boat depends on the angle of movement of the foot (s).
• the rear blade 3 is brought out more or less from the water, so that it no longer stabilizes the direction of the boat which allows a rotation practically on the spot and on the desired angle.
• the position of the axis of oscillation 6 of the front blade 2 is of great importance.
• the second embodiment of the boat according to FIGURES 5 to 8 differs essentially from the previous one in that the flotation element is essentially constituted by the blades themselves 12 and 13, the element which connects them 14 carrying the transverse joints 15 and 16 of the two blades 12 and 13. As in the previous embodiment, two stops 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b serve to limit the amplitude of movement of the blades 12 and 13.
• these stops can be replaced by return spring systems whose force is calculated so that the blades 12 and 13 take approximately the same propulsive inclination as they took on the stops during the vertical thrusts Ff. and Fr.
• a ballast is also provided in each blade to adjust the buoyancy of the boat to the weight of the passenger.
• the propulsion itself is provided exactly according to the same principle as in the case of the first embodiment as can be seen with the aid of FIGURES 8a to 8d which do not require additional explanations.
• FIGURES 9, 10, 11 comprises a sort of floating mat consisting of four floating elements 20, 21, 22, 23 articulated to each other with limited degrees of freedom with respect to each other
• FIGURES 11a to 11 d show the different phases of the sinusoidal movement with the resulting propulsion forces.
• the float may have for a passenger of 60/70 kg, about 1.8 m in length, 50 cm wide at the mast, 28 cm maximum thickness for a volume d '' about 100 liters Front blade area about 0.50 m 2 Rear blade area about 0.25 m 2 .
• the bearing face of the feet on the surface of the float will be designed to allow their angular displacement in order to steer and propel the boat as previously explained.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)
• Cleaning Or Clearing Of The Surface Of Open Water (AREA)
• Preparation Of Compounds By Using Micro-Organisms (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 1994
  • 1994-12-05 WO PCT/FR1994/001412 patent/WO1995015882A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1994-12-05 US US08/500,947 patent/US5816871A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-12-05 CA CA002182174A patent/CA2182174A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-12-05 EP EP95902829A patent/EP0701519A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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