FR3078680A1 - PROPULSION SYSTEM, ASSEMBLY AND CORRESPONDING FASTENING METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a propulsion system (100) comprising a propulsion device (2) comprising an electric motor and an impeller drivable by the engine; a wing system (1); a mast (4) carrying the propulsion device (2) and a support (3) to which the mast (4) is coupled. Said support (3) comprising a housing (10) adapted to receive an electric battery (300) for supplying the motor, and an electronic control unit (301) for controlling the motor. A removable fastening system is configured to fix said support (3) to a board (9) and to disassemble the support (3) relative to the board (9). The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a board (9) and such a system (100) of propulsion, and a corresponding fixing method.

Description

The present invention relates generally to propulsion systems for boards and boards provided with such systems.

PRIOR ART

There are known from the state of the art devices which comprise a board provided with an electric propulsion system to form a hydrofoil type device.

However, such devices have a large size which makes their transport tedious.

The object of the present invention is to propose a new device and corresponding method making it possible to overcome all or part of the problems set out above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the invention relates to a propulsion system comprising:

- a propulsion device comprising an electric motor and a propeller driven by the motor;

- a wing system (s);

- a mast on which the propulsion device is mounted;

- A support to which the mast is coupled, said support comprising a housing capable of receiving an electric battery to power the engine, and an electronic control unit to control the engine;

- A removable fixing system configured to allow said support to be fixed to a board and to dismantle this support relative to the board.

Such a propulsion system design allows, thanks to the support which forms a technical volume, to accommodate in particular the battery and the electric control system in the support. The removable fixing means make it possible to fix said propulsion system to the board in an adaptable, removable, removable and transportable manner. The user can thus obtain a hydrofoil type device (also called hydrofoil in English) with electric propulsion, possibly by choosing the board to which he wishes to attach the propulsion system.

The electronic part being housed in the support, and not in the board, the propulsion system can be mounted on different types of board.

It is thus possible to fix the propulsion system according to the invention, temporarily to a board. In particular, according to certain embodiments, it is possible to mount this propulsion system on a board not initially provided for this purpose, that is to say on a board which originally was not intended to receive a hydrofoil type propulsion system.

The handling of the assembly formed by the board and the propulsion system is easy, since the user can disassemble the propulsion system with respect to the board and transport them easily with a reduced bulk, compared to the known machines of the state of the art comprising a board provided with an electric propulsion system inseparable from the board.

The system may also include one or more of the following characteristics taken from any technically admissible combination.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the removable fastening system comprises straps and strap passages made through the support.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the support comprises strap locking devices, activatable deactivable, formed in said support, said support having access openings to these locking devices formed on the side of the support at which extends the mast.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the removable fixing system comprises screws and screw passages formed through the support.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the housing is accessible by a hatch positioned on the side of the support opposite the mast.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the housing is accessible by a hatch positioned on the side of the mat.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the support has a front portion whose face intended to come into contact with the board is substantially planar and whose opposite face is curved.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the system comprises a sealed electrical connection arranged to allow the electronic control unit to be connected and disconnected relative to the engine, by means of cable (s) passing through the mast.

The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a board, for example a surfboard, windsurf board, rigid or inflatable paddle board, and a propulsion system as described above.

Said assembly may also include one or more of the following characteristics taken from any technically admissible combination.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the board is provided with inserts having tapped holes in which are capable of coming to take screws.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said inserts which have threaded orifices are provided on the side of the underside of the board.

The invention also relates to a method of fixing a propulsion system to a board as described above, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps:

- placement of a battery in the support housing;

- Application of the underside of the board against the face of the support opposite the mast;

- fixing the support to the board using the removable fixing system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and not limiting and should be read with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a propulsion system according to an embodiment of the invention and a board to which the propulsion system is adapted to be fixed;

- Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of the board and the propulsion system of Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is a side view of the board and the propulsion system of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The concept of the invention is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the concept of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of the elements may be exaggerated for the sake of clarity. Similar numbers refer to similar elements in all of the drawings. For the sake of clarity, elements, such as screws, screw passages, screw hole, straps, strap passages, which are present several times on the same figure, are not necessarily all referenced. However, this concept of the invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set out here. Instead, these embodiments are offered so that this description is complete, and communicates the scope of the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. The embodiments which follow are examined, for the sake of simplification, in relation to the terminology and structure of a propulsion device and of a hydrofoil type machine.

A reference throughout the specification to "an embodiment" means that a particular functionality, structure, or feature described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" at various locations throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, the particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

Referring to the figures, there is shown a propulsion system 100 which comprises a propulsion device 2. The propulsion device 2 comprises an electric motor and a propeller coupled to the motor. The propulsion system 100 is intended to be removably attached to a board 9. Said board may be a Surf, Windsurf, Rigid or inflatable Paddle board.

The propulsion system also includes a wing system (s). The propulsion device 2 and the wing system (s) are mounted on a mast. The wing system (s) includes one or more wings. In the example illustrated in the figures, the wing system (s) comprises a front wing 1 and a rear wing T spaced apart along a connecting bar. The connecting bar is fixed to the free end of the mast and extends perpendicular to the mast 4 and parallel to the axis of advance, that is to say parallel to the axis of the propeller or even parallel to the longitudinal axis of the board.

The wings 1.1 ′ are intended to be immersed in the fixed state of the support 3 to the board and in the configuration of use of the machine corresponding to the assembly.

The wing system is configured to, when the propulsion device 100 is fixed to a board 9 and, from a certain speed of the board 9, generate lift and thus allow the board 9 to be in planed position, that is to say away from the surface of the water.

The propulsion system 100 also includes a support 3 to which the mast 4 is coupled. The propulsion device 2 is located between the support 3 and the set of wings 1, Γ.

The mast 4 is coupled to the support 3 via an insert system 5. Provision may be made for the mast 4 to be removable with respect to the support 3. The insert system 5 which makes it possible to fix the mast 4 to the support 3 can be adapted for this purpose.

Said support 3 comprises a housing 10 capable of receiving an electric battery 300 for supplying the motor, and an electronic control unit 301 for controlling the motor.

The housing 10 of the support 3 makes it possible to benefit from a technical volume. The support 3 can also house a cooling system and a circuit breaker.

A radio or wired control lever is provided for controlling the engine via the electronic control unit 301 which, in the case of a radio control, is fitted with a radio receiver.

The housing 10 is accessible by a hatch 11. In the example illustrated in the figures, the hatch is positioned on the side of the support opposite the mast 4. The hatch 11 is thus masked by the board in the fixed state of the support to the board . According to a variant embodiment not shown, provision can be made for the hatch to be positioned on the side of the mast 4 to allow easier replacement of the battery without having to uninstall the support 3 from the board 9.

The support 3 has a front portion whose face intended to come into contact with the board 9 is substantially planar and whose opposite face is curved. The forward portion has a concave profile to provide a hydrodynamic profile, much like the bow of a boat.

The system includes a sealed electrical connection 13 arranged to allow the battery 300 and the electronic control unit 301 to be connected and disconnected relative to the engine, by means of cable (s) 12 passing through the mast 4. Such an electrical connection Waterproof 13 dissociates the support from the assembly carried by the mast to make these parts of the propulsion device removable and benefit from an assembly even more easily transportable.

A removable fixing system is configured to allow said support 3 to be fixed to a board 9 and to dismantle this support 3 relative to the board 9.

The removable fixing system thus makes it possible to remove the propulsion system 100 from the board 9. In particular, as detailed below, assembly / disassembly can be carried out with a tool, for example in the case of a mode embodiment using screws 7, and without tools for example in the case of an embodiment using straps 6.

In the fixed state of the support 3 to the board 9, the assembly forms a hydrofoil-type device.

According to one embodiment, the removable fixing system comprises straps 6 and strap passages 36 made through the support 3.

Each strap passage 36 has an axis orthogonal to the axis of the mast 4 and to the axis of the propeller. Advantageously, two passages are distributed over the rear half of the support 3, on either side of the axis of the mast, and another passage is provided on the side of the front half of the support 3.

The support 3 comprises locking devices 361 for the strap, which can be activated and deactivated, formed in said support 3, for example ratchet or tensioner devices.

Such devices allow compression support to said board, by enclosing the board, each strap going around the board.

As a variant, it can be provided that the board (Surf, Windsurf, Rigid or inflatable Paddle) is provided with fasteners on which the straps can be taken up.

Said support 3 has openings 360 for access to these locking devices 361 formed on the side of the support 3 at which the mast 4 extends.

According to one embodiment, which may or may not be taken in combination with the embodiment using straps, the removable fastening system comprises screws 7 and screw passages 37 made through the support 3.

According to a particular aspect, and as illustrated in the figures, the board 9 is provided with inserts having threaded orifices 8 in which are capable of coming into contact with screws 7. Said inserts which have threaded orifices 8, preferably blind, are formed on the side of the underside of the board 9. In the example illustrated in the figures, said tapped orifices 8 are located at the rear half of the board 9.

The propulsion system 100 can thus be fixed to a board 9 in the following manner. The battery 300 is introduced into the housing 10 of the support 3, by connecting it to the control unit 301 which is connected to the motor.

The face of the support 3 opposite the mast 4 is applied against the underside of the board. The support 3 is then fixed to the board 9 using the removable fixing system.

The fixing can be done by inserting the straps 6 through the support strap passages, passing them around the board, and tightening and blocking the straps in position by the locking systems 361, cooperating with the straps. The straps can be removed by disabling the locking systems.

The fixing can also be carried out, alternatively or combined with the straps, by inserting the screws 7 through the through holes 37 of the support 3 and into the threaded holes 8 formed in the board 9 with which the screws 7 engage. .

The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

In addition, the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps. In addition, features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the embodiments set out above can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments set out above.

Claims (12)

1. Propulsion system (100) comprising: -a propulsion device (2) comprising an electric motor and a propeller driven by the motor; - a wing system (s) (1); - a mast (4) on which the propulsion device (2) is mounted; - a support (3) to which the mast (4) is coupled, said support (3) comprising a housing (10) capable of receiving an electric battery (300) to supply the motor, and an electronic control unit (301) to control the engine the VS; sudpoh î3î prèsesï i-'i O:: v. · ΐΟΟΠβΘΑ RR fp & t * 44 (luî OS M t M? s M ^, -y - a removable fixing system configured to allow. this T.3) opposite 9) to fix said support (3) to support (3) relative to the board (9). 'CÇ' • 'i c ”' · '•' i c” '· MC MC oe the board (9) and dismantle it 2. System (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the removable fixing system comprises straps (6) and strap passages (36) formed through the support (3). 3. System (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the support (3) comprises locking devices (361) of strap, activatable deactivated, formed in said support (3), said support (3) having openings (360) for access to these locking devices (361) formed on the side of the support (3) at which the mast (4) extends. 4. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the removable fixing system comprises screws (7) and screw passages (37) formed through the support (3). 5. System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10) is accessible by a hatch (11) positioned on the side of the support opposite the mast (4). 6. System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10) is accessible by a hatch positioned on the mat side (4). 7. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support (3) has a front portion whose face intended to come into contact with the board (9) is substantially planar and whose opposite face is curve. 8. System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system comprises a sealed electrical connection (13) arranged to allow connection and disconnection of the electronic control unit (301) relative to the engine, by the intermediate cable (s) (12) passing through the mast (4). 9. An assembly comprising a board (9), for example a surfboard, windsurf board, rigid or inflatable paddle board, and a propulsion system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. The assembly of claim 9, characterized in that the board (9) is provided with inserts having orifices (8) threaded in which are adapted to come to take screws (7). 11. The assembly of claim 10, characterized in that said inserts which have threaded holes (8) are formed on the side of the underside of the board (9). 12. Method for fixing to a board (9) a propulsion system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - placement of a battery (300) in the housing (10) of the support (3); - Application of the underside of the board (9) against the face of the support (3) opposite the mast (4); - fixing the support (3) to the board (9) using the removable fixing system.