Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60F—VEHICLES FOR USE BOTH ON RAIL AND ON ROAD; AMPHIBIOUS OR LIKE VEHICLES; CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES
  • B60F3/00—Amphibious vehicles, i.e. vehicles capable of travelling both on land and on water; Land vehicles capable of travelling under water
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60F—VEHICLES FOR USE BOTH ON RAIL AND ON ROAD; AMPHIBIOUS OR LIKE VEHICLES; CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES
  • B60F3/00—Amphibious vehicles, i.e. vehicles capable of travelling both on land and on water; Land vehicles capable of travelling under water
  • B60F3/003—Parts or details of the vehicle structure; vehicle arrangements not otherwise provided for
  • B60F3/0038—Flotation, updrift or stability devices
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60F—VEHICLES FOR USE BOTH ON RAIL AND ON ROAD; AMPHIBIOUS OR LIKE VEHICLES; CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES
  • B60F2301/00—Retractable wheels
  • B60F2301/04—Retractable wheels pivotally

Definitions

• the present invention relates to amphibious vehicles, and particularly to hull fairings for recesses in the hull.
• a boat is shown with a pair of retractable wheels which when protracted enable the boat to be towed as a trailer on land.
• Each wheel has a suspension pivotal about a transverse axis and is retractable through an interruption in the bottom.
• Each interruption is arranged to be covered by a pair of covers hinged about a longitudinal axis.
• a lever attached to the suspension is moved forward. Attached to the lever are cables which pull the covers shut. The adjustment of the cables relative to the lever and covers is clearly critical since if too short the covers will tend to jam on the suspension and if too long the covers will not close properly.
• JP 4,349,009 A (Inoue Nobuaki - Isuzu) describes and shows a cover arrangement for an amphibious retractable wheel.
• the wheel cover hinges about a longitudinal axis. Again a cable arrangement is used to pull the cover shut but by some undisclosed means. Torsion bars are used to open the cover. Therefore considerable force will be needed to shut the covers and this will tend to stretch the cover closing cables. Again the problem of imperfect closure and hence cover flutter will probably occur.
• an amphibious vehicle having retractable road wheels each mounted by means of a wheel suspension to a vehicle body, the body having a planing bottom, wherein the bottom has for each suspension an interruption in the bottom through which at least a part of the suspension can move during retraction or protraction of its said road wheel, wherein the interruption is arranged to be substantially covered by a cover bracketed to the part of the wheel suspension, the cover so arranged that the cover at least partially opens on wheel protraction and wherein the said road wheel is outboard of the cover.
• the fixture of the cover to the suspension ensures that its cover pivots about the pivotal axis of- the suspension so that the wheel cannot jam on the cover.
• the cover and suspension pivot about a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
• the longitudinal axis is in the fore and aft direction.
• an amphibious vehicle having road wheels arranged to be raised from a first position where they are road usable to a second position where they are above the water- line of the vehicle, the road wheels being each mounted by means of a wheel suspension to a vehicle body, the body having a planing bottom, wherein the body has for each suspension an interruption in the bottom through which at least a part of the suspension can move during retraction or protraction of its said road wheel to or from the second position in which said road wheel is outside the interruption, wherein the interruption is arranged to be substantially covered by a cover connected to the part of the suspension, the cover being so arranged so that the cover at least partially opens on wheel protraction.
• the part of the suspension which is retractable into the bottom of the vehicle is a lower suspension member which extends at least mainly in a transverse direction of the vehicle. This limits the longitudinal dimension of the interruption and hence reduces any tendency of the cover to flutter.
• Limitation of cover size and extent of the interruption makes it possible to provide an indirect connection between the suspension and cover so that the cover or covers can be hinged to the vehicle body about a different axis or different axes to an axis about which the road wheel is retractable.
• the cover is connected to a lower suspension member, so that when protracting the wheels, the lower suspension member carries the cover down with it.
• the bracketed connection between the suspension member and cover may be slightly extensible but the extensibility is only against a strong spring, so that when retracting the wheels, the suspension member may retract into the interruption in the hull; while the cover is constrained to remain flush with the hull surface. Flutter is reduced in this arrangement.
• the cover (s) may be hollow bodies, which provide buoyancy to the vehicle on water.
• the cover (s) may be made of blow moulded plastic. Alternatively, they may have buoyancy foam attached.
• the cover (s) may also be profiled to match the hull planing surface, with features like strakes continued across the cover surfaces.
• the cover (s) may have drains so that on protraction water collected by the cover (s) can drain off. This is applicable to a shaped cover.
• Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation view of an amphibious vehicle according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a transverse cross section through plane II-II of the vehicle of Figure 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention, with the wheels retracted;
• Figure 3 is a transverse cross section through plane II-II of the vehicle of Figure 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention, with the wheels protracted;
• Figure 4 is a view from below the vehicle of Figure 1 with the wheels retracted;
• Figure 5 is a transverse cross section through plane II-II of the vehicle of Figure 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention, with the wheels retracted;
• Figure 6 is a view from below the vehicle of Figure 5 with the wheels retracted.
• Figure 7 is a transverse cross section through plane II-II of the vehicle of Figure 1 according to a third embodiment of the invention, also with the wheels retracted.
• Amphibious vehicle 2 has a prime mover 4 driving a pump jet 6 through a marine transmission. Locomotion on road is provided by wheels 8, which are driven through a road transmission. The wheels are shielded by wheel arches 12.
• the vehicle body comprises an upper body 14 and a hull 16, which are formed separately and joined at split line 18.
• a chassis is also provided, as is described below. If this chassis is bonded to the bodywork, it may be regarded as part of the overall body structure.
• the hull has a planing surface 20.
• a driver's seat 22 is provided with one or more passenger seats 24 astern of the driver's seat.
• the seating axis is on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, or parallel thereto.
• the axis of the prime mover is also along, or parallel to, the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
• Driver controls are provided, in this case handlebars 26.
• a windscreen 28 is provided for weather and spray protection.
• Figures 2 and 3 show a pair of rear wheels 8 mounted on hubs 54.
• the hubs are driven by intermediate shafts 62 and layshafts 60, which are driven from the prime mover 4.
• the intermediate shafts are supported inside lower suspension members 40 respectively which are each in the form of a tube.
• the tubelike members 40 are pivotally mounted at their inner ends on bearings 42.
• the outer ends of members 40 are connected to upright members 52, which carry hubs 54.
• Upper suspension members 56 connect between vehicle chassis 30 and upright members 52.
• hull 16 has a planing bottom 20, in which there are gaps 80 forming interruptions in the bottom through which lower suspension members 40 can move, from a retracted position of the wheels as shown in figure 2, to a protracted or wheels down position as shown in Figure 3.
• covers 34 Fixed to lower suspension members 40 are covers 34, which are fixed by means of inner and outer brackets 36 and 38 ( Figure 3) to members 40, so that the covers pivot about bearings 42. Gaps 80 are defined by body edges 84, 86, and 88. Covers 34 when closed substantially fill gaps 80, only- leaving small clearance gaps 90 necessitated by the need to distance the outer faces of the covers from the centres of bearings 42. One way drains 35 are provided in the covers. The gaps 90 may be eliminated by the provision of flexible material.
• the brackets 36 and 38 may be made slightly extendable against a strong spring to allow for driftwood or other flotsam catching between one of the covers and the bottom. The spring should be strong enough to prevent flutter.
• a second proposal has a pair of covers 92 and 94 for each interruption in the hull surface, which are hinged at 96 and 98 on one side and at 100 and 102 on the other side of the planing surface 20. This is shown in Figures 5 and 6.
• Door 92 is shown figuratively in an open position here, although the suspension is retracted; on the right hand side of the Figure, a dashed outline of the corresponding door is shown.
• Each cover 92, 94 of each pair hinges about a transverse axis of the vehicle so as to fill half of each gap 80.
• the covers are split into pairs in "barn door” style to reduce downward protrusion below the hull surface 20 when the covers are open.
• the covers may be made flexible to avoid breakage on striking rocks, etc. They may also protect the wheel suspensions from impact damage, e.g. scratching of anti-corrosive coatings.
• the simplest and most foolproof means of opening these covers is to arrange for them to be held shut by springs 110 and 112 ( Figure 5) when wheels are retracted, and pushed open by the suspension as the wheels protract.
• mechanical linkages to the wheel suspensions may be arranged. Such linkages could be designed to impart a translating movement to the covers, so that they move transversely across the vehicle before or during deployment.
• the travel of hull gap covers attached to suspension members is preferred to be less than that of the retractable suspension.
• a narrow hull is combined with a large vee angle, as seen in the Figures, it will be necessary for the wheels to be tipped up at a large angle to the road position to keep them above the water line when cornering on water.
• covers which are flush with the hull when the wheels are retracted may hit the ground when the wheels are protracted; conversely, covers which as shown in figure 3, clear the ground adequately in road mode, will be drawn up above the hull line when the wheels are retracted.
• covers 180 When the suspension is protracted, covers 180 are pushed down below planing surface 20 by stops 194 mounted on the lower suspension members. In this position, covers 180 are stabilized by linkages 182.
• pins 194 also retract; and covers 180 are pulled up towards surface 20 by tension springs 192, which are tethered above surface 20.
• the suspension members will be pulled up inside the hull as far as is required to fully retract the wheels; but the covers will be held in place flush against the hull by tabs 104, which are moulded into the hull for this purpose. Alternatively, tabs 104 may be moulded into the covers.
• Linkages 182 collapse for storage, as shown on the right hand side of the Figure.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
• Automatic Cycles, And Cycles In General (AREA)
• Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=33485010

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (10)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (16)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2004
  • 2004-10-22 GB GB0423470A patent/GB2419326A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2005
  • 2005-10-19 EP EP05793985A patent/EP1809493B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-10-19 AU AU2005297042A patent/AU2005297042A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-10-19 KR KR1020077011562A patent/KR20070084444A/ko not_active Ceased
  • 2005-10-19 CN CN2005800356640A patent/CN101065254B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-10-19 WO PCT/GB2005/003999 patent/WO2006043043A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2005-10-19 JP JP2007537371A patent/JP4712808B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-10-19 AT AT05793985T patent/ATE457000T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-10-19 DE DE602005019248T patent/DE602005019248D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2005-10-21 US US11/255,775 patent/US7322864B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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