NZ231490A

NZ231490A - Multi-compartment inflatable sail

Info

Publication number: NZ231490A
Application number: NZ231490A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Sylvain Berthomme
Original assignee: Voile Systeme
Priority date: 1988-11-24
Filing date: 1989-11-22
Publication date: 1992-01-29
Also published as: EP0445217A1; WO1990005661A1; AU4669989A

Description

Patents Form No. 5 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION SAIL STRUCTURE HAVING INFLATABLE COMPARTMENTS AND DEVICE FOR HANDLING THE SAIL STRUCTURE ON A BOAT PROVIDED WITH A MAST ^(/WE, VOILE SYSTEME, A French Company, of Rue de la Desiree, La Ville en Bois, 17000 La Rochelle, FRANCE hereby declare the invention, for which y^/We pray that a patent may be granted to ntj^/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: t\\ - 1 - Ifas «" (followed by page la) 1 1 MAY 1990*) \\ A ,'/ E 5 231490 -1a- SAIL STRUCTURE HAVING INFLATABLE COMPARTMENTS AND DEVICE FOR HANDLING THE SAIL STRUCTURE ON A BOAT PROVIDED WITH A MAST The present invention relates to a sail structure for a boat and a device for handling the sail on a boat provided with a mast.

Sailing boats of known type usually employ sails guided either by the mast or by rope systems between certain parts of the boat and the mast. Adjustable shoot ropes enable these sails to be hauled in to a variable extent and oriented. Another type of sail, is also employed, termed a spinnaker when navigating under certain special conditions. This very hollow sail receives the wind in a direction substantially perpendicular to its vertical median line. It is usually fixed to the boat at three points, the first in the upper part in the vertical median plane and the other two on each side of this median plane at the lower ends of the sail. This sail is very difficult to handle since the inflation is delicate and 1 r its orientation must be maintained perfectly perpendicular to the wind, otherwise the sail suddenly deflates, which requires many frequent adjustments. Such a sail can only be employed for certain special sailing conditions, termed fair wind conditions, during which the wind blows from the rear toward the front of the boat.

Boat sails are known from the French patent application No. 2,564,618 with a self-aligning wind-receiving plane,-■automatic incidence, the angle of incidence remaining <(A> '^3£P/ (followed by Page 2) * 231490 constant relative to the axis of its displacement with respect to the wind" irrespective of the variations in the displacement of the . wind. In this case it concerns a riyid N sail such as an aircraft-wing mounted to be pivotable about 5 the mast.

The British patent application no. 2,151,199 discloses a gas-tight sail inflated by the introduction of a volume of air at constant pressure and having a symmetrical profile or hollow in the known triangular shape and fixed to a boom. TO The profile of the sail is modified by variation of the internal pressure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sail structure which is self-orientable relative to the wind, requires no adjustment in accordance with the force of the 15 wind, and is easy to employ on boats of known type.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a sail structure suitable for use in propelling a boat provided with a mast, comprising a sail formed of juxtaposed inflatable compartments each having an air inlet and being interconnected along lateral sides thereof, said sail being slideable proximate its leading edge along a guide extending from an upper to a lower point of attachment, said sail being hoistable towards the upper point of attachment by point a hoisting rope passing through a purchaser-means proximate the upper point of attachment, the incidence of the sail'being VqV- o \ self-orientable relative to the wind. Furthermore, cVaccordiny to another feature, the leading edge of the sail *Z 5N0VI99I / N-fr* „ O J o o 231490 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mast. According to a further feature, the sail structure includes a halyard issuing from the upper end of the mast and fastened to one of the lateral ends of the sail, and an adjustable rope fastened to the other lateral end.

According to a particular feature of the invention, the sail structure further comprises a trailing edge raised from the windward.surface to the leeward surface.

The sail of the structure according to the invention is symmetrical so as to permit fcha pivoting at 180° of the sail relative to the horizontal median plane perpendicular to the leading edge by inverting the fixing points of the halyard and the adjustable rope.

Such a sail structure presents problems of handling when it is desired to hoist or lower the sail structure and more particularly when it is desired to lower it partly for inflatable reefing the sail. These fchjLek sail structures, as all sails of known type, comprise two fastening points at their two ends, fastened to the upper and lower compartments, the lower point being adapted to be fastened to the hull of the boat, while the upper point is fastened to the end of the inflatable _ mast halyard. When it is desired to hoist this thick sail, it is sufficient to exert a pull on the mast halyard .to cause the sail to rise.

As opposed to conventional sails, during this handling, it is essential to arrange that the openings of the ^ /A compartments are presented in a direction facing the windy \ 3°5£p/s>sr '' 4 J 23|tf9o 4 and in the open condition so as to permit the inflation of the compartments. Now, if a pull is exerted in the upper part of the sail on the end compartment by means of the halyard, the weiyht of the sail itself exerts a downward pull which has a tendency to pinch the opening and prevent the inflation of the compartments. Moreover, in the case where the sail is completely hoisted, a gust of wind may create a large hollow in a region of the sail which results in a pull at the two fixing points on the mast halyard and on the boat, which ayain produces a pinching of the compartments and possibly a partial deflation of the latter. Such a deflation has an adverse effect on the stiffness of the sail and its correct operation.

The invention therefore also seeks objoot to overcome these drawbacks and .proposes a handling device for this inflatable thiok-sail which permits reefing without deflation of the compartments and the adjustment of the hollow of the sail, which avoids any flappiny of the ropes outside the sail, whose inflation is facilitated duriny the hoisting and lowering operations and which limits the dray which might be detrimental to the effect of the wind on the sail.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a handling device for an inflatable sail structure having inflatable compartments separated by ribs, including a mast, guide and hoisting rope, wherein the guide is longer than the height of the sail and provided at each end 1 a 231490 purchase point pulloy means, the hoisting rope passing through one or more aperture in each rib and being fed through each of the purchase means point a to form a continuous loop, said hoisting rope being fastened to the upper end compartment of said sail to allow raising or lowering of said sail along said guide.

According to another feature of the invention, the hoisting rope halyard also passes through the apertures in the ribs in a direction parallel to said guide.

According to another embodiment, the ribs each have two additional apertures for the passage of the hoisting rope in both directions.

According to another feature of the device, the purchase means, point a at the ends of the guide are eyes through which the hoisting rope slides.

Moreover, according to another feature of the invention, 2o each compartment comprises an inextensible element having a length less than the height of a compartment and fastened to the two ribs defining this compartment.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 25 Fig. 1 is a rear view of a boat sailing with the-'wind abeam and provided with a sail structure according to^.t£e*^^ (l -<• A invention, W U \L25N0Vl99ir Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the boat shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view of the boat sailing close hauled, Fig. 4 is a view of the boat sailing before the wind and provided with two sail structures according to the invention, Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a boat having a mast and equipped with the device for handling the sail structure according to the invention, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the handling device according to the invention, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view in a vertical plane parallel to the openings of the compartments.

Fig. 1 shows a boat 10 comprising a mast 12, a sail 14, a halyard 16 and an adjustable rope 18.

The boat 10 of the sailing boat type comprises a hull 20, a keel 22, and a deck 24. In the known manner, fastening points of the shrouds 26 of the mast 12 are provided on the deck 24. The halyard 16 is also adjustable in length from the deck 24.

The sail 14 comprises inflatable compartments 28 provided with air inlets 30 juxtaposed by their lateral sides so as to constitute a common wind-receiving surface. On the lateral sides of the lateral compartments, two fastening points 32 and 3 4 are provided for respectively fixing the halyard 16 and the adjustable rope 18. These fastening points 32 and 34 are disposed on the same li^s^-£--. /% * parallel to the leading edge and to the rear of the ^tter, m 231 nAo in the zone haviny the greatest effect of the wind, and are adjustable in position between the leadiny edye and the trailiny edye. The shape of the sail 14 is substantially rectanyular, the lenyth of the leadiny edye substantially 5 correspondiny to the heiyht of the mast.

The profile or section of the sail is special, since its trailing edge is raised frcm the windward surface to the leeward surface, as shown in more detail in Fiy. 2. This curvature of the trailiny edge is obtained by the cut-out shape of the (see numeral 138 in 10 lateral sides of the compartments or of the ribs^ Figure 6) Furthermore# the lenyth of the windward surface measured in the lonyitudinal direction of the compartments is greater than surface. the length of the leeward/ The profile of the sail renders it self-orientable relative to the apparent wind. The sail 15 is therefore oriented relative to the wind with a constant anyle. In Fiy. 2, the boat travels in the direction of arrow 36, while the wind arrives from the left side in the perpendicular direction indicated by the arrow 38, which corresponds to sailiny with the wind on the quarter. The 2o plane containing the adjustable rope 18 and the halyard 16 makes an anyle with the direction of the wind, this anyle being therefore a function of the profile of the sail, the propelliny force beiny exerted in the direction of arrow 40. Fiy. 3 shows the boat sailiny under different 25 conditions, termed close to the wind, i.e. when the direction of displacement 36 of the boat makes an acute . ^ ft anyle with the direction 38 of the wind. The propelling ^ ZZ\ 14-'\o force is then exerted in the direction of arrow 40, since the sail has a constant position relative to the direction of the wind. In the case of a wind blowiny on the riyht side of the boat, the sail must be brought onto the deck so as to cause it to pivot through 180° and this time connecting the halyard 16 to the fasteniny point 34, while the sheet rope 18 is connected to the fastening point 32.

The sail can in this way operate in a manner identical to that just described with the wind blowing on the other tack.

The inflation of the sail structure according to the invention is achieved simply by hoisting the sail by means of the halyard 16, the compartments then progressively inflate as they rise until the leading edge is substantially parallel to the mast. Depending on the force 15 of the wind and the inclination assumed by the mast, it is possible to adjust the sail by means of the adjustable rope 18 so that the leadiny edge remains substantially perpendicular to the direction of the wind. Such an adjustment permits optimizing the operation of the sail, 2o however it still remains possible for the latter to support large offsets of the orientation of the leading edge while continuing to operate.

In the case of a down wind, as shown in Fig. 4, the boat can be provided with two sail structures according to the one invention,An each side of its direction of displacement and arranged symmetrically relative to this direction. ^ ' 9s^>99, f v Variants may be provided for the sail 14. Thus, Z3l£1 o sail plane of rectanyular shape may assume a V shape, the fastening points 32 and 34 then being located at the ends of triangular the branches of the V, or a / shape. Likewise, in the region of the trailing edye, the compartments are closed, but it is possible to provide an air outlet whose section would be less than the air inlet section of the safety compartments. A/precaution of utility for this type of sail involves providing yratinys on the air inlets so as to prevent any entry of solid foreign bodies in said compartments.

Shown in Fig. 5 is a boat 110 with a hull 112 provided with a keel 114 and a mast 116. The mast 116 comprises in the known manner a mast halyard 118 for hoisting or lowering an inflatable the sails. The handling device 120 for Jtx thick- sail 122 is shown diayrammatically in this Fiy. 5.

The handling device 120 is shown in detail in Fiy. 6. This handling device comprises a guide 124 (in this case a length of rope) provided with an /upper eye 126 and a lower eye 128, a hoisting rope 130 arranged in a closed loop and having two side portions 131 and 133, the splice 132 of the ends of this hoisting"rope forming an eye inflatable 134. The/fehiek sail 122 comprises a plurality of juxtaposed compartments 136 which are separated by ribs 138. The profile of the illustrated sail is termed self-planing, i.e. self-orientable relative to the wind in the manner described hereinbefore. 231<100 of the sail. Each compartment comprises a front openiny 142, more preferably provided on the leadiny edye of the inflatable /thick sail. Each of the compartments 136 located at the is upper and lower ends of the sail are provided with a snap-shackle 144 and 146 which are more preferably fastened to the ribs 138.

Each of the ribs 138 has three apertures 148, 150 and 152 thxouyh which the side portions 131 and 133 of the hoisting rope 130 and the rope 124 extend.

The assembly is completed by two snap-shackles 154 and 156 adapted to fix the ends of the guide 124 to the hull 112 on one hand and to the mast halyard 118 on the other.

As shown in Fig. 7, the sail 122 is completed by an inextensible element 158 of the unidirectional fabric type disposed along the entire heiyht of the sail and fastened to each of the ribs. This element 158 has a lenyth equal to the lenyth of the cord which subtends the curved portion 160 windward surface of the intradcrs of each of the inflated compartments.

This handling device operates in the following manner: The eye 126 of the upper end of the guide 124 is fastened to the snap-shackle 156 of the mast halyard 118. This halyard is so operated as to hoist the guide 124 and put the latter under tension, the eye 128 in the lower part of the rope haviny been previously fastened to the snap-shackle 154 connected to the hull 112 of the boat. The sail 122 is therefore folded into a concertina shapfe along the rope 124 t the lower end of the latter. The lower snap-shackle 146 23mo 0^ connected to the lower compartment of the sail 122 is also fastened to the boat either directly in the snap-shackle 154, or by means of an additional ropiny as shown in Fiy. 6 so as to adjust the position of the inflated sail in heiyht.

The snap-shackle 144 connected to the upper end compartment of the sail 122 is fastened to che eye 134 provided on the hoisting rope.

By exertiny a pull in the direction of the arrow 162 on hoisting rope the side portion 131 of the/halyard 130, the user causes the 10 side portion 133 to move in the opposite direction. The eye 134 disposed on this portion 133 rises and pulls alony by means of the snap-shackle 144 the first compartment of the sail 122. When the first compartment 136 is inflated, the inextensible element 158 between the two first ribs of the 15 first compartment is put under tension. The part of the inextensible element 158 of the second compartment is then pulled upon until it is also put under tension, which permits the inflation of the second compartment. This operation is in this way repeated until all of the 2o compartments are perfectly inflated and the sail is completely hoisted. The whole of the inextensible element 158 is then put under tension and the pulls exerted on the snap-shackles 144 and 146 act directly on this element. The user then has the possibility of adjustiny the camber of the 25 sail by varying the tension on halyard 118.

Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the area of y , a 9$£p sail exposed to the wind by reefiny in the same way as.^Jfa a V I 2314-10 1 2 sail of conventional type. In this case, it is sufficient to lower the sail to the extent of the desired number of compartments to ensure the fasteniny of the last lower inflated compartment with the snap-shackle 154, or more generally with the hull 112, so as to be able to exert a pull by means of the side portion 131 of the halyard 130 which is taken up by the part of the inextensible element 158 corresponding to the deployed length of sail. For this purpose, a loop may be provided on the inextensible element in each of the compartments.

This handling device allows all poaaibilifey of self-orientation of the sail in accordance with its profile and as a function of the direction of the wind. Moreover, each compartment remains perfectly inflated, since the openings 142 underyo no pinchiny due to the pulling forces, the latter beiny taken by the inextensible element 158.

This handliny device may be used, irrespective of the height of the mast, since it permits the reefing of the sail; the guide 124 may be reduced in lenyth at any moment and may be shorter than the heiyht of the mast, since the halyard/compensates for the lack of lenyth.

The device for handling the sail structure according to the invention may be subjected to many modifications.

Thus, according to a first modification, the guide 124 may include, fastened to each of its two ends, a pulley for facilitating the passaye of the halyard 130. In some of sail of larye size, the pulley dovice- may reduce 118 ZZWo 1 3 arid facilitate fcho sail hoistiny and lowering operations.

According to another modification, the two side portions hoisting rope 131 and 133 of the/halyard 130 may travel in a direction. parallel to the guide 124 through a sinyle aperture provided in each of the ribs 138 of the compartments 136. hoisting rope 130 In a further modification, the/halyard may be located outside the sail and each compartment may include a windward surface fastening means fixed to the/intradoa of the sail so as to facilitate reefing. 231490

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A sail structure suitable for use in propelling a boat provided with a mast, comprising a sail formed of juxtaposed inflatable compartments each having an air inlet and being interconnected along lateral sides thereof, said sail being slideable proximate its leading edge along a guide extending from an upper to a lower point of attachment, said sail being hoistable towards the upper point of attachment by a hoisting rope passing through a purchase point means proximate the upper point of attachment, the incidence of the sail being self-orientable relative to the wind.

2. A sail structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper point of attachment is a halyard passing about the top of the mast and the lower point of attachment is an adjustable rope secured to the deck of the boat.

3. A sail structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the leading edge of the sail is substantially equal to the height of the mast.

4. A sail structure according to claim 2, wherein the hoisting rope is fastened to the uppermost compartment of said sail and the adjustable rope is fastened to the lowermost compartment of said sail.

5. A sail structure according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the adjustable rope is so arranged as to adjust the length thereof and to maintain the leading edge of the sail substantially perpendicular to the direction of the wind.

6. A sail structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein along a longitudinal axis of each compartment the windward surface is shorter than the leeward f!8N0V199l J \ ^ ^<v/ surface. cni"1 O 0 -15- 231490

7. A sail structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the trailing edge of the sail curves away from the windward surface to the leeward surface.

8. A sail structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sail is symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the plane of the sail and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said sail.

9. A sail structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sail has a V-shaped profile in the longitudinal direction.

10. A sail structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sail is triangular in shape.

11. A sail structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compartments are provided with air outlets disposed in the region of the trailing edge of the sail, the cross-sectional area of the air outlets being less than the cross-sectional area of the air inlets.

12. A handling device for an inflatable sail structure having inflatable compartments separated by ribs, according to any one of the preceding claims, including a mast, guide and hoisting rope, wherein the guide is longer than the height of the sail and provided at each end with purchase point means, the hoisting rope passing through one or more aperture in each rib and being fed through each of the purchase point means to form a continuous loop, said hoisting rope being fastened to the upper end compartment of said sail to allow raising or lowering of said sail along said guide.

13. A handling device according to claim 12, wherein the " . hoisting rope extends through the apertures of the ribs in a • * ';' ' direction parallel to the guide.;0;231490;-16-;

14. A handling device according to claim 12, wherein each rib has two additional apertures for the passage of the hoisting rope.;

15. A handling device according to any one of the claims 12 to 14, wherein the hoisting rope is provided with an eye therein and the upper end compartment is secured to said hoisting rope by a snap-shackle engaged with said eye.;

16. A handling device according to any one of the claims 12 to 15/ wherein the purchase point means comprise eyes at either end of the guide through which the hoisting rope travels.;

17. A handling device according to any one of the claims 12 to 16, wherein each compartment comprises an inextensible element which has a length equal to the length of the rope subtending the windward surface of an inflated compartment and is fastened to the two ribs defining said compartment.;

18. A handling device according to claim 17, wherein the inextensible element is a strip of fabric being strongest in the longitudinal direction thereof.;

19. A handling device according to any one of the claims 17 to 18, wherein the inextensible element is fastened to snap-shackles connected to the uppermost and lowermost compartments of said sail.;

20. A handling device according to any one of the claims 12 to 19, wherein the upper and lower ends of the rope are respectively fastened to the mast halyard and to the hull of the boat so as to be capable of putting the rope under;„ tension.;f;V 1;r.;VZ 18 NOV 199;,' -', ' :!;231490;-17-;

21. A sail structure, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.;

22. A handling device for an inflatable sail structure, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.;I SYSTEMS ieir / Attorneys riN J SON & CAREY;O*