FR2776964A1 - Vehicle for use on land and under water - Google Patents

Abstract

The vehicle has an external body form in the shape of an ovoid (1) and carries two propellers (15 and 16) to provide underwater propulsion. It is fitted with mobile hydroplanes (21,22,23,24), a rudder (20) and a movable periscope (25). The four wheels (2, 3, 4, 5) can be retracted into the interior of the body, when the vehicle is underwater to reduce hydrodynamic drag. A single door (38) is fitted.

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle for land mixed use

or submarine.

  This vehicle is by design designed to carry people

  people and goods in an underwater environment then in a terrestrial environment or vice versa.

  It is composed of a bodywork (1) of ovoid shape like the illu-

Figure 1.

  The four retractable wheels (2), (3), (4) and (5) drive and di-

  rectrices allow it to evolve in terrestrial environment on roads or

  various terrains in so-called all terrain use.

  By design, it is capable of diving in an underwater environment via beaches or river access ramps, in all waterways and seas, without the need for setting up gear.

  flow or lift, Figure 2 shows the vehicle in the diving phase.

  This vehicle can be driven manually by its driver (6) or the various functions that manage its mobility can be ensured

  by a remote-controlled on-board computer.

  This vehicle is fully autonomous, from its first contact with water the driver or the on-board computer controls the folding of the

four wheels.

  The wheels (2), (3), (4) and (5) integral with the arms (7), (8), (9) and (10) pivot around the axes (11), (12), (13) and (14) as illustrated by

  figure 3, then they slide towards the inside of the bodywork

  vant axes (11), (12), (13) and (14) as illustrated in Figure 4.

  Its behavior in the underwater environment is ensured by various equi-

  pements: two propellers (15) and (16) controlled by the transmission shafts

  mission (17) and (18) and the engine (s) (19) ensure its propulsion in forward or reverse, the rudder (20) controlled by the driver

  or the on-board computer, four fins (21), (22), (23) and (24)

  dice manually or by the on-board computer provide guidance from bottom to top, such as plunging or rising to the surface, the figures

  1, 4, 11, 12 illustrate this equipment.

  In underwater use this vehicle is provided with a removable periscope (25), Figure 6 shows it in the deployed position, Figure 1 shows it

in the folded position.

  In land use, the four deployed wheels are fitted with

  pensions via the arms (7), (8), (9) and (10) which are articulated

  slow around axes (11), (12), (13) and (14) as illustrated in Figure 7.

  The four-wheel drive can be controlled by sprockets and toothed shafts, belts or transmission chains housed at - 2 -

  the inside of the arms (7), (8), (9) and (10) which are therefore watertight.

  One or more thermal or electric motors (19) provides the training: four-wheel drive via the transmission shafts (30), (31) and (32) this or these same motors can also provide the training of the propellers (15) and (16) as shown in the

figure 4.

  This type of propulsion and transmission as well as the motorization are not treated in detail, they are of current type and do

  not the subject of a particular description, nor a specific claim.

  The four wheels are steered, articulated according to pivots (33), (34), (35) and (36), their control is ensured by means of cables or shafts and gears or pins and toothed pinions housed inside arms (7), (8), (9) and (10), the operation can be controlled

  manually by the driver or by the on-board computer.

  With the aim of reducing the width of the vehicle, the choice of the four steered wheels makes it possible to reduce the offset of the wheel with respect to

  the bodywork (1): this same vehicle fitted with only two di-

  straighteners for an identical turning radius, impose a larger angle of inclination of the wheel than in the four-wheel steering solution which allows the pivot (33) and the wheel to be brought closer

  as close to the body as possible as shown in Figure 4.

  The external volume is calculated so as to ensure its mobility and its evolution in a terrestrial environment and to provide it with a use comparable to that of a motor vehicle of current dimensions and

  to guarantee access to existing road networks.

  The resulting interior useful volume is calculated to accommodate four people with their luggage or their military equipment if

  this is a version known as for military use as illustrated in the figures

res 4, 7 and 11.

  This useful interior volume is particularly studied in order to introduce another motorized two-wheeled vehicle called a motorcycle (37) which in military use would be equipped with various specific weaponry materials.

  according to the interventions and missions requested.

  Figures 4, 8, and 9 illustrate this, they show

  the motorcycle installed in the vehicle.

  To guarantee the passage of the motorcycle inside the vehicle it is equipped with a wide and unique access door allowing also

  accessibility for people.

  Figure 10 shows the loading of the motorcycle into the vehicle (1)

  the access door (38) in the open position.

  Different water tanks or ballasts very large in volume

  depending on their filling rate, the vehicle is balanced

  in underwater use, they empty as soon as the vehicle comes out of the water so as to lighten it as much as possible to allow it to roll without difficulty on various soils. Ballasts (26), (27), (28) and (29) are made of plastic

  flexible, they can be folded when emptied so as to guarantee

  better access and better circulation inside the vehicle

  cule, Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 show the ballasts filled

of water.

- 4 -

Claims (3)

  1) Vehicle for mixed use, land and underwater, characterized   by its ovoid-shaped outer body (1) which has two helicopters   these (15) and (16) to ensure its propulsion in the underwater environment as well as movable fins (21), (22), (23) and (24), a rudder (20) and a removable periscope ( 25).   2) Vehicle according to claim 1 characterized in that it com-   carries four wheels (2), (3), (4) and (5) drive, steer, and retract-   tables inside the body for underwater use, it has a single door (38) sized to guarantee access to a   motorcycle-type two-wheeled vehicle (37).   3) Vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims   characterized in that it includes ballasts (26), (27), (28) and (29) in   flexible plastic foldable when empty of water.