FI125295B - Waterborne vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Water vehicle

Background of the Invention

The invention relates to a vehicle traveling in water.

The invention further relates to a method for balancing a vehicle in water.

An important feature of a waterborne vehicle is its buoyancy and movement properties. Especially at higher waves and if you want to increase the speed of movement, getting these features is always only more challenging. Particularly for vehicles that move on land as well as in water, getting these features enough is quite challenging. In armored land and water vehicles, the weight and shape of the vehicle, and the distribution of weight through them, pose particular challenges to the floating and water-moving properties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a new type of water vehicle and a method for balancing a vehicle in water.

The solution according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the independent claims.

Certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims.

In the embodiment shown, the water vehicle has a body and a bucket plate fitted to the body. The truss plate is pivotable towards the body and away from the body. A bag is fitted between the truss plate and the basket. The wall of the bag is made of a material that is waterproof, airtight and flexible. Further, an opening is provided at the bottom of the bag. Such a solution allows the truffle plate to be rotated, if desired, to prevent water from entering the basket, and the bag to prevent the accumulation of water behind the truffle plate on the basket. Thus, the vehicle's float position is maintained as desired. The solution allows the vehicle to be used at very high waves and at relatively high speeds. Turning the truss plate both open and away from the basket and also closed, ie towards the basket, can be done quickly.

According to one embodiment, the vehicle can be operated such that, when driven into the water, the buckwheat plate is rotated away from the body, whereby the bucket plate straightens the bag. When driving in water, the opening in the bottom of the bag will settle below the surface of the water, whereby the pressure of the water will swell the bag, i.e., when traveling in water, the bag will be swollen and thus function effectively to improve swimming properties. When driven out of the water, the bucket plate can be swiveled towards the basket quickly as the bag empties through the opening in the bottom.

The idea of one embodiment is that the pouch is narrower than the tumbler plate. In this case, the structure of the proposed solution can be implemented simply. The truss plate may, for example, have a center plate with a bag behind it and side panels on each side of the center plate, so that there is no bag behind. For example, in such a solution, water may drain from the points behind the side panels out of the basket, also increasing the flow of water away from the center panel behind the basket.

The idea of one embodiment is that the aperture in the bottom is fitted to the center of the bag, so that as the vehicle passes under water, it is possible to keep the opening as completely as possible under water, thereby maintaining the pressure inside the bag. According to one embodiment, support means, such as support tubes, are arranged in connection with the bag. The support means allow the bag to be reliably supported and, at the same time, to guarantee the basic shape of the bag, thereby enabling the bag to function as desired.

According to one embodiment, the vehicle is also land-based.

According to one embodiment, the vehicle is an armored vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the front of the vehicle body is inclined and the tumbler plate is fitted to the front of the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle.

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the vehicle of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the solution of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic top view of another vehicle.

Figure 5 shows a detail of the solution of Figure 4 when viewed from the outside of the vehicle.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the vehicle body of Figure 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a vehicle, in this case an armored infantry wagon. For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 shows a simplified structure of the vehicle. Thus, in Fig. 1, only the basic shape of the body 1 is blocked. Instead, Figure 1 does not show the vehicle's weaponry, hatch covers, steering and surveillance equipment, or any other similar details.

The shape of the basket 1 is such that its front part, i.e. the right end of Figure 1, is tapered in cross-section. Because of the tapered shape, the front of the vehicle body 1 has bevelled surfaces, which makes the body 1 more resistant to projectiles fired towards it. A further tapered front makes the vehicle vulnerable to a hit. As shown in Figure 3, the front of the vehicle body 1 is also tapered from above. On the other hand, the body 1 of the vehicle is made stronger in its front armor. Thus, the volume of the vehicle at the front of the body 1 is smaller than that of the other body, and on the other hand its weight is higher at the front. Thus, in water, the weight distribution of such a vehicle is such that the front end tends to tilt downward. This causes a problem as you move forward, since the front is facing down below the surface.

The vehicle also includes means for moving it in water. Such means may comprise, for example, propellers and rudder and the like. For the sake of clarity, only propeller 2 is shown in Fig. 1 of such means.

The vehicle of Figure 1 is also land-based. For land travel, the vehicle of Figure 1 has rings 3. Landing means may also be tracks or other similar means. For the sake of clarity, Figure 1 does not show the engines or transmission or other similar means necessary for moving the vehicle on land or at sea.

The vehicle has a tumbler plate 4 at the front of the body 1. The tumbler plate 4 is hinged to the body 1 via a hinge 5. Thus, the tumbler plate 4 is pivotable toward the body 1 and pivotable away from the body 1. 1.

When the vehicle of Fig. 1 is driven on land, the tumbler plate 4 is typically pivoted against the body 1. In this case, the driver of the vehicle has as unobstructed a forward view as possible.

When the vehicle is driven in water, the tumbler plate 4 is rotated to the position shown in Fig. 2. In this case, the tumbler plate 4 is typically at or about the same angle as the lower part 6 of the front of the body 1. According to one embodiment, the angle α between the opened tumbler plate 4 and the lower 6 of the less than ± 10 ° according to the third embodiment.

The tumbler plate 4 prevents water from reaching the top 7 of the front of the basket. As it moves forward, the tumbler plate 4 allows the front of the basket to be better retained without diving under water.

The ram plate 4 is moved by hydraulic cylinders 8. The hydraulic cylinder 8 is provided with a so-called knee joint 9 support arm 10. When turned into the water movement position shown in Fig. 2, 4 per basket 1.

A bag 11 is disposed between the truffle plate 4 and the basket 1. The bag 11 is secured to the truffle plate 4 on the one hand and to the basket 1. Turning the truffle plate 4 to the position shown in Figure 2 corrects the bag 11. 4 and bodywork.

The wall of the bag 11 is made of a material that is watertight, airtight and flexible. Further, the wall should be made of a very durable material. One example of such material is the fabric used to make diving and floating suits. The wall may have, for example, a layer of rubber and a layer of fabric. The wall may be, for example, a trilaminate with a fabric available under the trade name Cordura.

The supporting tubes 12 are arranged in connection with the bag 11. The supporting tubes 12 are arranged to pivot about the hinge 5. The bag 11 is attached to the support tubes 12, whereby the support tubes 12 give the bag 11 its basic shape and support it. Figure 2 shows two support tubes 12, but if used, one or two or three or even more may be provided. If there are two or more support tubes, they are arranged to extend at a different distance from the hinge 5. Thus, when the gutter plate 4 is rotated towards the basket 1, they do not overlap if the support tubes 12 are still of different widths in the vehicle. In this way, the tumbler plate 4 can be pivoted close to the top of the body 7. Further, the support tubes 12 help to fold the bag 11 when the tumbler plate 4 is pivoted toward the body 1. Instead of the support tubes 12, support bars or other suitable support means can also be used.

On the other hand, the size of the opening 13 is adapted to be small enough to keep the opening 13 as completely as possible submerged when the vehicle is in the water. On the other hand, the opening 13 must be large enough for the bag to be emptied quickly and efficiently of the air and any water inside it when turning the tumbler plate 4 towards the basket 1.

The size of the bag 11 is adapted to the size of the vehicle and the utility required. According to one example, with a vehicle of about 2.8 m in width, a bag having a width of about 1.4 m, a depth, i.e. a bag measuring about 0.6 m, and a bag height of about 0.6 m can be used. the size of the opening 13 in the bag may be, for example, 0.1 mx 0.2 m. The volume of the bag 11 may vary, e.g., from 200 liters to several thousand liters. The shape of the aperture 13 may be round or square or rectangular or any polygon or other shape. According to one embodiment, the aperture 13 has a minimum diameter or otherwise a minimum dimension of at least 50 mm. According to a further embodiment, the size of the opening 13 is less than 80% of the maximum cross-sectional area of the bag viewed from above. According to a further embodiment, the size of the opening 13 is less than 50% of said cross-sectional area and in yet another embodiment the size of the opening 13 is less than 20% of said cross-sectional area. According to another embodiment, the aperture 13 has a maximum diameter or other dimension less than 1 m. In another embodiment, said largest diameter or other dimension is less than 0.5 m and in a third embodiment said diameter or other dimension is less than 0.3 m. m.

The aperture 13 is thus arranged in the lower part of the bag 11. In Figure 3, the opening 13 is illustrated by dashed lines. When the vehicle is in the water, the opening 13 in the bottom of the bag 11 is located below the water surface. In this case, water 11 is drawn into the bag 11 through the opening 13. Water pressure compresses the air in bag 11. Compressed air in bag 11 prevents additional water from flowing into bag 11. When the opening 13 is completely submerged, the air pressure inside the bag 11 is higher than the outside environment, whereby the bag 11 remains puffed up.

The bag 11 prevents the accumulation of water behind the barrel plate 4 on the upper part 7 of the basket 1. The bag 11 and the air inside it also float the vehicle. Preferably, however, when dimensioning the buoyancy characteristics of the vehicle, the buoyancy effect of the bag 11 is not taken into account, but the buoyancy characteristics of the vehicle are dimensioned such that they are sufficient even if the bag 11 does not improve the buoyancy characteristics. However, overall, the bag 11 can, in any case, improve the water-floating and water-moving properties of the vehicle. For example, a vehicle is capable of traveling at higher waves and at a higher speed than a similar vehicle without a bag.

As stated above, the opening 13 is large enough for the bag 11 to be effectively discharged from inside air and possibly from water as it is turned toward basket 1. In this way, the trough plate 4 can be swiveled rapidly against the basket 1. Turning the trough plate 4 against the basket 1 can take place in seconds.

According to one embodiment, the opening 13 is fitted to the central portion of the bottom of the bag 11. Hereby, as the vehicle passes through the water, the opening 13 as a whole is submerged in the water. Thereby a pressure is maintained inside the bag 11 which keeps the bag 11 puffed.

As shown in Fig. 3, the width of the bag 11 is smaller than the width of the tumbler plate 4. Hereby the pivoting means of the tumbler plate 4, for example the hydraulic cylinders 8 and the supporting arms 10 associated therewith, can be arranged between the tumbler plate 4 and the basket 1, but also outside the bag 11. In this case, the entire structure of the solution can be implemented simply.

According to one embodiment, the pivoting means of the tumbler plate 4 can be arranged outside the tumbler plate 4. In this case, the bag 11, which is located between the bucket plate 4 and the basket 1, can also be, without complicated arrangements, a width of the bucket plate 4.

As shown in Fig. 4, for example, the tumbler plate 4 may consist of a center plate 14 and a side plate 15 disposed on each side thereof. For example, in such a solution, at the locations behind the side plates 15, the water from the top 7 of the basket 1 can drain off while increasing the flow of water away from the rear plate 14 over the top 7 of the basket 1.

Figure 4 also shows a wire 16 which is secured at its ends to the edges of the basket. Further, the wire passes through the securing rings 17 in the center plate 14. When the truss plate 4 is folded open to a position, i.e., as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the wire is tightened, thereby providing additional support to the truss plate structure.

As shown in Figure 4, the side panels 15 can be mounted inclined with respect to the center panel 14. The side panels 15 can then be formed, for example, according to the structure illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The side plate 15 may consist of an inner portion 15a and an outer portion 15b. The inner part 15a is secured by a hinge 18 to the center plate 14. The outer part 15b is secured to the vehicle body 1 by a hinge 19. The hinge 18 is thus vertical and the hinge 19 is horizontal. The inner portion 15a and the outer portion 15b are slidable relative to one another. A slot 20 is provided in the outer portion 15b which secures the inner portion 15a and the outer portion 15b together when the tumbler plate 4 is pivoted toward the body. Since the center plate 14 and side plates 15 are at right angles to each other, the edge towards the center plate 14 of the outer portion 15b is formed obliquely, so that the outer portion 15b and the center plate 14 do not overlap even when the gutter plate 4 which is rotational with respect to the outer part 15b.

In the solution illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the side plate 15 is formed of two parts. If desired, the side plate 15 may also be formed of one or more than two portions.

The above solution, and all their various embodiments and combinations, can be applied to any waterborne vehicle. Thus, a vehicle in the water may be, for example, a boat or a barge or a ship. In this case, the tumbler plate is rotated away from the body when needed, for example, when the waves so require or when the speed of movement increases.

According to one embodiment, the vehicle is also land-based. Typically, the trash plate is then held against the body when the vehicle is being driven on land and the trash plate is rotated away from the body when moving from the ground to the water. The truss plate is opened before being immersed in water.

According to one embodiment, the vehicle is an armored vehicle. In this case, armored vehicle armor does not need to take into account at least as much compromise as floating and / or water-moving properties.

According to one embodiment, the front of the vehicle body is inclined and the tumbler plate is fitted to the front of the body. This allows the front of the vehicle body to be shaped as desired and can also be heavy, for example, when required by armor, and nevertheless the float and / or water-moving properties of the vehicle are very good with the help of a yoke plate and bag.

The vehicle may be fitted with one or more tumbler plates and may also be fitted with a tumbler plate but not a bag. On the other hand, when using multiple truffle plates, there may be a bag attached to one of the truffle plates and some of the truffle plate may be without the bag. The basic structure of the tumbler plate may be any of the foregoing, i.e., for example, if the vehicle has a plurality of tumbler plates, their structure may be either identical or the tumbler plates may be different from one another. For example, the front of the vehicle may have a plurality of plates, the plates of which may consist of a plurality of sections, and the simple edge plates of the vehicle.

It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above, but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims (15)

A watercolor vehicle comprising a chassis (1), a firing disc (4) arranged in conjunction with the chassis (1), which can be pivoted towards the chassis (1) and away from the chassis (1) and one between the firing disc (4) and The bag (11) is provided with the bag (11), the wall of the bag (11) being of a material which is water and airtight and flexible and in which the lower part of the bag (11) has an opening (13). Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the bag (11) is less than the width of the firing plate (4). Vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the firing plate (4) has a center plate (14), and on each side of this side plates (15) and that the bag (11) is arranged behind the middle plate (14). Vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that the side plate (15) is formed of two or more parts. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the size of the opening (13) on the bottom of the bag (11) is below 50% of the maximum cross-section seen from above. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the minimum diameter of the opening (13) on the bottom of the bag (11) or any other corresponding dimension is at least 50 mm. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (13) is arranged on the middle portion of the bottom of the bag (11). Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that support means are provided in connection with the bag (11). Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle also travels on land. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vehicle is an armored vehicle. Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front part of the vehicle chassis (1) is tapered and the firing plate (4) is arranged in the front part of the chassis (1). Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the angle between the firing plate (4) which is removed from the chassis (1) and the lower part of the front part of the chassis (1) is less than ± 30 °. A method of balancing a vehicle in water, the vehicle comprising a chassis (1), a firing disc (4) arranged in connection with the chassis (1) and a bag (11) arranged between the firing plate (4) and the chassis (1). , in which the lower part of the bag is provided with an opening (13), the bag (11) being fixed on one side of the chassis (1) and on the other hand in the firing plate (4), whereby the firing plate (4) away from the chassis ( 1) straightens the bag (11) and when running in water, the opening (13) is arranged on the bottom of the bag (11) below the water surface, the pressure of the water stretching the bag (11). 14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that, after rising from the water, the firing plate (4) is pivoted towards the chassis (1) and the bag (11) is emptied of air and possibly water via the opening (13) on the bottom of the bag. Method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the firing plate (4) is pivoted away from the chassis (1) so much that the angle between the firing plate (4) and the lower part of the front part of the chassis (1) is below ± 30 °.