EP0651712B1 - Submersible - Google Patents

Submersible Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0651712B1
EP0651712B1 EP93917919A EP93917919A EP0651712B1 EP 0651712 B1 EP0651712 B1 EP 0651712B1 EP 93917919 A EP93917919 A EP 93917919A EP 93917919 A EP93917919 A EP 93917919A EP 0651712 B1 EP0651712 B1 EP 0651712B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
vessel
user
submersible vessel
seat
motor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93917919A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0651712A1 (fr
Inventor
Andrew John Saville Sneath
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0651712A1 publication Critical patent/EP0651712A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0651712B1 publication Critical patent/EP0651712B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/46—Divers' sleds or like craft, i.e. craft on which man in diving-suit rides

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a submersible vessel.
  • a known type of submersible vessel comprises a sealed chamber which houses one or more occupants. The occupants enter the chamber via a hatch and can spend considerable lengths of time underwater.
  • the vessel includes air tanks supplying air for breathing to the chamber as well as to buoyancy tanks which enable the vessel to dive and surface.
  • the vessel also includes motors enabling the vessel to be manoeuvred underwater.
  • Another type of submersible vessel is arranged to form a bubble of air at the same pressure as the surrounding water. Divers can enter and leave the vessel underwater via a hatch.
  • FR 2577511 A which comprises a chassis to which a seat is mounted, there being provided a chamber into which the head of a user projects, the chamber holding a supply of air thus enabling the user to breathe.
  • a submersible vessel comprising a body portion and a seat portion, the body portion being arranged to contain a volume of air above the seat portion when the vessel is submerged so that at least the user's head can project out of the water into said volume of air thereby enabling the user to breathe, characterized in that the seat portion may be straddled by the user such that the legs of the user may extend freely below the vessel.
  • the body portion of the vessel only needs to be relatively small.
  • ballast weights are provided in the seat portion so that the vessel remains upright in the water.
  • the volume of air is replenished from a compressed air cylinder.
  • the cylinder is preferably mounted in the seat portion, the user sitting astride the cylinder.
  • the vessel may be propelled by a motor which is driven by compressed air.
  • the vessel may be propelled by an electric motor powered by batteries preferably housed on the seat portion.
  • the vessel may have no motor (or the motor may be de-energised) and the user may "walk" along the sea or river bed whilst remaining astride the seat.
  • a submersible vessel comprising a body portion 10 mounted above a seat portion 12.
  • the body portion 10 comprises a sealed dome-shaped compartment having an open bottom.
  • the compartment comprises a window 11 which is sealed to a casing 15 by a seal 13.
  • a bubble of air is trapped inside the compartment: a user sitting on the seat portion 12 has his head and upper body projecting into the compartment to breathe the trapped air.
  • the vessel is powered by a compressed air motor 41 which drives a propeller 43.
  • the exhaust air from the motor 41 is used to refresh the air inside the compartment: this reduces the overall air consumption of the vessel. Compressed air is supplied from a tank 31 mounted inside the seat portion 12.
  • a closure 38 is provided on the seat portion 12 to allow the tank 31 to be removed and to give access to a ballast weight 37 mounted below the tank 31.
  • the ballast weight 37 weighs approximately the same as the quantity of water displaced by the trapped air.
  • the ballast weight 37 is removable so that the vessel can be transported easily when it is out of the water.
  • a directable nozzle 42 is mounted behind the propeller 43 so that the vessel can be steered.
  • the controls 33 e.g. for motor speed and direction are mounted in front of the user and direct a supply of compressed air along a plurality of pipes 39 to the respective motors and actuators.
  • a buoyancy bag 34 is housed inside the body 10 and can be inflated to cause the vessel to surface.
  • Air is fed into the compartment through an inlet 45 and an outlet 46 is provided so that excess air can be expelled to maintain a constant air volume.
  • a control may be provided so that the trapped air can be rapidly flushed.
  • Further controls may also be provided for surfacing in an emergency or for surfacing at a controlled rate from depths for decompression purposes. Automatic controls may be provided for surfacing when the air supply is low, surfacing on recall and for halting dives below a predetermined depth.
  • Grab handles, lights and cameras may be provided on the vessel and a lifting point is preferably formed on the top of the body portion.
  • a modified vessel may have no motor at all.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Percussion Or Vibration Massage (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
  • Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)

Claims (6)

  1. Vaisseau submersible comprenant une partie de coque et une partie de siège, la partie de coque étant agencée pour contenir un certain volume d'air au-dessus de la partie de siège quand le vaisseau est immergé, de manière que la tête de l'utilisateur au moins puisse dépasser hors de l'eau et pénétrer dans ledit volume d'air, grâce à quoi l'utilisateur peut respirer, caractérisé en ce que l'utilisateur peut enjamber la partie de siège de manière que ses jambes s'étendent librement sous le vaisseau.
  2. Vaisseau submersible selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la partie de coque s'étend substantiellement verticalement depuis une extrémité avant du siège en permettant à l'utilisateur d'accéder au milieu environnant sur les côtés du vaisseau.
  3. Vaisseau submersible selon la revendication 1 ou la revendication 2, comprenant un système de propulsion fonctionnellement accouplé à l'une des parties de siège ou de coque afin de propulser le vaisseau sous l'eau.
  4. Vaisseau submersible selon la revendication 3, dans lequel le système de propulsion comprend un moteur électrique alimenté et une hélice entraínée par le moteur.
  5. Vaisseau submersible selon la revendication 3 ou la revendication 4, dans lequel le système de propulsion comprend un moteur, une hélice entraínée par le moteur, et une buse orientable pour orienter un flux d'eau produit par l'hélice.
  6. Vaisseau submersible selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, comprenant un poids de ballast placé, amovible, à l'intérieur du siège pour faciliter le transport du vaisseau submersible à terre.
EP93917919A 1992-07-25 1993-07-26 Submersible Expired - Lifetime EP0651712B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9215874 1992-07-25
GB929215874A GB9215874D0 (en) 1992-07-25 1992-07-25 A submersible vessel
PCT/GB1993/001578 WO1994002355A1 (fr) 1992-07-25 1993-07-26 Submersible

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0651712A1 EP0651712A1 (fr) 1995-05-10
EP0651712B1 true EP0651712B1 (fr) 1998-10-07

Family

ID=10719326

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93917919A Expired - Lifetime EP0651712B1 (fr) 1992-07-25 1993-07-26 Submersible

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0651712B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH07509199A (fr)
AU (1) AU671664B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2140881A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69321472T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2125997T3 (fr)
GB (1) GB9215874D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1994002355A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2762286B1 (fr) * 1997-04-18 2000-02-25 Fotomak Sa Perfectionnements aux vehicules sous-marins a bulles de ventilation
WO2006015438A1 (fr) * 2004-08-10 2006-02-16 John William Dawson Vaisseau submersible
FR2881105B1 (fr) 2005-01-21 2007-03-30 Luc Billard Vehicule sous-marin a pression ambiante
US8869729B2 (en) * 2011-07-08 2014-10-28 Julien Montousse Underwater personal mobility device
EP2943399B1 (fr) 2013-01-10 2017-03-01 Julien Montousse Dispositif de mobilité personnel sous-marin à oxygène embarqué

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1148743A (fr) * 1956-04-27 1957-12-13 Véhicule sous-marin
US3255723A (en) * 1964-05-18 1966-06-14 Teetor Herman Dual purpose watercraft
US4348976A (en) * 1980-03-11 1982-09-14 Gilbert Donald R Diver tow compressor unit
FR2577511A1 (fr) * 1985-02-15 1986-08-22 Flandin Blety Coraline Dispositif nautique pour la sustentation, l'avancement en surface et la promenade sous-marine
US4889066A (en) * 1988-06-02 1989-12-26 Blue Space Submersibles, Inc. Submersible vehicle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES2125997T3 (es) 1999-03-16
GB9215874D0 (en) 1992-09-09
EP0651712A1 (fr) 1995-05-10
WO1994002355A1 (fr) 1994-02-03
DE69321472T2 (de) 1999-05-27
CA2140881A1 (fr) 1994-02-03
AU4716693A (en) 1994-02-14
AU671664B2 (en) 1996-09-05
JPH07509199A (ja) 1995-10-12
DE69321472D1 (de) 1998-11-12

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