EP0824445B1 - Embarcation de plaisance - Google Patents

Embarcation de plaisance Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0824445B1
EP0824445B1 EP96919657A EP96919657A EP0824445B1 EP 0824445 B1 EP0824445 B1 EP 0824445B1 EP 96919657 A EP96919657 A EP 96919657A EP 96919657 A EP96919657 A EP 96919657A EP 0824445 B1 EP0824445 B1 EP 0824445B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
craft
craft according
arms
flotation
frame
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP96919657A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP0824445A1 (fr
Inventor
Pietro Terzi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of EP0824445A1 publication Critical patent/EP0824445A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63BSHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B1/00Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils
    • B63B1/02Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement
    • B63B1/10Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls
    • B63B1/12Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly
    • B63B1/125Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly comprising more than two hulls

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a pleasure craft, i.e. to floating craft generally used for the purposes of sport or leisure, such as sailing dinghies, light multihulls and windsurfing boards.
  • a problem of known pleasure craft is that they require some skill and physical fitness from their user.
  • known dinghies, multihulls and sailboards are subject to capsizing, even under medium or light wind conditions, if the crew is not skilled enough.
  • multihulls these crafts are also subject to cart wheeling, i.e. to capsize forward, thus posing a safety problem.
  • EP-A-0004796 discloses a multi-hull craft having one bow hull and two, parallel, stern hulls connected by a frame.
  • the hulls, that are inflatable, are provided with fins to control direction of the craft and the bow hull is acting as the rudder, being movable for steerage of the craft.
  • the hulls can be removed and road wheels can be mounted at their place: the frame structure of the craft reflects its being substantially designed as a "land yacht" having the same motion on solid ground as in the water and results in a poor behaviour of the craft in water.
  • the bow hull is positioned transversal to the forward direction of the craft, thus generating a resistance to said forward movement.
  • the present invention aims to solve the above problems by providing a pleasure boat that is very stable and safe, that is easy to sail, from a seated position, in view of the reduced effort, physical ability and technique required, and that at the same time is able to reach high speeds and to glide easily.
  • a further aim of the invention is to provide a boat that is easily dismantled and transported on a car.
  • the craft according to the invention is in the form of a sailboat and comprises a mast, mainsail and (if necessary) a jib mounted on a frame which also supports the crew.
  • the frame comprises three arms joined to each other at one end by a common joint and having a means of flotation at their free ends, which gives the structure of the craft flexibility characteristics similar to a leaf-spring.
  • the means of flotation are inflatable elements which are attached to the free ends of the arms by means of a support with rigid coupling.
  • the craft according to the present invention offers a number of advantages over boats known at present.
  • the springiness of the frame and the presence of inflatable means of floatation result in a damping effect of the stresses to which the craft is subject.
  • the floating means and the frame flex elastically to absorb the ripples of small waves, thus dissipating the impact energy of the waves (heaving motion - vertical oscillation) and enabling the craft to go faster and be more stable while ensuring increased comfort for the crew.
  • the craft according to the present invention always keeps a stable and substantially flat position. In this way, the craft is more stable and the crew can devote more time to the sailing manoeuvres.
  • a further advantage is that the craft is easily assembled and dismantled and, once dismantled, can be easily transported, e.g. on the roof of a car.
  • the use of inflatable floating means is particularly useful to this purpose.
  • Another advantage is the reduced cost of the craft, which can be made from materials already known in the nautical field and these materials do not call for specialized or expensive construction techniques.
  • the craft 1 does not have a traditional hull to house the crew, and comprises a frame 2 formed of tubular elements on which are mounted three or more means of floatation 6, a means of propulsion of the craft (e.g. the sail 4 or a motorized form of propulsion), a means of controlling the direction of the craft (rudder 17 and keel 14) and a means of housing the crew and passenger(s).
  • a means of propulsion of the craft e.g. the sail 4 or a motorized form of propulsion
  • rudder 17 and keel 14 a means of controlling the direction of the craft
  • the craft of the invention is driven by sail and the figures show embodiments of this type.
  • the craft of the drawings comprises a mast 3 with a mainsail 4 and boom 5 mounted on the frame 2 to which are attached the floats 6.
  • the frame 2 comprises four arms 7 - 10, interconnected by a common cross element or joint 11 to which the mast 3 is attached.
  • the arms are made of a material that is suitable for nautical use: such materials are known in the art and comprise the various aluminium-based alloys used for the construction of masts.
  • Arms 7-9 are provided at their ends with floating means 6 and arm 10 is provided with means to support the crew.
  • Arms 7-9 flex elastically i.e. they react jointly as a leaf-spring which reacts to bending-torsional stress, absorbing the stresses to which the craft is subject in use, in particular in rough seas, so as to maintain the craft in a substantially flat position.
  • the arms 7-10 are inserted into corresponding housings of the common element 11 and are kept into place by any suitable means.
  • such means comprises a plurality of tension wires.
  • three tension wires 26-28 are connecting (see fig. 2) to each other arms 7-9 in a plane. Further tension wires are provided under the cross element 11. Namely, a rod 31 is vertically mounted on the lower face of element 11 and from its end tension wire 22 (a double wire, as shown in fig. 6) is extending to both lateral sides of arm 7 and is fixed thereto in correspondence of the area where shrouds and forestay are fixed. Similarly, wire 25 extends to arm 8 and a corresponding wire 25' (not shown) extends from rod 31 to arm 9.
  • Shrouds made of three wires, 23, 24 and 30, are provided on each side of the craft, wire 30 being attached to mast 3 and wires 23 and 24 being connected to wire 30 and to arms 7 and 8, respectively.
  • the same arrangement is provided on the other side of the craft to connect arm 9 also. The main task of these arrangements is to give enough room to boom 5 to swing.
  • Arms 7-10 and cross element 11 are also provided with means to torsionally block them, i.e. to avoid rotation of the arms within their seats in element 11.
  • Such blocking means are preferably formed by keys such as those shown with reference 32 in figures 3 and 4. It should be noticed that the use of tension wires and keys to block longitudinally and torsionally arms 7-10 with respect to common cross element 11 provides an easy to assemble structure and avoids localization of stresses on a single point of the elastic arms.
  • the means of flotation are attached to the ends of the arms 7 - 9 and are shorter in length than the frame, unlike those of a catamaran; in fact, their sole function is flotation and they are physically and functionally distinct from the means of directional control of the craft, 14 and 17 or 17', unlike crafts known to the art, where the hull coincides with the means of flotation and also has a more or less directional function.
  • the means of flotation 6 are so shaped that their cross-section perpendicular with respect to the centreline of the craft is circular, elliptical or lenticular.
  • centreline is meant the projection on the horizontal plane of the arm 7 and its corresponding arm 10.
  • the preferred shape of the float is a boat, torpedo or airship form: in particular, the shape could be defined geometrically as two ogives joined at their greater base with the front ogive slightly elongated. However, other forms, such as ellipsoids, can also be used.
  • the rear arms 8 and 9 (rear with respect to the normal direction of movement of the craft indicated by the arrow F) are angled with respect to arm 7 while arm 10 is substantially coaxial with arm 7.
  • the angles between the various arms may be expressed by referring to the projection of arm 8 on the plane of vertical symmetry (i.e. the plane in which arms 7 and 10 and the mast 3 lie).
  • the preferred but not limiting angle ( ⁇ ) between the projection of arm 8 and the axis of arm 10 (fig.1) is in the order of 15°.
  • the angle ⁇ between arms 7 and 8 in projection onto the horizontal plane is preferably 138°.
  • the angle between the arms 7 and 9 is equal to angle ⁇ .
  • the arm 10 is in line with the bisector of the angle between arms 8 and 9.
  • Frame 2 thus has a substantially "Y" shape.
  • floats 6 are mounted on the ends of arms 7-9 in this embodiment, while the means of housing 12 - comprising a frame structure supporting a pair of seats 13 (figs. 3 and 4) - for the crew is mounted on the arm 10 behind the mast 3, along the centreline of the craft.
  • the means of housing 12 is thus in a fixed position with respect to the frame 2 and symmetrical with the centreline of the craft, which runs through the coaxial arms 7 and 10.
  • the directional control of the craft is via one rudder 17 in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, 2 and 6.
  • the rudder is mounted centrally on a tubular element 20, connecting the two rear arms 8 and 9, and is actuated by a tiller 15 and a pushrod 16 in a way known per se in the art.
  • Two tension wires 29 are connecting the rudder area of tube 20 to arms 8 and 9 against flexion.
  • Tubular element 20 also acts as means to improve rigidity of the structure and to distribute loads between arms 8 and 9.
  • Fig. 7 shows a preferred embodiment wherein there are provided two rudders 17' mounted on tubular element 20, actuated by a tiller 15 and pushrod 16'.
  • Beside rudders 17 or 17', directional means comprises a fin keel 14 fitted in the area of joint 11.
  • a single rudder is mounted on the arm 7 of the frame 2 forward of the keel 14.
  • Rudders 17 or 17' and keel 14 are tiltable and are easily operated by the crew from their seats.
  • the floating means 6 are attached to the ends of the arms 7, 8 and 9.
  • These floats are of the inflatable type, made of a material such as that normally used for inflatable dinghies, preferably provided with one or more air chambers fitted with inflation valves 18.
  • Rigid elements ribs or stiffeners
  • the embodiments shown in the drawings are provided with internal rigid elements on the prow of the floatation means 6 to give the prow end a flat blade shape, with a double bend, longitudinally to float 6.
  • the attachment means connecting the arms 7-9 to the floating means 6 comprises a union 19 and an extended portion, or palpebra, 21, that are made in a single piece.
  • Suitable materials are reinforced plastic, e.g. fiber glass reinforced plastic, that are substantially rigid. Namely, rigidity of these materials is intermediate between rigidity of the floats 6 and rigidity of the material of arms 7-9. Thus stresses are transmitted from floats to the arms through elements having increasing rigidity.
  • Portion 21 extends troughout the upper side of inflatable float 6 to stiffen it and distribute the load; as shown, portion 21 extends more to the prow than to the stern of the float 6 and is sealed to it in a way known per se in the art.
  • the size of the float is such that the weight of water displaced by the completely submerged float is about 1.5 times the weight of the fully loaded craft (i.e. of the craft and the crew).

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Automatic Cycles, And Cycles In General (AREA)
  • Vehicle Waterproofing, Decoration, And Sanitation Devices (AREA)
  • Glass Compositions (AREA)
  • Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
  • Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Diaphragms For Electromechanical Transducers (AREA)
  • Catalysts (AREA)
  • Developing Agents For Electrophotography (AREA)

Claims (14)

  1. Embarcation (1), comprenant des moyens de commande de direction (14,17,17'), trois éléments de flottaison (6) ou plus montés sur une ossature (2) qui supporte des moyens de propulsion (4), et des moyens (12) de logement de l'équipage, lesdits éléments de flottaison étant sensiblement circulaires, elliptiques ou lenticulaires en section transversale par rapport à l'axe central de l'embarcation, caractérisée en ce que ladite ossature (2) comprend trois bras (7-9) ou plus , interconnectés par un élément commun et pourvus desdits éléments de flottaison (6), et en ce que lesdits moyens de commande de direction sont physiquement et fonctionnellement séparés desdits éléments de flottaison et comprennent une dérive (14) placée sur ladite ossature (2).
  2. Embarcation selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle lesdits éléments de flottaison (6) sont constitués par des éléments gonflables.
  3. Embarcation selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans laquelle lesdits éléments de flottaison (6) ont une forme de coque à avant relevé et arrière abaissé, comportant deux extrémités en ogive reliées à l'endroit de leur plus grande base, l'ogive avant étant plus allongée.
  4. Embarcation selon les revendications 1 à 3, dans laquelle lesdits éléments de flottaison (6) comportent des éléments sensiblement rigides (19,21) pour les fixer de façon démontable à ladite ossature (2).
  5. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle ladite ossature (2) est au moins en partie élastiquement flexible et elle réagit élastiquement dans son ensemble comme un ressort à lame.
  6. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, comprenant en outre des moyens (22,25-28, 32-34) pour bloquer longitudinalement et en torsion les dits bras (7-9) sur ledit élément commun (11) et lesdits éléments de flottaison (6) sur lesdits bras (7-9).
  7. Embarcation selon la revendication 6, dans laquelle lesdits moyens de blocage comprennent des câbles de tension (22,25-28,33) et des clavettes (32,34).
  8. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes, comprenant en outre un mât (3) et une voile (4) placés sur ledit élément commun.
  9. Embarcation selon la revendication 8, comprenant des moyens de logement de l'équipage (12,13), montés derrière ledit mât (3) et le long de l'axe central de l'embarcation.
  10. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle lesdits moyens de commande de direction comprennent deux gouvernails arrière (17').
  11. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications 1 à 10, comprenant trois bras (7-9) qui supportent lesdits éléments de flottaison (6) et un bras arrière (10) qui supporte les moyens de logement de l'équipage (12,13).
  12. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications 11, comprenant en outre un élément tubulaire (20) reliant deux desdits bras (8,9) qui supportent les dits éléments de flottaison (6).
  13. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle des nervures ou des éléments rigides sont prévus à l'intérieur desdits éléments de flottaison (6).
  14. Embarcation selon une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans laquelle ledit aileron (14) est situé dans la région dudit élément commun (11).
EP96919657A 1995-05-05 1996-05-03 Embarcation de plaisance Expired - Lifetime EP0824445B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITMI950915 1995-05-05
ITMI950915A IT1274442B (it) 1995-05-05 1995-05-05 Imbarcazione da diporto
PCT/EP1996/001839 WO1996034792A1 (fr) 1995-05-05 1996-05-03 Embarcation de plaisance

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0824445A1 EP0824445A1 (fr) 1998-02-25
EP0824445B1 true EP0824445B1 (fr) 2000-01-26

Family

ID=11371544

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96919657A Expired - Lifetime EP0824445B1 (fr) 1995-05-05 1996-05-03 Embarcation de plaisance

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0824445B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE189165T1 (fr)
AU (1) AU5812896A (fr)
DE (1) DE69606399T2 (fr)
IT (1) IT1274442B (fr)
WO (1) WO1996034792A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1179619A (fr) * 1957-07-19 1959-05-27 Engin nautique à flotteurs
US3691976A (en) * 1970-11-16 1972-09-19 Donald J M Wilson Sailing craft
DE2508377A1 (de) * 1975-02-26 1976-09-09 Gerret Paulmann Ein- oder mehrrumpfsegelboot
DE2541401A1 (de) * 1975-09-17 1977-03-31 Hrdlicka Alois Dipl Ing Wasserfahrzeug
US4294184A (en) * 1978-04-11 1981-10-13 Bernd Heinrich Multi-hull steering system
DE9402044U1 (de) * 1994-02-08 1994-03-31 Kronseder, Josef, 84137 Vilsbiburg Wassersportfahrzeug

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE189165T1 (de) 2000-02-15
EP0824445A1 (fr) 1998-02-25
ITMI950915A0 (it) 1995-05-05
ITMI950915A1 (it) 1996-11-05
AU5812896A (en) 1996-11-21
DE69606399T2 (de) 2000-12-28
WO1996034792A1 (fr) 1996-11-07
DE69606399D1 (de) 2000-03-02
IT1274442B (it) 1997-07-17

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