WO2013160605A1

WO2013160605A1 - Amphibious vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2013160605A1
Application number: PCT/FR2013/050895
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antoine Brugidou
Original assignee: Iguana Yachts
Priority date: 2012-04-25
Filing date: 2013-04-23
Publication date: 2013-10-31
Also published as: BR112014026126A2; ZA201408569B; KR20150003376A; BR112014026126B1; FR2989936A1; FR2989936B1; KR102119677B1

Abstract

The invention concerns an amphibious vehicle comprising: • a hull (1) having a longitudinal axis (X-X), • aquatic propulsion means, • at least two terrestrial propulsion means (20a, 20b) that can adopt at least one folded position and one deployed position in which said vehicle can move on land because of said terrestrial propulsion means, • each of said terrestrial propulsion means being mounted on two arms (4a, 5a) pivotably mounted about a respective axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said hull, said axes extending under the waterline. In the folded position, each of said arms engages integrally in a first respective recess provided in said hull, at least one portion of each arm ensuring the continuity of the shell in the vicinity of said first recess.

Description

AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE

The present invention relates to an amphibious vehicle.

Amphibious vehicles offer the ability to travel on land and water with the same vehicle, which is very useful in areas without port facilities. If the amphibious vehicle has caterpillars, it can also move to land areas without roads, such as coastal areas.

Relatively efficient water movement of these vehicles requires that they have a hull with good hydrodynamic qualities and, of course, aquatic propulsion means such as a propeller, a hydrojet or a sail. The integration into this hull further terrestrial propulsion means, such as wheels or caterpillars, is delicate. In order not to penalize the performance of the vehicle in water propulsion, it is particularly important to prevent these means from being immersed during the water propulsion phases and causing too much drag, for example by being retractable.

Several examples of amphibious vehicles are known whose terrestrial propulsion means are retractable. For example, WO 2007/141515 describes an amphibious vehicle with tracks and / or wheels mounted sliding along a vertical axis or pivoting along a longitudinal axis. However, in the high position, these propulsion means remain very close to the floatation surface and are entirely subject to the marine elements (waves, waves ...) and may therefore penalize the phases of aquatic propulsion. In addition, this solution leads to a vehicle of great width, particularly in the case of wheels or crawlers pivoting along a longitudinal axis.

US 2005/0003715 discloses an amphibious vehicle with tracks mounted pivoting on the sides of the vehicle that can take two positions, an extended position where they can rest on the ground and allow the vehicle to progress on the ground, and a folded position during the phases of aquatic propulsion where they rest on spaces reserved for this purpose on the bridge of the vehicle. In this solution, the tracks in the folded position are not likely to cause drag, but either they occupy a large part of the deck surface, or they are kept away from the deck surface and lead to a significant enlargement of the vehicle .

DE 2004 059 861 discloses an amphibious vehicle with wheels mounted at the base of retractable sealed boxes. The boxes are retracted and integrated into the hull for land propulsion, and deployed for aquatic propulsion, transforming the vehicle into a catamaran. However, the wheels are fixed relative to the caissons and are therefore totally immersed in the aquatic propulsion phase, causing drag. To minimize this drag leads to adopt small wheels, which makes the terrestrial propulsion inefficient.

Also known is document WO 2007/141515 which describes an amphibious vehicle comprising terrestrial propulsion means pivotally mounted about axes, in which, in the folded position, the arms engage in cavities formed in the hull, part of the arm forming a lid which at least partially closes said cavities.

Nevertheless, this operculum represents a large mass which penalizes the vehicle.

The object of the invention is to solve these problems, in particular to provide an amphibious vehicle in which the terrestrial propulsion means do not cause the vehicle to lose its nautical qualities and / or its habitability. For this purpose, the invention proposes an amphibious vehicle comprising:

• a hull with a longitudinal axis,

• means of aquatic propulsion,

At least two terrestrial propulsion means capable of taking up at least one folded position and an extended position in which said vehicle can move on land using said terrestrial propulsion means,

Each of said terrestrial propulsion means being mounted on two arms pivotally mounted about a respective axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said hull, said axes extending below the waterline,

characterized in that, in the folded position, each of said arms can engage integrally in a first respective cavity formed in said shell, at least a portion of each arm being able to ensure the continuity of the hull in the vicinity of said first cavity.

The vehicle according to the invention comprises at least two terrestrial propulsion means each mounted at the end of two arms. These arms are pivotally mounted about respective axes located below the waterline of the vehicle. These axes are preferably substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle hull; they can be slightly angularly offset with respect to this longitudinal axis provided that once the terrestrial propulsion means deployed, they are aligned with this longitudinal axis to ensure the terrestrial propulsion of the vehicle along its axis.

In the folded position, each arm swings into a first respective cavity formed in the hull, below the waterline, that is to say delimiting an opening in the hull. In order not to add hydrodynamic drag to the vehicle:

the arms engage integrally in these cavities,

- At least part of these arms ensures the continuity of the hull in the vicinity of these cavities. Advantageously, in the folded position, each of said arms can occupy substantially completely said first respective cavity.

These first cavities are not sealed once the arms are filled, thus minimizing the dead weight of water transported in these cavities.

Advantageously, in the folded position, each of said terrestrial propulsion means can engage at least partially in a second respective cavity formed in said shell.

According to the invention, and optionally, each land propulsion means can, in the folded position, take place in a second respective cavity located at least partially above the waterline. These second cavities at least partially retract the land propulsion means, which improves the nautical qualities of the vehicle.

Advantageously, said arms can be connected two by two by connecting means, said connecting means comprising a respective cap and, in the folded position of said arms, said cap can at least partially ensure the continuity of the plating in the vicinity of said second cavity.

On each edge, the two arms are connected by a connecting means such as a beam. This beam comprises a cap for closing at least partially the second respective cavity so as to ensure the continuity of the shell in the vicinity of the second cavity. This operculum is therefore distinct from the arms, it has only a hydrodynamic function.

Thanks to the second cavities and lids, it minimizes the drag that occurs when the vehicle is in water propulsion, especially when subjected to a breaker or a wave.

Alternatively, in the folded position, each of said terrestrial propulsion means can be applied along the plating without engaging in a cavity.

The second cavities mentioned above have the disadvantage of occupying space in the shell. Optionally and to avoid this disadvantage, no second cavity is provided and each means of Earth propulsion can come to apply along the hull in the folded position.

Advantageously, in the folded position, said terrestrial propulsion means are entirely above the waterline.

This is also a provision aiming, in aquatic propulsion, to minimize the hydrodynamic drag due to the terrestrial propulsion means.

Advantageously, the earth propulsion means may comprise crawler trains or wheel trains. Advantageously, in the folded position, the earth propulsion means may constitute side fenders for the amphibious vehicle.

Indeed, if they do not fully engage in the second cavities in the folded position, the tracks or wheels have a portion that protrudes from the shell and, given their resilient nature (rubber ...), can fill the side threshing function for the amphibious vehicle.

Embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of an embodiment of the amphibious vehicle according to the invention, terrestrial propulsion means deployed respectively through and below, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a detail A of FIG. 1B,

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of an embodiment of the amphibious vehicle according to the invention, terrestrial propulsion means folded, respectively from the front and from below, FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrammatic perspective views of another embodiment seen from below, respectively folded track trains and deployed track trains. FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic perspective views of another embodiment of FIG. realization seen from below, respectively folded wheel trains and wheels trains deployed.

As illustrated by FIGS. 1A to 3B, the amphibious vehicle comprises a shell 1 delimited by a shell 2 and a cockpit (not shown). The vehicle also comprises a motor (not shown) operating an aquatic propulsion means such as a propeller or a hydrojet (not shown), whether it is an outboard engine or a motor integrated in the hull . This engine can also drive a hydraulic pump or a generator for operating the ground propulsion means.

The amphibious vehicle comprises two trains of longitudinal tracks 20a, 20b located on either side of the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the hull 1, each mounted on two arms, 4a and 4b in front of the crawler trains, 5a and 5b at the back of the crawler trains. At a first end, the arms are pivotally mounted about axes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X-X of the vehicle. As can be seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the points of articulation of these arms 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b are close to the lower part of the shell 1, under the waterline. The arms can take at least two positions, an extended position, illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in which the vehicle rests on and can be propelled by its crawler trains, and a folded position, illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B in which the vehicle rests on the water and is propelled by its propeller or its hydrojet.

The extended position of the arms and crawler trains shows first transverse cavities, respectively before 6a, 6b, and rear 7a, 7b, formed in the lower part of the hull, under the waterline,

second longitudinal cavities 8a, 8b in the sidewalls of the vehicle, jacks 10a, 10b, 11a (not visible), 11b which work in a substantially vertical plane to maneuver the arms. The attachment points of these cylinders are respectively located in the shell, vertically to the first cavities and on the arms, substantially halfway between their two ends.

When the arms 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b are in the deployed position, the amphibious vehicle rests on the tracks 20a and 20b and can move on land; the first and second cavities 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b and 8a, 8b are then open.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, the first cavities 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b and the second cavities 8a, 8b communicate.

The longitudinal position of the crawler trains is of course such that the center of gravity of the vehicle is substantially midway between the front and the rear of the crawler trains.

In the folded position, each of the front arms 4a, 4b, and rear 5a, 5b takes place in a first respective cavity 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, transversely to the vehicle, and each of the crawler trains takes place in a second respective cavity .

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the arms 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b take the form of substantially square or rectangular section beams. Each of the arms occupies substantially the cavity in which it has taken place, so as to minimize the dead weight of water present in this cavity. In addition, one of the faces 41a, 41b, 51a, 51b of these beams is in the extension of the hull 3, under the waterline, when the arms are in the folded position, when the amphibious vehicle is in navigation, so as to ensure the continuity of the hull 3 (the hull being the immersed part of the plating) in the vicinity of first cavities 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b and therefore to minimize the hydrodynamic disturbances that these cavities could create.

At their second end, the arms of the same edge 4a, 5a and 4b, 5b are connected by a respective beam 12a, 12b (not visible). On each of these beams 12a, 12b are mounted:

- The track train 20a, 20b, driven for example by a hydraulic or electric motor whose power supply passes through the arms,

a cover 9a, 9b designed to come in the extension of the plating 2 when the corresponding track train is in the folded position, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, so as to minimize the hydrodynamic disturbances that could be created by the second cavities 8a, 8b .

The shell 2 of the illustrated vehicle has a chime in the vicinity of the second cavities 8a, 8b. As a result, the covers 9a, 9b reproduce the angle of this chime.

In the folded position, the crawler trains 20a, 20b are partially protruding from the hull. In another embodiment, the second cavities 8a, 8b are deep enough for the crawler trains 20a, 20b to penetrate fully into these cavities. Conversely, in yet another embodiment illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B, the vehicle has no second cavities 8a, 8b and, in the folded position, the crawler trains 20a, 20b are entirely protruding. In this embodiment, the beams 12a, 12b also do not include a cap 9a, 9b.

Alternatively, the terrestrial propulsion means may be constituted by a longitudinally disposed wheel set 21a, 21b, the wheel axis of rotation being orthogonal to the longitudinal axis XX of the vehicle, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In these figures, the vehicle has five wheels on each edge, but it could of course include a different number, greater than two. In the folded position, the track trains 20a, 20b or wheels 21a, 21b do not penetrate fully into their respective cavity 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b and taking into account the resilient nature of the material that constitutes them (rubber ...) they advantageously constitute side fenders for the vehicle when it is moored at the dock.

Claims

claims

An amphibious vehicle comprising:

β a shell (1) having a longitudinal axis (X-X),

· Means of aquatic propulsion,

At least two terrestrial propulsion means (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) capable of taking up at least one folded position and an extended position in which said vehicle can move on land thanks to said terrestrial propulsion means,

Each of said terrestrial propulsion means being mounted on two arms (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b) pivotally mounted about a respective axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said hull, said axes extending below the waterline,

characterized in that, in the folded position, each of said arms engages integrally in a respective first cavity (6a, 6b, 7a, 7b) formed in said shell, at least part of each arm ensuring the continuity of the hull (3 ) in the vicinity of said first cavity.

Amphibious vehicle according to claim 1,

characterized in that in the folded position each of said arms (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b) substantially integrally occupies said respective first cavity (6a, 6b, 7a, 7b).

An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that in the folded position, each of said land propulsion means (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) engages at least partially in a respective second cavity (8a, 8b) formed in said shell.

4. Amphibious vehicle according to claim 3,

characterized in that said arms (4a, 4b, 5a, 5b) are connected two by two by connecting means, said connecting means comprising a cover respective (9a, 9b), and in that in the folded position of said arms, said lid ensures at least partially the continuity of the plating (2) in the vicinity of said second cavity (8a, 8b).

An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that in the folded position, each of said terrestrial propulsion means (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) is applied along the plating (2) without engaging in a cavity.

An amphibious vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterized in that, in the folded position, said land propulsion means (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) are wholly above the waterline.

Amphibious vehicle according to one of Claims 1 to 6,

characterized in that said terrestrial propulsion means comprise track trains (20a, 20b).

Amphibious vehicle according to one of Claims 1 to 6,

characterized in that said terrestrial propulsion means comprise wheel trains (21a, 21b).

Amphibious vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 8,

characterized in that, in the folded position, said land propulsion means (20a, 20b, 21a, 21b) constitute side fenders for the amphibious vehicle.