EP1500587A1

EP1500587A1 - Muscle propelled boat-like construction

Info

Publication number: EP1500587A1
Application number: EP04016950A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario Crippa
Original assignee: Crippa Srl
Current assignee: Crippa Srl
Priority date: 2003-07-22
Filing date: 2004-07-19
Publication date: 2005-01-26
Also published as: ITMI20031511A1

Abstract

An improved muscle propelled boat or watercraft like construction is characterized in that said construction comprises a hull (2) including a propelling assembly (5), which is driven by the combined action of the arms and legs of the user, the propelling assembly comprising a gear transmission (50).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved muscle propelled boat or watercraft like construction.
Several types of watercrafts or boats, which are not motor driven, for sports and recreational use, such as, for example, surf tables, small catamarans, and other like devices, which are propelled on water by sails or oars, are already known.
Yet other types of sports crafts, such as the so-called "pedalos" comprise a small hull, of catamaran shape, having independent pedals which directly drive a blade propeller or the like.
An user of such a sports craft drives the craft pedal by seating on a bench formed on the craft thereby causing said craft to advance as the pedals are driven.
However, in such a case, the direction variations can be obtained in a very difficult manner, since no directional rudder is provided; moreover, for driving the mentioned pedalos, it is necessary to apply to the pedals a comparatively high effort, which, in a case of rough waters or in sailing against the wind, can be hardly provided by the user.
This is due to the fact that the transmission ratio of the pedal driving means is a fixed one.
Thus, in actual practice, prior sports crafts have, in addition to the above disclosed drawbacks, a further drawback that they do not allow to remove at will the pedal driving means for driving the craft by sails, oars, or simply by the arms, as in a case of water ski tables.
For overcoming the above drawbacks, a craft using a pedal driving structure, substantially comprising a conventional bicycle adapted to be easily and quickly coupled to and removed from the craft, to allow the latter to be driven with conventional propelling means, has been already proposed.
As is known, bicycles conventionally comprise a driving system including a pedal assembly, driving a gear wheel coupled to a pinion of the bicycle rear wheel through a coupling chain.
Said pinion is a freewheeling element, thereby allowing to interrupt the pedalling operation, while allowing said pinion to freely turn with the rear wheel.
This conventional pedal system is very simple construction wise but, as is known, it has the drawback that it cannot be fully exploit the muscle capability of the user, since only a comparatively small portion of the pedal rotary angle is used for propelling purposes.
Moreover, as it should be apparent, the pedal driving or propelling system exclusively exploits the user legs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide such a sports craft adapted to fully exploit the propelling muscle force, in a much more efficient manner than in prior like sports crafts.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a sports craft which, in addition to being an efficient boat or watercraft implement, is also adapted to exercise the user body.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a sports crafts the direction of which can be easily and quickly changed during the navigation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a sports craft which comprises very reliable and safe propelling means.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a sports craft construction which is very simple construction wise and operatively reliable.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an improved muscle propelled boat or watercraft like construction, characterized in that said construction comprises a hull including a propelling assembly, adapted to be driven by a combined action of the arms and legs of an user, said propelling assembly comprising a gear wheel transmission.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings, where:
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the use of the improved muscle propelled boat or watercraft like construction according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the muscle propelled construction according to the invention;
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the propelling or driving means portion;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the boat or watercraft like construction according to the invention; and
Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the muscle propelled construction according to a further aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the boat or watercraft like construction according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1, comprises a hull 2, which can be a conventional sports craft hull, such as a surf table, a catamaran or the like.
More specifically, the propelling or driving means comprise a propeller 5 which is driven through a flexible transmission shaft 8, which has been schematically shown by a dashed line, engaged in a curved sleeve 7, coupled to the hull 2.
In particular, said transmission shaft 8 is rotatively driven by a gear transmission, generally indicated by the reference number 50.
The gear transmission 50 comprises a secondary gear 11, coupled to the shaft 8 through a conic gear pair 30.
The secondary gear 11 is kinematically associated with a primary gear 12 which is supported by a supporting bar 15 rigid with the hull 2.
The supporting bar 15 supports a supporting upright 55 in turn supporting a seat 16.
Said seat 16 comprises a conventional bicycle saddle, coupled to said supporting upright 55 by a conventional bicycle attachment assembly and being adjustable in height.
The boat or watercraft like construction according to the present invention comprises moreover a muscle propelling system which can be driven simultaneously by the arms and legs of an user.
More specifically, said propelling system comprises a pair of longitudinal bars 17, which can be driven by the user feet, and a pair of vertical bars 18 which can be driven by the user hands, adapted to drive in turn the primary gear 12 for actuating the propelling assembly 50.
The boat or watercraft transmission 1 comprises moreover a front rudder assembly including a front rudder 26 coupled to a rod 27 engaged in a front upright 23 and ending with a rudder bar 24 to be manually operated.
The front upright 26 is the same upright for pivotably coupling the vertical bar 18.
Such a front rudder assembly will allow the boat or watercraft like construction to be easily manoeuvred, thereby the construction will practically be able of turning or spinning on itself.
Figure 5 shows a boat or watercraft like construction according to a further aspect of the present invention, and which has been generally indicated by the reference number 101, and being analogous to the watercraft construction 1, but including a modified propelling system.
In fact, the boat construction 101 comprises propelling means including a transmission 150 which is substantially similar to the above disclosed transmission 50, but being offset to the front on the supporting bar 15.
The boat construction 101 comprises moreover a seat or saddle 116 coupled to the supporting bar 15 and pedals 120 coupled to the primary gear 112 of the transmission 150.
The arm propelling system is conceptually identical to the above disclosed propelling system, but comprising a pair of vertical bars 117, coupled to the pedals 120 to be driven by the user feet, and a pair of horizontal bars 118, which can be driven by the user hands, for driving in turn the primary gear 112 for actuating the propelling assembly 150.
The displacement toward the boat bow of the transmission does not substantially modify the mixed propelling construction of the boat, but modifies the position of the user which, in this second embodiment, will assume a stretched out attitude, with the legs frontward directed, instead of a substantially seated position, as in the first embodiment, similar to the position assumed on a conventional bicycle.
It has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
In fact, the invention provides a boat or watercraft like construction using, as the propelling force, the muscle effort or force, in a much more complete and efficient manner than conventional like sports crafts.
In practicing the invention, the used materials, and the contingent size and shapes can be any, depending on requirements.

Claims

An improved muscle propelled boat or watercraft like construction, characterized in that said construction comprises a hull including a propelling assembly driven by a combined action of the arms and legs of the user, and that said propelling assembly comprises a gear transmission.
A construction, according to claim 1, characterized in that said propelling assembly comprises a propeller driven by a flexible transmission shaft, fitted in a curved sleeve coupled to the hull.
A construction, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said gear transmission comprises a secondary gear, coupled to said shaft through a conic gear pair, and being kinematically coupled to a primary gear, which is supported by a supporting bar rigid with said hull.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting bar supports an upright in turn supporting a seat.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seat comprises a conventional bicycle saddle coupled to said supporting upright by a conventional bicycle attachment assembly, and being adjustable in height.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said construction comprises a muscle operated propelling system which can be simultaneously driven by the arms and legs of an user.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said propelling system comprises a pair of longitudinal bars, adapted to be driven by the user feet, and a pair of vertical bars, adapted to be driven by the user hands, for driving in turn said primary gear for actuating said propelling assembly.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said construction comprises a front rudder assembly, including a front rudder element coupled to a rod engaged in a front upright and ending with a rudder bar which can be manually driven.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said front upright is the same upright used for pivotably coupling said vertical bars.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said construction comprises propelling means constituted by a gear transmission which is frontward offset on said supporting bar.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said construction comprises a seat coupled to said support bar and pedals coupled to said transmission primary gear.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said arm propelling system comprises a pair of vertical bars, coupled to said pedals, and a pair of horizontal bars, which can be driven by the user hands, for driving in turn said primary gear for actuating said propelling assembly.
A construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting upright comprises a supporting bars pivoted to said supporting upright, thereby its inclination can be adjusted to adjust in turn the position of said seat coupled to said supporting bar.
A boat or watercraft like construction, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said construction comprises one or more of the disclosed and/or illustrated features.