EP0703139B1 - Multiple hull watercraft - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the present invention is a navigating structure multihulls, with variable operating mode.

In the maritime field, we know many types of structures seafarers each dedicated to an operating mode, also in function distances to cross.

The scope of this application is of more interest especially medium and short distances.

This is how there are boats for transporting passengers, more specifically ferries, barges for the transport of bulk materials, coasters with tray for container transport or bulky pieces, and more rarely mixed sets.

Such boats have specific capacities which cannot be modulated according to needs.

As it turns out, users commonly face this disparity of needs over time.

Indeed, if we take a ferry to perform rotations passenger rapids between a continent and an island, for example, you can understand that passenger traffic is higher during the tourist season and that the raw material needs, so of freight, are more important during the rest of the year.

Similarly, on shorter cycles, provision can be made for day or weekends and different use at night or during the week.

When this type of boat is chartered from a company, the user can obviously express his needs and, depending on the periods, rent different types of boats but the contracts will be different with necessarily higher prices.

The user, for example a local authority, can also plan investment, but for it to be profitable, you must either buy two types of boats, either to make the boat work with a bad compromise between the needs and possibilities of the boat.

No solution seems satisfactory especially that the periods and the needs are generally much the same for users of a given region.

It is also necessary to take into account the legislation of the field which are very restrictive, taking into account the environment on which fleets are evolving.

This legislation is all the more restrictive since it involves passengers.

Apart from the requirements for sufficient mechanical strength of the structure under given circumstances, which is a basic obligation for certification, it is in particular advisable to plan all the outcomes of rescue necessary to allow the evacuation of passengers, a partitioning of the engine room to separate it from the compartments passengers for obvious fire safety reasons as well an access for the cabin crew to the different rooms without there have an obligation to go through one to reach the other.

In addition, even if certain constraints are not legally imposed, it must nevertheless be subscribed to improve the comfort of passengers.

This is particularly the case for sanitary facilities and ventilation.

There are also needs common to all these boats: speed displacement, low consumption, therefore the overall aerodynamics as well as good behavior at sea.

We know boats for the transport of passengers which include generally two shells surmounted by a cell arranged to receive passengers, to form a motorized catamaran.

The cell is an integral part of the structure and participates in resistance mechanics of the whole, in its own right.

The motorization is of the turbine and hydro-jet type so as not to increase the draft and the drag and also for safety.

Such boats have high travel speeds but they do not have only a very limited freight capacity.

We also know by the publication of an article in the magazine MOTORSHIP vol.52 N ° 614, Sept 1971 LONDON page 279-280 a "Sea Sulky "which is a navigation structure including a submerged base comprising variable and motorized floating pontoons on which a removable floating platform can be attached with its load, said platform ensuring the rigidity of the whole, once linked to the base.

The variable buoyancy of the base allows you to push it down so that it goes under the floating platform and bring it up for lift said platform once it is linked to the base.

Variable buoyancy also allows you to vary the height above of the water level as a function of the speed and the state of the sea.

We also know a French patent application FR-A-2,594,405 which describes a catamaran whose length is variable by adding or removing complete hull sections, along the longitudinal axis of the catamaran.

This can only be done during construction, depending on the order from a customer, from a common basic frame prow and stern. There is no possibility to vary the applications of such catamaran which is designed either for passenger transport or for transport merchandise.

The aim of the present invention is to propose a navigating structure multihulls which allows to modulate the useful space according to the needs, this very quickly, which can also be mixed, which is aerodynamic, which has all the necessary security guarantees, which is stable, including the compartment where the engine and service compartments remain accessible cabin crew regardless of passenger compartments or more generally of the load and which makes it possible in particular to use hydro-jet type engines.

The hydro-jet type motorization can be replaced, depending on the usual navigation conditions of the sailing structure, by a shaft and propeller type motorization as on most boats, but advantageously under certain conditions, by a surface propeller or cavitating.

It should be noted in a relevant way that the fact of including the motorization and the fuel reserves in the hulls improves the safety of passengers in the event of fire since they are completely isolated from the hulls, the shelter in the modular elements as will be described later. The comfort is also increased by suppressing the majority of noise and vibrations propagated from hulls.

To this end, according to the invention, the multihull sailing structure, in particular a catamaran, comprises a floating base comprising hulls, means for securing these hulls, a motorization arranged in at least one of the hulls, fluid and supply networks electric as well as a cockpit, and is characterized in that it includes a support platform secured to the floating base and provided to removably receive at least one modular element suitable for type of transport to perform.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the modular elements are cells for the transport of passengers, equipped with at least seats.

In addition, the cells include connection means automatic with fluid and electrical power supply networks of the platform.

There are also means of communication between the cells, allowing access from one of the cells to the adjacent cell and access to outside.

According to an alternative embodiment, for another use, the modular elements are free-load containers.

In the main embodiment, the shells are connected by at minus three arms forming the support of the platform.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the shells have a small width compared to their length so as to give them a large finesse.

In order to obtain the desired shapes, the entire structure is made of composite material and / or light alloy.

According to a particular arrangement, the useful part of the platform includes at least part of its free surface for receiving freight or for be equipped with removable seats.

In addition, to improve aerodynamics, compactness and to facilitate the means of access to the platform and to the modular elements, stairs are integrated in the hull connecting means.

• la figure 1 représente une vue en élévation latérale de la structure navigante selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente une vue en élévation latérale avec coupe partielle au niveau des coques,
• la figure 3 représente une vue de dessus de l'une des coques,
• la figure 4 représente une vue de face de la structure de la figure 1,
• la figure 5 représente une vue en coupe transversale faisant apparaítre l'aménagement intérieur, et
• la figure 6 représente une vue de dessus avec coupe partielle faisant apparaítre l'aménagement intérieur.

The present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a particular, non-limiting embodiment of the navigation structure of the invention, drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 represents a side elevation view of the sailing structure according to the invention,
• FIG. 2 represents a side elevation view with partial section at the level of the shells,
• FIG. 3 represents a top view of one of the hulls,
• FIG. 4 represents a front view of the structure of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 5 represents a cross-sectional view showing the interior arrangement, and
• Figure 6 shows a top view with partial section showing the interior layout.

In Figure 1, a navigational structure with 8 modules has been shown.

This structure comprises a floating base 10 comprising two shells 12, means 14 for securing these two shells, a motorization 16, fluid and electrical supply networks 18, more visible detail in FIG. 2, and a cockpit 20.

This structure further comprises a support platform 22 integral with the floating base as well as modular elements 24, fixed from removably on said platform.

The mechanical strength of the floating base including the platform is calculated to be self-supporting but also to support a given load additional.

In Figure 2, there is shown the motorization and more particularly one of the two motors 26, housed in one of the shells 12, which supplies a water turbine 28.

In known manner, a complementary rudder 30 ensures the directional deviations and a back-thrust member 32 makes it possible to reverse the direction of thrust in order to make possible navigation in reverse.

In the hull, the fuel 34 and water 36 tanks are connected respectively to motors and modular elements, by lines schematically represented in 38 and 40.

The generator 42 supplies electrical energy to all of the structure by a main link shown diagrammatically at 44.

The means for securing the two shells comprise arms 46, divided into three points for security reasons. We can thus distinguish three arms, front, middle and back. Two of these arms are sufficient to ensure the mechanical strength of the assembly, but standards require that the resistance of the structure in the event of breakage of one of the arms, so that the best solution is to add the third arm, as in the mode shown.

The support platform 22 is initially empty in order to be able to have different types of loads.

In the embodiment shown, the platform is applied to the passenger transport and for this purpose the modular elements 24 each include two rows 48 of seats 50, toilets 52 and storage boxes 54.

Modular elements can communicate with each other through doors 56 but also with the outside, to the right of the arms 46, which constitutes as many isolation or, on the contrary, safety means to facilitate the evacuation of passengers.

The personnel can also circulate outside the modules or at inside these modules.

Advantageously, stairs 58 are provided directly in the arms.

The cockpit 20 includes the known positions on board a boat like the pilot console 60 itself and the chart table 62.

A very panoramic position ensures excellent visibility for the pilot.

The cockpit is an intrinsic part of the floating structure and has no removability character.

A relaxation area 64 is permanently arranged between the post steering 20 and platform 22.

On the rear deck and on the edges of the floats, it is planned to have all emergency equipment such as 66 survival containers and an emergency or safety inflatable boat 68.

The elements are equipped with mechanical connection means to automatic locking as for containers with free load, standard dimensions.

It is useful to provide quick automatic couplings for connections electrical and fluids. Such fittings are well known and should be suitable for this particular application.

The ventilation of such elements or better the air conditioning is integrated, autonomous and independent.

Note also the fact that the internal atmospheres in the hulls and the modular elements are separated, which increases security, especially in case of fire.

In addition, the modular elements act as a barrier to the propagation of vibrations and noises emitted by the engine inside hulls.

The seals must be provided at the right of the doors, by bellows or by any other simple means because the space between two elements is very reduced, which limits the mechanical resistance required.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the aerodynamics of the structure, made possible by an integration of the different elements and a great compactness.

The fineness of the hulls, in the embodiment shown, allows limit drag and increase performance while maintaining high stability for passengers when the elements are modules for such transport but stability is also highly appreciated for transport of containers with free load.

Such a structure can also be equipped with all kinds accessories and containers can be replaced with tanks or open tanks for the transport of bulk materials.

We note the adaptability of such a means of transport, the profitability is improved by a very high utilization rate.

Indeed, the changes of modular elements are easily carried out since the connections are automatic.

We can therefore consider a day use for an application passengers for example and cargo use at night to transport fillers such as building materials.

Another mixed use likely to interest operators is present by dividing the support platform into two spaces, one equipped modular elements for the transport of passengers and the other free in order to receive freight but also, as a replacement, fixed passenger seats removable way on this space.

In this case, a bimini top can be installed on a structure adequate. Likewise, the necessary safety equipment is provided according to the legislation in force and, in any event, the presence of a guardrail peripheral is essential.

Claims (10)

1. Multihull transportation seagoing structure, notably a catamaran, comprising a floating base (10) having hulls (12), means (14) for connecting these hulls together, a drive (16) disposed in at least one of the hulls, fluid and electrical power supply systems (18) as well as a control station (20) mounted fixed on the said structure, characterised in that it comprises a support platform (22), secured to the floating base (10) and designed to receive, removably, at least one modular element (24) adapted to the type of transportation to be effected.
2. Seagoing structure according to Claim 1, characterised in that the modular elements (24) are cells for transporting passengers, equipped at least with seats.
3. Seagoing structure according to Claim 2, characterised in that the cells (24) comprise means of automatic connection with the fluid and electrical energy supply systems of the platform.
4. Seagoing structure according to Claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the cells comprise means (56) of communication between the cells, allowing access from one cell to the adjacent cell and access to outside.
5. Seagoing structure according to Claim 1, characterised in that the modular elements (24) are free-load containers.
6. Seagoing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hulls are connected by at least three arms (46) forming a support for the platform (22).
7. Seagoing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the hulls (12) have a width which is small compared with their length so as to give them great sharpness.
8. Seagoing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the means of access to the platform and to the modular elements comprise steps (58) integrated into the means of connecting the hulls.
9. Seagoing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the useful part of the platform comprises at least part of its free surface designed to receive freight or to be equipped with removal seats.
10. Seagoing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the whole of the structure is produced from composite material and/or a light alloy.

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