BOAT PROPULSION AND STEERING SYSTEM WITH FULLY SUBMERGED ROTORS

Description

Scope of the invention

[0001] This invention relates to a propulsion system for boat where the thrust is provided by the rotation of two rotors arranged in such a way as to be fully submerged and to remain underneath the hull lines.

State of the art

[0002] Quite a few types of propulsion devices are known in the nautical field, as they are designed to cause boats to move forward, such as oars, paddles, rotors driven by the upper and lower limbs, motors with submerged propellers, motors that cause the rotation of paddles, water-jet propellers, air-screw propellers as those of hovercrafts, and sails that are known to take advantage of the power of the wind. In the field of small pleasure boats, the most common means of propulsion are oars, leg- operated rotors that are vertically semi-submerged, both internal combustion and electric outboard motors and sails. All the listed means have thrusting and/or steering elements, such as oars, propellers, rotor paddles and rudders that are external to the hull lines, so that they are often a problem when getting by shallow water and a potential risk, particularly to bathers. For instance, propellers are known to be dangerous, as they may hurt bathers, entangle fishing nets or the mooring lines of other boats in ports and, at the same time, they limit the possibility of getting by shallow water or reaching shore. Besides, there is the well- known possibility of hurting bathers with one's oars and the difficulty when using a row boat in coming alongside a quay or another boat, all the more so when the latter is also a row boat, in addition to the well-known inconvenience of having to row facing the stern. The subject matter of this invention is a boat propulsion and steering system with fully submerged rotors that solves all the problems referred to above, allowing both the forward movement of the boat and its steering. The system proves particularly suitable for being installed on small boats.

[0003] US2004/0002282 discloses a turbine assembly comprising a turbine housing defining an impeller cavity and including a forward opening and a rearward opening; a directional control valve positioned in the impeller cavity and having a valve opening in a sidewall thereof, an impeller positioned in the directional control valve, a cover plate with openings.

Description of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a boat propulsion and steering system as defined by the features of claim 1, comprising a pair of fully submerged rotors, a hull of a boat and means of motion generation of the fully submerged rotors.

[0005] The submerged rotors are each made by a propeller. Each propeller comprises an horizontal impeller with reverse blading; a vertical rotation axis of adequate length to connect each horizontal impeller (2) to means suitable for transmitting the force required for the rotation of the impeller.

[0006] A housing for each impeller is obtained in the hull of the boat, delimited by an upper flat surface totally closed; a cylindrical lateral surface open towards the outer lower area of the boat-transom; a flat lower surface, having a center and corresponding to the bottom surface of the hull and delimited by the boat centerline and a line within the point of rotation of the vertical axis of the impeller.

[0007] The blades (2) of said horizontal impeller are in reverse relationship, the flat lower surface of the housing is open at the center and in a sector where the blading operates in agreement with the direction of movement of the boat, outer lateral zone, and said flat lower surface of the housing is closed in a sector (8) where the blading rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of movement, lateral zone towards the boat center line, and respectively the open and closed sectors of the flat lower surface of the housing, the open sectors of the flat lower surface of the housing and of the cylindrical lateral surface (7a) towards the outer lower area of the boat-transom, and the horizontal impeller with reverse blading (2) are configured as shown in figures 1, 3 and 5.

Description of the drawings

[0008] The invention shall now be described in an explicatory but not limiting example of realization with reference to the attached drawings where:

Figure 1 shows an upper three-quarter axonometric view of the propulsion system installed within a boat that may be operated by means of fevers

Figure 2 shows a partially sectioned lateral view of the propulsion system installed within a boat that may be operated by means of levers

Figure 3 shows a partially sectioned schematic view of the stern of a boat and of the propulsion system viewed from below

Figure 4 shows a partially sectioned schematic view of the stern of a boat and of the propulsion system

Figure 5 shows an axonometric view from below of the stern of a boat with the propulsion system installed.

Figure 6 shows a three-quarter view from above of the propulsion system installed on a boat that may be operated by means of two levers

Figure 7 shows an axonometric back view of the propulsion system operated by means of two levers

Figure 8 shows ah axonometric front view of the propulsion system operated by means of two levers

Figure 9 shows a three - quarter axonometric back view of a single rotor and an operating lever.

Figure 10 shows a three-quarter axonometric front view of a single rotor and the operating lever

Figure 11 shows a schematic view of one of the rotor operating levers in its possible positions

Figure 12 shows a schematic view of a type of wheelwork to which the impellers are connected

Figure 13 shows a schematic view of an application of the force resulting from oscillating pedals to the movement of the impellers

Figure 14 shows a schematic view of a variant of the application referred to in figure 13

Figure 15 shows a partially sectioned schematic view of the stern of a boat and of the propulsion system in a variant of the one shown in figure 3.

Description of realization examples

[0009] With reference to the said figures, when hand operated, the boat propulsion and steering system with fully submerged rotors referred to in this invention result to be made up by:

• a pair of propellers generally shown as (1), each one of which comprises a horizontal impeller with reverse blading (2);
• a vertical rotation axis (3) having a sufficient length to connect the horizontal impeller (2) with means suitable for transmitting the force required for the rotation;
• gears (4, 5) with a free-wheel connection to the vertical rotation axis (3) suitable for transmitting the rotation force to the axis (3) and, consequently, to the horizontal impeller (2) in the proper direction;
• a housing for each impeller (2) obtained in the outer hull of the boat, delimited by a totally closed upper flat surface (6); a cylindrical lateral surface (7) open (7a) towards the outer lower area of the transom; a flat lower surface corresponding to the bottom plane of the hull open at the center and in the sector where the blading operates in agreement with the direction of movement of the boat (outer lateral zone) and closed in the sector (8) where the blading rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of movement (lateral zone towards the boat center line);
• motion generation devices for each impeller that, in the hand-operated solution, comprise an angled lever (9) fulcrated at the bottom in (11) on the inner part of the boat side; a rod (10) hinged to the lever (9); an element (12) hinged to the rod (10) and fulcrated on an axis (16), that is shaped, on two levels, with toothed circular sectors described by different radiuses: the upper toothed circular sector (13) has inner toothing and is enclosed by radiuses of greater length than the lower toothed sector (14) that has outer toothing; each toothed circular sector meshes with a crown gear (4 and 5) with free-wheel clutch on the rotation axis (3) integral with the impeller (2) that always rotates in the same direction whether the lever (9) is moved in the direction that goes from stern to head or the other way around; the different ratio between circular sector (13, 14) and constant crown gear (4, 5) compensates for the different force exerted on the lever in the thrust (lower) and in the traction (higher) of the levers (9) by the rowing person.

[0010] The levers (9) that, as previously pointed out, allow the operation of the impellers (2), may be subjected to a 180° rotation at their knee (9a) so that they may be in an advanced position towards the head or towards the stern, in relation to the reference of the person operating them and the position the latter needs to take when rowing owing to the loads on board.

[0011] As previously pointed out, the impellers (2) may also be driven by electric or internal combustion engines with simple controls that permit to change their rotation speed; in so doing, both the speed of the boat and its direction are affected.

[0012] As it may be noted from the foregoing description, the housings where the impellers (2) rotate are partly closed (6, 8). In these areas, the bladings tangentially accelerate the water flow and then discharge it in the open sections (7a); the central areas of the impellers (2), free and relatively under reduced pressure, accommodate and draw in the water that slides under the hull.

[0013] As specified, the impellers (2) allow steering the boat causing it to move ahead or to veer to the right or to the left by simply changing the speed of one or the other impeller (2) with excellent handling qualities due also to the fact that in the areas where the impeller bladings are close to leaving the free sectors (7a) in order to enter the closed ones (6, 8), the reaction thrusts on the blades are angled backwards, towards the center line of the hull. As a result, there is a moderate loss of efficiency in the direction of movement, but a considerable increase in the steering and veering moment, so much so as to allow the boat driven by a single propeller to rotate round itself when stationary and to leave the 90° angle of the walls of a dock when the boat head has been driven there.

[0014] Contrary to what happens with wheels with vertical blades, the total submersion of the impellers (2) causes their functionality to be unaffected by draught or wave motion problems.

[0015] A further advantage is represented by the fact that, as previously pointed out, the axes (3) of the impellers (2) are positioned vertically and extend well over the maximum water-line and, therefore, require no sealing device, with advantages that are by no means secondary.

[0016] In the realization example described above, the impellers are allowed to rotate by means of hand-operated or motor-driven motion generators that are independent for the two submerged impellers. A few application solutions where the impellers are driven by a single motion generator and are connected with different solutions to the motion generator and among themselves are described and illustrated below.

[0017] In a solution shown in figure 12, the rotors with the axes of the two submerged impellers, 25 and 26, are rigidly connected to the pinions 17 and 18 that, in their turn, mesh with the wheels 19 and 20; hence, the impellers rotate in the opposite direction at the same speed; the motion may be exerted by any motor connected in a preferred point of the kinematic chain 17, 19, 20, 18; furthermore, a control for the temporary release of pinion 17 from axis 25 and pinion 18 from axis 26 is provided with a view to making the most of the thrust of one of the impellers for steering the boat.

[0018] Figure 13 shows the solution where the impellers are caused to rotate by muscular force preferably of the legs, for example, by means of oscillating pedals, with to-and-fro movements, where the wheels 19 and 20 alternately receive the motion through two free-wheel couplings with the projecting wheels 21 and 22 driven by the toothed belt 24 that moves with the to-and-fro movement exerted by the pedals.

[0019] In figure 14, the wheels 21 and 22, always with an alternate free-wheel coupling with the wheels 19, 20, are toothed and mesh with wheel 23 that has a dual rotation direction in order to obtain the continuous rotations of the axes 25 and 26 from the alternate motion of traction of the belt 24 working on the projecting wheel 27, rigidly connected to the gear wheel 23. In this version, a change-speed gear may be obtained by replacing wheel 27 with a series of wheels of different diameter, as it happens for instance with the pinions of the back hub of a bicycle.

[0020] A further means of operation of wheel 27 may be obtained having recourse to two racks tangent to the transverse diameter of wheel 27, which is a toothed wheel. Even in this case, wheel 27 may be made by a series of wheels having different diameter on the outer edges of which the racks work to obtain the speed change.

[0021] In the event that it is not deemed necessary to privilege the steering effect, the impellers - rather than having areas for the outflow towards the two external sides of the transom, as shown in figure 3 - shall have a single area of central thrust with the bladings and the reverse direction of rotation, and the bottom opening of the impeller casings shall be modified, as clearly shown in figure 15.

[0022] For veering purposes, flow diverters may be used even within the impellers outflow areas with no obstruction outside the hull lines.

Claims

1. A boat propulsion and steering system, comprising a pair of fully submerged rotors, a hull of a boat and means of motion generation of the fully submerged rotors, wherein:

- The submerged rotors are each made by a propeller (1);

- Each propeller (1) comprises:

o a horizontal Impeller with reverse blading (2);

o a vertical rotation axis (3) of adequate length to connect each horizontal impeller (2) to means suitable for transmitting the force required for the rotation of the impeller (2);

- a housing for each impeller (2) obtained in the hull of the boat, delimited by

o an upper flat surface (6) totally closed;

o a cylindrical lateral surface (7) open towards the outer lower area of the boat-transom (7a);

o a flat lower surface, having a center and corresponding to the bottom surface of the hull and delimited by the boat centerline and a line within the point of rotation of the vertical axis of the impeller (2)

• the blades (2) of said horizontal impeller are in reverse relationship,

• said flat lower surface of the housing is totally open at the center and in a sector where the blading operates in agreement with the direction of movement of the boat, outer lateral zone, and said flat lower surface of the housing the system characterized in that: is closed in a sector (8) where the blading rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of movement, lateral zone towards the boat center line.

2. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the motion generation devices of the impellers comprise an angled lever (9) fulcrated at the bottom in (11) on the inner part of the boat side; a rod (10) hinged to the lever (9); a support (12), hinged to the rod (10) and fulcrated to the boat structure by means of an axis (16), which is shaped on two levels with toothed circular sectors described by different radiuses; the upper toothed circular sector (13) has inner toothing and is enclosed by radiuses of greater length than the lower toothed sector (14) that has outer toothing; each toothed circular sector meshes with a crown gear (4-5) with freewheel clutch on the rotation axis (3) integral with the impeller (2) the direction of rotation of which remains constant whether the lever (9) is pushed or it is pulled.

3. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the angular levers (9) may be subjected to a 180° rotation at their knee (9a) in order to have their handgrip in an advanced position towards the head or in a backward position towards the stern.

4. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that a single means of motion generation is present and that the axes (25 and 26) of the two submerged impellers are connected to the pinions (17 and 18) that mesh with the wheels (19 and 20), the impellers rotate in the opposite direction at the same speed and the motion generator may operate at any point of the kinematic chain (17, 19, 20, 18); a control for the temporary release of pinion (17) from axis (25) and pinion (18) from axis (26) allows seeing to the rotation of a single impeller and, as a result, allows steering the boat.

5. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the motion generator is a system with oscillating pedals and the wheels (19) and (20) alternately receive the motion through two free-wheel couplings with the projecting wheels (21) and (22) driven by the toothed belt (24) that receives the to-and-fro movement.

6. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claims 4 and 5, characterized by the fact that the wheels (21) and (22) are toothed and mesh with the toothed wheel (23) that has a dual rotation direction in order to obtain the continuous rotations of the axes (25) and (26) from the alternate motion of traction of the belt (24) working on the projecting wheel (27), rigidly connected to the toothed wheel 23.

7. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the wheel 27 is made by a series of wheels having different diameter that realize the speed change.

8. A boat propulsion and steering system according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the wheel 27 is a toothed wheel and is driven by two racks tangent to the transverse diameter of wheel 27.

Ansprüche

1. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem, aufweisend ein Paar vollständig untergetauchter Rotoren, einen Bootsrumpf und Mittel zur Bewegungserzeugung für die vollständig untergetauchten Rotoren, wobei:

- die untergetauchten Rotoren jeweils aus einem Propeller (1) bestehen;

- jeder Propeller (1) aufweist:

o ein horizontales Schaufelrad (2) mit umgekehrter Beschaufelung;

o eine vertikale Drehachse (3) angemessener Länge zur Verbindung jedes horizontalen Schaufelrads (2) mit Mitteln, die geeignet sind, die zur Rotation des Schaufelrads (2) erforderliche Kraft zu übertragen;

- ein Gehäuse für jedes Schaufelrad (2), das im Bootsrumpf enthalten und begrenzt ist durch

▪ eine vollständig geschlossene flache Oberseite (6);

▪ eine zylindrische Seitenfläche (7), die in Richtung auf den äußeren unteren Bereich des Bootshecks (7a) offen ist;

▪ eine flache Unterseite, die ein Zentrum aufweist und der Bodenfläche des Rumps entspricht, und die durch die Bootmittenlinie und eine Linie begrenzt ist, die den Drehpunkt der vertikalen Achse des Schaufelrads (2) durchsetzt;

- die Schaufeln des horizontalen Schaufelrads (2) in Umkehrbeziehung stehen,

wobei das System dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass:

die flache Unterseite des Gehäuses im Zentrum und in einem Sektor vollständig offen ist, in dem die Beschaufelung in Übereinstimmung mit der Bewegungsrichtung des Boots betätigt ist, äußere seitliche Zone, und die flache Unterseite des Gehäuses in einem Sektor (8) vollständig geschlossen ist, in dem die Beschaufelung in der Richtung entgegengesetzt zur Bewegungsrichtung rotiert, seitliche Zone in Richtung auf die Bootsmittenachse.

2. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Bewegungserzeugungseinrichtungen für die Schaufelräder einen Winkelhebel (9), der am Boden bei (11) auf dem inneren Teil der Bootsseite abgestützt ist, eine Stange (10), die am Hebel (9) angelenkt ist, und eine Stütze (12) aufweist, die an der Stange (10) angelenkt und an der Bodenstruktur mittels einer Achse (16) abgestützt ist, die auf zwei Ebenen mit verzahnten Kreissektoren gebildet ist, die Verzahnungen unterschiedlicher Radien aufweisen, wobei der obere verzahnte Kreissektor (13) eine Innenverzahnung mit Radien aufweist, die länger sind als beim unteren verzahnten Sektor (14), der eine Außenverzahnung aufweist, aufweist, wobei jeder verzahnte Kreissektor mit einem Tellerrad (4-5) kämmt, das auf der Drehachse (3) eine Freilaufkupplung integral mit dem Schaufelrad (2) aufweist, dessen Rotationsrichtung ungeachtet dessen konstant bleibt, ob der Hebel (9) geschoben oder gezogen wird.

3. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Winkelhebel (9) an ihrem Knies (9a) einer 180°-Drehung ausgesetzt sein können, damit ihr Handgriff eine zum Bug gerichtete vorgerückte Stellung oder eine zum heck gerichtete rückgezogene Stellung einzunehmen vermag.

4. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass the eine einzige Bewegungserzeugungseinrichtung vorgesehen ist, und das die Achsen (25 und 26) der beiden untergetauchten Schaufelräder mit Ritzeln (17 und 18) verbunden sind, die mit den Rädern (19 und 20) kämmen, wobei die Schaufelräder mit derselben Geschwindigkeit entgegengesetzt rotieren, und wobei der Bewegungserzeuger an jedem Punkt der kinematischen Kette (17, 19, 20,18) betrieben sein kann, und wobei eine Steuerung für die vorübergehende Freigabe des Ritzels (17) von der Achse (25) und des Ritzels (18) von der Achse (26) den Blick auf die Rotation des einzigen Schaufelrads freigibt und dadurch das Lenken des Boots ermöglicht.

5. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Bewegungsgenerator ein System mit oszillierenden Pedalen ist und die Räder (19) und (20) die Bewegung abwechselnd über zwei Freilaufkupplungen aufnehmen, wobei die vorspringenden Räder (21) und (22) durch den Zahnriemen (24) angetrieben sind, der die Hin- und Herlaufbewegung aufnimmt.

6. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 4 und 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Räder (21) und (22) verzahnt sind und mit dem Zahnrad (23) kämmen, das eine doppelte Drehrichtung aufweist, um die kontinuierlichen Rotationen der Achsen (25) und (26) aus der abwechselnden Traktionsbewegung des Riemens (24) zu gewinnen, der auf das vorspringende Rad (27) einwirkt, das mit dem Zahnrad (23) fest verbunden ist.

7. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Rad (27) zur Bereitstellung der Gang- bzw. Geschwindigkeitsänderung aus eine Reihe von Rädern unterschiedlichen Durchmessers besteht.

8. Bootantriebs- und Lenksystem nach Anspruch 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Rad (27) ein Zahnrad ist, das durch zwei Zahnstangen angetrieben ist, die tangential zum transversalen Durchmesser des Rads (27) verlaufen.

Revendications

1. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau, comprenant une paire de turbines totalement immergées, une coque de bateau et un moyen de mouvement des turbines totalement immergées, dans lequel :

- les turbines immergées sont chacune composées d'un propulseur (1) ;

- chaque propulseur (1) comprend :

o Une roue à aubes horizontale avec des aubes inversées (2) ;

o Un axe de rotation vertical (3) d'une longueur adéquate pour connecter chaque roue à aubes horizontale (2) au moyen approprié pour transmettre la force requise pour la rotation de la roue à aubes (2) ;

- un logement pour chaque roue à aubes (2) prévu dans la coque du bateau, délimité par

o Une surface plane supérieure (6) totalement fermée ;

o Une surface latérale cylindrique (7) ouverte vers la zone basse externe du tableau arrière du bateau (7a) ;

o Une surface plane inférieure, ayant une zone centrale et correspondante à la surface de fond de la coque et délimitée par l'axe médian du bateau et par une ligne à l'intérieur du point de rotation de l'axe vertical de la roue à aubes (2)

- les aubes (2) de ladite roue à aubes horizontale sont en relation inverse

le système caractérisé en ce que

- ladite surface plane inférieure du logement est totalement ouverte dans la zone centrale et dans un secteur où les aubes tournent selon la direction du mouvement du bateau, la zone latérale externe, et ladite surface plane inférieure du logement est totalement fermée dans un secteur (8) où les aubes tournent dans la direction opposée à la direction du mouvement, la zone latérale située vers l'axe médian du bateau.

2. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le dispositif de génération de mouvement des roues à aubes comprend un levier coudé (9) pivotant en sa partie basse en (11) dans la partie interne du flanc du bateau ; une barre (10) articulée au levier (9) ; un support (12), articulé à la barre (10) pivotant par rapport à la structure du bateau au moyen d'un axe (16), qui est formé sur deux niveaux avec deux secteurs circulaires dentés décrits par des rayons différents ; le secteur denté supérieur (13) a une denture interne et est joint par des rayons d'une longueur supérieure à celui du secteur denté inférieur (14) qui a une denture externe ; chaque secteur circulaire denté s'engrène avec une couronne dentée (4-5) à embrayage à roue libre sur l'axe de rotation (3) couplé avec la roue à aubes (2) dont la direction de rotation reste constante que le levier (9) soit poussé ou tiré.

3. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que les leviers coudés (9) peuvent être assujettis à une rotation de 180° à leur articulation (9a) de manière à avoir leur poignée dans une position avancée vers l'avant du bateau ou dans une position arrière vers la poupe du bateau.

4. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce qu'un seul moyen de génération de mouvement est présent et que les axes (25 et 26) des deux roues à aubes immergées sont connectés aux pignons (17 et 18) qui s'engrènent avec les roues (19 et 20), les roues à aubes tournent en sens inverse à la même vitesse et le générateur de mouvement peut fonctionner n'importe où sur la chaîne cinétique (17, 19, 20, 18) ; une régulation de la relâche temporaire du pignon (17) de l'axe (25) et du pignon (18) de l'axe (26) permet de veiller à la rotation d'une seule des deux roues à aubes et, de ce fait, de diriger le bateau.

5. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce que le générateur de mouvement est un système avec des pédales oscillantes et les roues (19) et (20) reçoivent alternativement le mouvement au travers de deux roues libres couplées avec les saillies des roues (21) et (22) entrainées par la courroie dentée (24) qui reçoit le mouvement de va et vient.

6. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon les revendications 4 et 5, caractérisé en ce que les roues (21) et (22) sont dentées et s'engrènent avec la roue dentée (23) qui a un double sens de rotation de manière à obtenir les rotations continues des axes (25) et (26) à partir du mouvement alterné de la traction de la courroie (24) travaillant sur la saillie de la roue (27), connectée de façon rigide à la roue dentée (23).

7. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon la revendication 5, caractérisé en ce que la roue (27) est composée d'une série de roues ayant différents diamètres permettant le changement de vitesse.

8. Système de propulsion et de direction de bateau selon la revendication 6, caractérisé en ce que la roue (27) est une roue dentée et est entrainée par deux supports tangents au diamètre transverse de la roue (27).

Drawing