EP2620358B1 - Remotely operated submersible vehicle - Google Patents
Remotely operated submersible vehicle Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2620358B1 EP2620358B1 EP20120153107 EP12153107A EP2620358B1 EP 2620358 B1 EP2620358 B1 EP 2620358B1 EP 20120153107 EP20120153107 EP 20120153107 EP 12153107 A EP12153107 A EP 12153107A EP 2620358 B1 EP2620358 B1 EP 2620358B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- mount
- camera
- propeller
- shaft
- center
- 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.)
- Not-in-force
Links
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims description 21
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 20
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 claims description 17
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 8
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 230000003068 static effect Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 101100011369 Caenorhabditis elegans egl-26 gene Proteins 0.000 description 10
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000003643 water by type Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000014653 Carica parviflora Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 241000243321 Cnidaria Species 0.000 description 1
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000013505 freshwater Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003292 glue Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004519 grease Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003116 impacting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007935 neutral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000013535 sea water Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63G—OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
- B63G8/00—Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor
- B63G8/001—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations
-
- 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
- B63C11/48—Means for searching for underwater objects
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to a mechanism for adjusting the pitch of a subsea vehicle, and more particularly, a mechanism that is contained entirely within the body of the vehicle, such as known from WO8900527 .
- the present invention improves over the prior art by employing the use of as few as two thrusters and an internal mechanism used to control the pitch from within the shell of the submersible.
- No ballast system, rudder system, or additional thrusters are required, saving complexity and money while improving reliability.
- Output shafts through rotary seals or magnetic couplers are minimized to as few as the two essential thrusters, minimizing leak points.
- the submersible takes on a circular profile while looking at it from the side.
- a shaft crosses the submersible at the center on the pitch axis that is fixed to the external shell holding the thrusters. From this shaft the framework of the submersible hangs with all of the essential components and any additional weight required gaining the desired buoyancy.
- a motor such as a servo motor is mounted to the framework and is coupled to a gear, sprocket or pulley that is fixed on the center shaft. When activated the motor rotates the shell of the submersible along with the thrusters to the desired pitch while the internal frame remains low.
- This system allows the use of conventional low cost components to adjust pitch while remaining safely inside the confines of the submersible.
- the center of gravity for the submersible does not need to coincide at the same point as the center of buoyancy. However, as with any other submersible, the center of gravity needs to be beneath the center of buoyancy in order to take advantage of equilibrium and the natural righting moment used to remain stable.
- An additional advantage to this configuration allows a camera and floodlight to be mounted to the center shaft and rotate independently of the body around a center ring window. If the internal frame allows for it, the camera could potentially have an unobstructed 360 degree field of view around the pitch axis.
- the present invention is a submersible body that possesses the ability to remain stable while pitching.
- surge, sway and heave represent translation along the three axes of a vessel, while roll, pitch and yaw represent angular rotation about those axes.
- Pitch and heave is the freedom of a submersible to move in the vertical plane that differentiates it from a surface ship. It will be this motion and more specifically, the use of pitch, to move vertically in the present invention.
- Stability is the property of a body that causes it to develop forces, which work to return it to the original position when disturbed from a condition of equilibrium. When the resultant forces and moments acting on an underwater vehicle are zero, it is said to be in a state of equilibrium.
- the two natural factors that determine the stability of a submerged vehicle is the positional relationship between the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity, along with the magnitude of the effective mass.
- the center of buoyancy (COB) is the geometric center of volume of the displaced water.
- the center of gravity (COG) is the effective center of mass of the submersible. In order to become neutrally buoyant, the submersible must have a mass equal to that of the water it is displacing.
- the submersible COG 4 In order to gain stability, the submersible COG 4 must be as far away from the COB 3 as possible. As shown in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , and FIG. 4 , in the case of the present invention as well as the vast majority of submersibles, the submersible COG 4 is located in the lower portion of the vehicle. With any distance between these two points, the submersible will naturally move towards equilibrium, which places the submersible COG 4 directly underneath the COB 3 due to the forces of gravity. It is this natural righting moment that gives the submersible its stability. Illustrated in FIG. 5 , the magnitude of the righting moment is determined by the mass of the submersible located at the submersible COG 4 multiplied by its distance, M, from an axis drawn through the COB 3 in the direction gravity is acting.
- the present invention comprises of two main structures including an external body 1 and an internal body 2.
- the external body 1 comprises of a charge port 11, a control tether port 12, shell bodies 13, thrusters 14, a viewing window 15, a tether support 16, window sealing o-rings 17, and a center shaft 22.
- the shell bodies 13 and the viewing window 15 together define the structure of the overall external body 1.
- the shell bodies 13 have circular profiles and comprise of a thruster mount 131, a propeller guarding collar 132, propeller guards 133, and sealing fastener ports 134.
- the frontal profile of the submersible should be symmetrical across the XY plane to balance the drag on the frontal area of the submersible.
- the viewing window 15 is a transparent tube of the same size and radius as the circular profile of the shell bodies 13.
- the center shaft 22 is connected to the center of the circular profiles between the shell bodies 13. This design allows the submersible to maintain stability and control.
- the shell bodies 13 are connected to both sides of the viewing window 15.
- the window sealing orings 17 are o-rings that are placed between the viewing window 15 and the shell bodies 13 to seal the connection. The window sealing o-rings 17 ensure that the space within the external body 1 remains water tight.
- sealing fasteners 502 are inserted to secure the corresponding shell bodies 13 together at the sealing fastener ports 134.
- the submersible will include four sealing fasteners 502 to tighten and hold the bodies together.
- the submersible may be smaller and will have a single sealing fastener inserted through the pitching axis of the submersible for securing the bodies together. The location of the sealing fastener 502 on the pitching axis will not obstruct the view of the video camera 30.
- the external body 1 is used primarily to hold out water and to mount the thrusters 14.
- the viewing window 15, being a tube, will have shell bodies 13 on the right side and the left side.
- the control tether port 12 is positioned adjacent to the propeller guarding collar 132 and the viewing window 15 on the right shell body.
- the charge port 11 is positioned adjacent to the propeller guarding collar 132 and the viewing window 15 on the left shell body.
- the charge port 11 and the control tether port 12 are positioned opposite of each other over the viewing window 15.
- Between the charge port 11 and the control tether port 12 is connected the tether support 16.
- the tether support 16 is fastened to the right and left shell bodies 13 by the tether support fasteners 501.
- the charge port 11 is for connecting to a smart charger 6 to charge the submersible's batteries.
- the control tether port 12 is used for connection to a game pad controller by a long control tether. The game pad controller allows the user to control the submersible remotely.
- the internal body 2 consists of all the necessary components to make up the mechanisms for operating the submersible including an internal frame 21, a pitch servo motor 23, a pitch shaft train 24, a camera servo motor 25, a camera train 26, a camera arm 27, a camera shaft mount 28, a flood light 29, a video camera 30, a camera arm mount 31, a control circuit 32, battery packs 33, and weight sets 34.
- the internal frame 21 is the supporting structure of the internal body 2 that holds all of the internal body 2 components together. Additionally, the internal frame 21 is shaped to have mechanical stops 216 to ensure that the external body 1 does not pivot too far and damage the pitch train system.
- the internal frame 21 comprises of a circuit board mount 211, a camera servo mount 212, a pitch servo mount 213, a battery mount 214, and a shaft frame mount 215.
- the internal body 2 hangs downwardly from and is able to pivot about the center shaft 22 at the shaft frame mount 215.
- the pitch servo motor 23 is fastened onto the pitch servo mount 213 by the pitch servo fasteners 504.
- the pitch servo motor 23 allows the user to control the pitching of the submersible.
- the pitch servo motor 23 is connected to the center shaft 22 by the pitch shaft train 24.
- the pitch shaft train 24 is able to transfer rotational forces directly to the center shaft 22.
- the pitch shaft train 24 can be, but is not limited to, a gear set, a belt and pulley system, a chain and sprocket system, or any other suitable systems.
- the activation of the pitch servo motor 23 causes the angle of the external body 1 to change in relation to the internal body 2. This allows the external body 1 to rotate while the internal body 2 remains stationary in the bottom of the circular profile.
- the thrust from the thrusters 14 is now utilized to not only gain movement in the surge direction but also the heave direction.
- the unique configuration of the internal body 2 in relation to the external body 1 along with the circular and symmetrical shape allows the COB 3 and submersible COG 4 to remain in the same position.
- the internal body 2 will not rotate around the center shaft 22 while the external body 1 holds its position with the submersible COG 4 of the internal frame 21 off set from the COB 3. This causes the submersible to leave the state of equilibrium.
- the pitching mechanism works entirely within the confines of the external body 1 to force the external body 1 and the propulsion system to pitch to any desired angle.
- the range of the pitch angle for the submersible could be from a few degrees to a full 360 degrees or even continual pitching.
- the submersible can be pitched at any angle while maintaining a constant COB 3 and submersible COG 4 for stability.
- the submersible can also be fitted with the control tether 7 by connection to the control tether port 12 and held by the tether support 16, as shown in FIG. 13 .
- the optimum positioning of the tether support 16 would be the rear of the external body 1 parallel with the thrusters 14 to prevent drag.
- the tether support 16 is also on the same XY plane as the thruster 14 such that no moment is incurred on the submersible when thrusting. This way the control tether 7 will not inflict any moment on the submersible when in motion and will simply trail behind.
- the present invention utilizes the video camera 30 and the flood light 29 to help the user to navigate the submersible underwater.
- the video camera 30 and the flood light 29 are mounted onto the camera arm mount 31.
- the camera arm mount 31 is extended out from the center shaft 22 by the camera arm 27.
- the camera arm 27 is mounted to and is able to pivot about the center shaft 22 by the camera shaft mount 28.
- the user is able to control the viewing direction of the video camera 30 and flood light 29 independently from the angle of pitch by the camera servo motor 25.
- the camera servo motor 25 is fastened onto the camera servo mount 212 by camera servo fasteners 505.
- the camera servo motor 25 is connected to the camera shaft mount 28 by means of the camera train 26 in a pivoting manner, similar to the pitch shaft train 24 to the center shaft 22.
- the camera train 26 allows rotational forces to be transferred to the camera shaft mount 28 for the independent pivoting of the video camera 30 and the flood light 29 about the center shaft 22.
- This video camera 30 and flood light 29 mechanism allows the user more freedom in observing the submersible's surroundings.
- the video camera 30 also serves to allow the users to see objects ahead for navigation and control of the submersible.
- the flood light 29 serves to illuminate the path that the submersible is taking and the areas the video camera 30 is displaying to the user.
- the submersible makes use of the battery pack 33 to power the video camera 30, the flood light 29, the thrusters 14, the pitch servo motor 23, and the camera servo motor 25.
- the battery pack 33 is positioned on and secured to the battery mount 214 of the internal frame 21. To ensure that the center of gravity for the internal body 2 is centered, the internal frame 21 will have a battery mount 214 on the left and right side. By mounting battery packs 33 on both the left and right side, there is no unutilized space within the external body 1. Attached with the battery pack 33 are the weight sets 34.
- the weight sets 34 serve to add additional mass to the submersible to ensure that the mass of the submersible is equal to the mass of the volume of water the submersible is displacing. This ensures that the submersible possesses neutral buoyancy so the submersible will not need to continually work against vertical forces to hold a depth.
- all of the components of the submersible including the thrusters 14, the pitch servo motor 23, the camera servo motor 25, the video camera 30, and the flood light 29 are connected and controlled by the control circuit 32.
- These components are similarly powered by means of the control circuit 32 as the battery pack 33 is connected and acts as a power source for the control circuit 32.
- the control circuit 32 is able to control all of the electronics of the submersible, the commands and signals are relayed to the control circuit 32 by the control tether port 12.
- the operator makes use of a game pad controller to relay commands and signals to the control circuit 32 through the control tether 7.
- the charge port 11 is connected to the control circuit 32 to allow for connection of a smart charger 6 to charge the battery packs 33 when the submersible is not in use.
- the control circuit 32 is fastened onto the circuit board mount 211 on the internal frame 21 by circuit board fasteners 506.
- the present invention makes use of two independently controlled thrusters 14 for propulsion.
- the thrusters 14 comprise of a magnetic couple 141, a propeller 142, a driving motor 143, and a shaft coupling cover 144.
- the thrusters 14 are located at the sides of the shell bodies 13 on the XY plane parallel with the roll axis of the submersible.
- the thrusters 14 are inserted and secured onto the thruster mount 131.
- the thruster mount 131 is a protruding cup-like structure that is protruding laterally from the shell bodies 13.
- the thruster mount 131 is arranged horizontally and centered, having the opening face the rear of the submersible.
- the driving motor 143 is the portion of the thrusters 14 that will be inserted and sealed within the thruster mount 131.
- the hole leading into the interior space allows the driving motor 143 to be connected to the control circuit 32 for powering and control.
- the presence of this hole requires the connection of the thrusters 14 into the thruster mount 131 to be sealed water tight.
- the thruster utilizes the magnetic couple 141 for propulsion of the propeller 142.
- the magnetic couple 141 comprises of a driver 141a, a follower 141b, a barrier 141c, and a thruster sealing o-ring 141d.
- the driver 141a is connected directly to the driving motor 143 and protrudes out of the thruster mount 131 in a conical shaped manner.
- the barrier 141c is fastened to the thruster mount 131 by thruster fasteners 503.
- the barrier 141c will completely cover and seal the driving motor 143 and the driver 141a within the thruster mount 131.
- the thruster sealing o-ring 141d is positioned between the barrier 141c and the thruster mount 131.
- the barrier 141c similar to the drive possesses a protruding conical shape.
- the follower 141b envelopes the barrier 141c and is able to pivot about the barrier 141c.
- the driver 141a and the follower 141b are able to couple by magnetic force through the barrier 141c. While the driving motor 143 is physically rotating the driver 141a, the follower 141b is able to rotate along with the driver 141a without the need of physical connection by means of magnetic force.
- the propeller 142 is able to protrude and extend out from the thruster 14 by means of a propeller shaft 142a.
- the follower 141b comprises of a propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 and a static o-ring seal 141b.2.
- the propeller shaft 142a is secured onto the propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 and extends the propeller 142 towards the rear of the submersible.
- the propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 is an oil compensated underwater bearing, that further comprises of two small ball bearings, a oil/grease chamber, and is sealed from the water by a rotary shaft seal and the static o-ring seal 141b.2. This allows the propeller 142 to spin freely with little drag.
- the propeller 142 is enveloped and protected by the propeller guarding collar 132.
- the propeller guarding collar 132 is a laterally protruding tubular structure positioned towards the rear of the shell bodies 13 to prevent the propeller 142 from impacting any hard surfaces such as rocks or coral under water.
- the static o-ring seal 141b.2 is positioned within and between the propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 and the propeller shaft 142a.
- the shaft and the follower 141b are covered and secured onto the thruster 14 by the shaft coupling cover 144.
- the shaft coupling cover 144 is a funnel type structure that envelops the propeller shaft 142a and the follower 141b.
- the propeller 142 is enclosed within the propeller guarding collar 132 by the propeller guards 133.
- the propeller guards 133 are ribbed structures that prevent anything from getting caught in the rotating propeller 142 while still allowing the propeller 142 to catch water for propulsion.
- the present invention is a submersible vehicle with a circular profile that is able to achieve stability with its design.
- the present invention makes use of the configuration of the external body 1 and the internal body 2 to control the submersible COG 4 and the COB 3.
- the first COG 18 of the external body 1 closely coincides with the COB 3.
- the external body 1 is unstable and will be unable to maintain a steady level of control.
- the advantage of this configuration is that external forces can work to reposition the external body 1 without a righting moment working against it.
- the second COG 35 of the internal body 2 is shown in FIG. 9 at a position well below the center of the present invention.
- the internal body 2 is positioned within the external body 1. Therefore, the internal body 2 does not possess its own COB 3, as it does not displace water.
- the resulting submersible COG 4 is simply a combination of the first COG 18 and the second COG 35 of the separate entities.
- the COB 3 will remain in the same position because the same amount of water is being displaced.
- the COB 3 will also remain in the same position regardless of the pitch of the submersible due to its position on the pitch center of axis. Due to a lower second COG 35 of the internal body 2, the submersible COG 4 of the combined bodies pulls the overall COG down away from the COB 3 and in turn allows the present invention to gain stability.
- the present invention also comprises of a buoyancy weight set 5, a smart charger 6, a control tether 7, a game pad controller 8, a pair of video glasses 9, and a video receiver 10.
- the buoyancy weight set 5 is an optional addition that is able to fasten onto the sealing fastener ports 134.
- the buoyancy weight set 5 allows users to fine tune the submersible to gain the desired center of buoyancy 3. This may be needed with using the submersible between fresh water and sea water. There is approximately 3% deviation of density between the two types of waters.
- the buoyancy weight set allows the user to account for this deviation when using the submersible in both types of waters.
- To charge the battery packs 33 of the submersible the user can attach the smart charger 6 to the charge port 11.
- the control tether 7 is a long cable that connects the game pad controller 8 with the submersible at the control tether port 12. Additionally the control tether 7 serves to stream video from the submersible to the game pad controller 8.
- the video receiver 10 is connected to the game pad controller 8 and connected to the pair of video glasses 9. By using the pair of video glasses 9, the user will be able to see what the submersible sees and control the submersible remotely with the game pad controller 8.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Toys (AREA)
- Motorcycle And Bicycle Frame (AREA)
Description
- The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for adjusting the pitch of a subsea vehicle, and more particularly, a mechanism that is contained entirely within the body of the vehicle, such as known from
WO8900527 - The present invention improves over the prior art by employing the use of as few as two thrusters and an internal mechanism used to control the pitch from within the shell of the submersible. No ballast system, rudder system, or additional thrusters are required, saving complexity and money while improving reliability. Output shafts through rotary seals or magnetic couplers are minimized to as few as the two essential thrusters, minimizing leak points. The submersible takes on a circular profile while looking at it from the side. A shaft crosses the submersible at the center on the pitch axis that is fixed to the external shell holding the thrusters. From this shaft the framework of the submersible hangs with all of the essential components and any additional weight required gaining the desired buoyancy. A motor such as a servo motor is mounted to the framework and is coupled to a gear, sprocket or pulley that is fixed on the center shaft. When activated the motor rotates the shell of the submersible along with the thrusters to the desired pitch while the internal frame remains low. This system allows the use of conventional low cost components to adjust pitch while remaining safely inside the confines of the submersible. The center of gravity for the submersible does not need to coincide at the same point as the center of buoyancy. However, as with any other submersible, the center of gravity needs to be beneath the center of buoyancy in order to take advantage of equilibrium and the natural righting moment used to remain stable. An additional advantage to this configuration allows a camera and floodlight to be mounted to the center shaft and rotate independently of the body around a center ring window. If the internal frame allows for it, the camera could potentially have an unobstructed 360 degree field of view around the pitch axis.
-
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention showing the six degrees of freedom. -
FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the present invention pitching down 90 degrees with the submersible center of gravity remaining in the same position relative to the center of buoyancy. -
FIG. 3 is a left side view showing the present invention pitching down 45 degrees with the submersible center of gravity remaining in the same position relative to the center of buoyancy. -
FIG. 4 is a front view showing a plane upon which a section view is taken and shown in -
FIG. 12 . The diagram shows the relative position of the submersible center of gravity to the center of buoyancy. -
FIG. 5 is a front view of the submersible showing the righting moment acting to reestablish equilibrium bringing the submersible back to an upright position. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective inside view of the present invention excluding one side of the external body and the viewing window. -
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the present invention excluding the viewing window to show the internal body. -
FIG. 8 is the inside side view of the shell bodies showing the first center of gravity of the external body. -
FIG. 9 is a side view showing the second center of gravity of the internal body. -
FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the tether support, the charge port, and the control tether port of the present invention. -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the internal frame of the present invention. -
FIG. 12 is a right side view of the thruster showing the components and mechanisms involved with the thrusters. The heavily shaded area represents the magnets in the magnetic coupling. The magnets are arranged in the coupling within the follower and the driver in a similar fashion to a bullet and revolver design. This type of design does not require the use of customized shaped magnets or any special glue to hold the magnets in place. -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the components involved with the present invention allowing the user to control the submersible remotely. - All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
- In reference to
FIG. 1 , the present invention is a submersible body that possesses the ability to remain stable while pitching. In navel architecture, the terms surge, sway and heave represent translation along the three axes of a vessel, while roll, pitch and yaw represent angular rotation about those axes. Pitch and heave is the freedom of a submersible to move in the vertical plane that differentiates it from a surface ship. It will be this motion and more specifically, the use of pitch, to move vertically in the present invention. - Stability is the property of a body that causes it to develop forces, which work to return it to the original position when disturbed from a condition of equilibrium. When the resultant forces and moments acting on an underwater vehicle are zero, it is said to be in a state of equilibrium. The two natural factors that determine the stability of a submerged vehicle is the positional relationship between the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity, along with the magnitude of the effective mass. The center of buoyancy (COB) is the geometric center of volume of the displaced water. The center of gravity (COG) is the effective center of mass of the submersible. In order to become neutrally buoyant, the submersible must have a mass equal to that of the water it is displacing. In order to gain stability, the
submersible COG 4 must be as far away from theCOB 3 as possible. As shown inFIG. 2 ,FIG. 3 , andFIG. 4 , in the case of the present invention as well as the vast majority of submersibles, thesubmersible COG 4 is located in the lower portion of the vehicle. With any distance between these two points, the submersible will naturally move towards equilibrium, which places thesubmersible COG 4 directly underneath theCOB 3 due to the forces of gravity. It is this natural righting moment that gives the submersible its stability. Illustrated inFIG. 5 , the magnitude of the righting moment is determined by the mass of the submersible located at thesubmersible COG 4 multiplied by its distance, M, from an axis drawn through theCOB 3 in the direction gravity is acting. - In reference to
FIG. 6 andFIG. 10 , the present invention comprises of two main structures including anexternal body 1 and aninternal body 2. Theexternal body 1 comprises of acharge port 11, acontrol tether port 12,shell bodies 13,thrusters 14, aviewing window 15, atether support 16, window sealing o-rings 17, and acenter shaft 22. Theshell bodies 13 and theviewing window 15 together define the structure of the overallexternal body 1. Theshell bodies 13 have circular profiles and comprise of athruster mount 131, apropeller guarding collar 132,propeller guards 133, and sealingfastener ports 134. The frontal profile of the submersible should be symmetrical across the XY plane to balance the drag on the frontal area of the submersible. With the thrusters in line with the center of drag, no moment is induced on the submersible. There is symmetry across the XZ plane in order to allow the submersible yaw about the Z axis through varying the amount of thrust ofopposite thrusters 14. Theviewing window 15 is a transparent tube of the same size and radius as the circular profile of theshell bodies 13. Thecenter shaft 22 is connected to the center of the circular profiles between theshell bodies 13. This design allows the submersible to maintain stability and control. Theshell bodies 13 are connected to both sides of theviewing window 15. Thewindow sealing orings 17 are o-rings that are placed between theviewing window 15 and theshell bodies 13 to seal the connection. The window sealing o-rings 17 ensure that the space within theexternal body 1 remains water tight. To hold theshell bodies 13 and theviewing window 15 together, sealingfasteners 502 are inserted to secure thecorresponding shell bodies 13 together at the sealingfastener ports 134. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the submersible will include four sealingfasteners 502 to tighten and hold the bodies together. However, in other future embodiments of the present invention, the submersible may be smaller and will have a single sealing fastener inserted through the pitching axis of the submersible for securing the bodies together. The location of the sealingfastener 502 on the pitching axis will not obstruct the view of thevideo camera 30. Theexternal body 1 is used primarily to hold out water and to mount thethrusters 14. Theviewing window 15, being a tube, will haveshell bodies 13 on the right side and the left side. Thecontrol tether port 12 is positioned adjacent to thepropeller guarding collar 132 and theviewing window 15 on the right shell body. Thecharge port 11 is positioned adjacent to thepropeller guarding collar 132 and theviewing window 15 on the left shell body. Thecharge port 11 and thecontrol tether port 12 are positioned opposite of each other over theviewing window 15. Between thecharge port 11 and thecontrol tether port 12 is connected thetether support 16. Thetether support 16 is fastened to the right and leftshell bodies 13 by thetether support fasteners 501. Thecharge port 11 is for connecting to asmart charger 6 to charge the submersible's batteries. Thecontrol tether port 12 is used for connection to a game pad controller by a long control tether. The game pad controller allows the user to control the submersible remotely. - In reference to
FIG. 6 ,FIG. 9 , andFIG. 11 , theinternal body 2 consists of all the necessary components to make up the mechanisms for operating the submersible including aninternal frame 21, apitch servo motor 23, apitch shaft train 24, acamera servo motor 25, acamera train 26, acamera arm 27, acamera shaft mount 28, aflood light 29, avideo camera 30, acamera arm mount 31, acontrol circuit 32, battery packs 33, and weight sets 34. Theinternal frame 21 is the supporting structure of theinternal body 2 that holds all of theinternal body 2 components together. Additionally, theinternal frame 21 is shaped to havemechanical stops 216 to ensure that theexternal body 1 does not pivot too far and damage the pitch train system. Theinternal frame 21 comprises of acircuit board mount 211, acamera servo mount 212, apitch servo mount 213, abattery mount 214, and ashaft frame mount 215. Theinternal body 2 hangs downwardly from and is able to pivot about thecenter shaft 22 at theshaft frame mount 215. Thepitch servo motor 23 is fastened onto thepitch servo mount 213 by thepitch servo fasteners 504. Thepitch servo motor 23 allows the user to control the pitching of the submersible. To achieve the pitching control, thepitch servo motor 23 is connected to thecenter shaft 22 by thepitch shaft train 24. Thepitch shaft train 24 is able to transfer rotational forces directly to thecenter shaft 22. Thepitch shaft train 24 can be, but is not limited to, a gear set, a belt and pulley system, a chain and sprocket system, or any other suitable systems. With thecenter shaft 22 directly connected to theexternal body 1, the activation of thepitch servo motor 23 causes the angle of theexternal body 1 to change in relation to theinternal body 2. This allows theexternal body 1 to rotate while theinternal body 2 remains stationary in the bottom of the circular profile. Once theexternal body 1 is pitched away from level, the thrust from thethrusters 14 is now utilized to not only gain movement in the surge direction but also the heave direction. The unique configuration of theinternal body 2 in relation to theexternal body 1 along with the circular and symmetrical shape allows theCOB 3 andsubmersible COG 4 to remain in the same position. Theinternal body 2 will not rotate around thecenter shaft 22 while theexternal body 1 holds its position with thesubmersible COG 4 of theinternal frame 21 off set from theCOB 3. This causes the submersible to leave the state of equilibrium. The pitching mechanism works entirely within the confines of theexternal body 1 to force theexternal body 1 and the propulsion system to pitch to any desired angle. The range of the pitch angle for the submersible could be from a few degrees to a full 360 degrees or even continual pitching. As shown inFIG. 2 andFIG. 3 the submersible can be pitched at any angle while maintaining aconstant COB 3 andsubmersible COG 4 for stability. - Even with the
external body 1 pitched, theinternal body 2 will maintain its position. The submersible can also be fitted with thecontrol tether 7 by connection to thecontrol tether port 12 and held by thetether support 16, as shown inFIG. 13 . The optimum positioning of thetether support 16 would be the rear of theexternal body 1 parallel with thethrusters 14 to prevent drag. Additionally, thetether support 16 is also on the same XY plane as thethruster 14 such that no moment is incurred on the submersible when thrusting. This way thecontrol tether 7 will not inflict any moment on the submersible when in motion and will simply trail behind. - As shown in
FIG. 7 , the present invention utilizes thevideo camera 30 and theflood light 29 to help the user to navigate the submersible underwater. Thevideo camera 30 and theflood light 29 are mounted onto thecamera arm mount 31. Thecamera arm mount 31 is extended out from thecenter shaft 22 by thecamera arm 27. Thecamera arm 27 is mounted to and is able to pivot about thecenter shaft 22 by thecamera shaft mount 28. The user is able to control the viewing direction of thevideo camera 30 andflood light 29 independently from the angle of pitch by thecamera servo motor 25. Thecamera servo motor 25 is fastened onto thecamera servo mount 212 bycamera servo fasteners 505. Thecamera servo motor 25 is connected to thecamera shaft mount 28 by means of thecamera train 26 in a pivoting manner, similar to thepitch shaft train 24 to thecenter shaft 22. Thecamera train 26 allows rotational forces to be transferred to thecamera shaft mount 28 for the independent pivoting of thevideo camera 30 and theflood light 29 about thecenter shaft 22. Thisvideo camera 30 andflood light 29 mechanism allows the user more freedom in observing the submersible's surroundings. Thevideo camera 30 also serves to allow the users to see objects ahead for navigation and control of the submersible. Theflood light 29 serves to illuminate the path that the submersible is taking and the areas thevideo camera 30 is displaying to the user. The submersible makes use of thebattery pack 33 to power thevideo camera 30, theflood light 29, thethrusters 14, thepitch servo motor 23, and thecamera servo motor 25. Thebattery pack 33 is positioned on and secured to thebattery mount 214 of theinternal frame 21. To ensure that the center of gravity for theinternal body 2 is centered, theinternal frame 21 will have abattery mount 214 on the left and right side. By mounting battery packs 33 on both the left and right side, there is no unutilized space within theexternal body 1. Attached with thebattery pack 33 are the weight sets 34. The weight sets 34 serve to add additional mass to the submersible to ensure that the mass of the submersible is equal to the mass of the volume of water the submersible is displacing. This ensures that the submersible possesses neutral buoyancy so the submersible will not need to continually work against vertical forces to hold a depth. - In reference to
FIG. 6 ,FIG. 7 , and9 , all of the components of the submersible including thethrusters 14, thepitch servo motor 23, thecamera servo motor 25, thevideo camera 30, and theflood light 29 are connected and controlled by thecontrol circuit 32. These components are similarly powered by means of thecontrol circuit 32 as thebattery pack 33 is connected and acts as a power source for thecontrol circuit 32. However, although thecontrol circuit 32 is able to control all of the electronics of the submersible, the commands and signals are relayed to thecontrol circuit 32 by thecontrol tether port 12. The operator makes use of a game pad controller to relay commands and signals to thecontrol circuit 32 through thecontrol tether 7. This allows the user to remotely adjust the direction of thevideo camera 30 and theflood light 29, thrust the submersible forward, thrust the submersible in reverse, adjust the angle of pitch for the submersible, adjust the amount of thrust between thethrusters 14 for turning. Additionally, thecharge port 11 is connected to thecontrol circuit 32 to allow for connection of asmart charger 6 to charge the battery packs 33 when the submersible is not in use. Thecontrol circuit 32 is fastened onto thecircuit board mount 211 on theinternal frame 21 bycircuit board fasteners 506. - In reference to
FIG. 12 , the present invention makes use of two independently controlledthrusters 14 for propulsion. Thethrusters 14 comprise of amagnetic couple 141, apropeller 142, a drivingmotor 143, and ashaft coupling cover 144. Thethrusters 14 are located at the sides of theshell bodies 13 on the XY plane parallel with the roll axis of the submersible. Thethrusters 14 are inserted and secured onto thethruster mount 131. Thethruster mount 131 is a protruding cup-like structure that is protruding laterally from theshell bodies 13. Thethruster mount 131 is arranged horizontally and centered, having the opening face the rear of the submersible. On the inside of the cup is a hole leading into the interior spacing of theshell bodies 13 and theviewing window 15. The drivingmotor 143 is the portion of thethrusters 14 that will be inserted and sealed within thethruster mount 131. The hole leading into the interior space allows the drivingmotor 143 to be connected to thecontrol circuit 32 for powering and control. However, the presence of this hole requires the connection of thethrusters 14 into thethruster mount 131 to be sealed water tight. For the purpose of ensuring that thethruster mount 131 is sealed from the exterior, the thruster utilizes themagnetic couple 141 for propulsion of thepropeller 142. Themagnetic couple 141 comprises of adriver 141a, afollower 141b, abarrier 141c, and a thruster sealing o-ring 141d. Thedriver 141a is connected directly to the drivingmotor 143 and protrudes out of thethruster mount 131 in a conical shaped manner. To seal thethruster mount 131 completely, thebarrier 141c is fastened to thethruster mount 131 bythruster fasteners 503. Thebarrier 141c will completely cover and seal the drivingmotor 143 and thedriver 141a within thethruster mount 131. To further ensure thatthruster 14 is sealed water tight, the thruster sealing o-ring 141d is positioned between thebarrier 141c and thethruster mount 131. Thebarrier 141c similar to the drive possesses a protruding conical shape. Thefollower 141b envelopes thebarrier 141c and is able to pivot about thebarrier 141c. Thedriver 141a and thefollower 141b are able to couple by magnetic force through thebarrier 141c. While the drivingmotor 143 is physically rotating thedriver 141a, thefollower 141b is able to rotate along with thedriver 141a without the need of physical connection by means of magnetic force. Thepropeller 142 is able to protrude and extend out from thethruster 14 by means of apropeller shaft 142a. However, for connection of thepropeller 142 to thethrusters 14, thefollower 141b comprises of a propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 and a static o-ring seal 141b.2. Thepropeller shaft 142a is secured onto the propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 and extends thepropeller 142 towards the rear of the submersible. The propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 is an oil compensated underwater bearing, that further comprises of two small ball bearings, a oil/grease chamber, and is sealed from the water by a rotary shaft seal and the static o-ring seal 141b.2. This allows thepropeller 142 to spin freely with little drag. Thepropeller 142 is enveloped and protected by thepropeller guarding collar 132. Thepropeller guarding collar 132 is a laterally protruding tubular structure positioned towards the rear of theshell bodies 13 to prevent thepropeller 142 from impacting any hard surfaces such as rocks or coral under water. To ensure secure fastening of thepropeller shaft 142a, the static o-ring seal 141b.2 is positioned within and between the propeller water bearing housing 141b.1 and thepropeller shaft 142a. The shaft and thefollower 141b are covered and secured onto thethruster 14 by theshaft coupling cover 144. Theshaft coupling cover 144 is a funnel type structure that envelops thepropeller shaft 142a and thefollower 141b. Thepropeller 142 is enclosed within thepropeller guarding collar 132 by the propeller guards 133. The propeller guards 133 are ribbed structures that prevent anything from getting caught in therotating propeller 142 while still allowing thepropeller 142 to catch water for propulsion. - In reference to
FIG. 2 andFIG. 3 , the present invention is a submersible vehicle with a circular profile that is able to achieve stability with its design. The present invention makes use of the configuration of theexternal body 1 and theinternal body 2 to control thesubmersible COG 4 and theCOB 3. When treating theexternal body 1 and theinternal body 2 as separate entities, as shown inFIG. 8 andFIG. 9 , thefirst COG 18 of theexternal body 1 closely coincides with theCOB 3. With thefirst COG 18 coinciding with theCOB 3 near or on the center axis of the circular profile of theexternal body 1, theexternal body 1 is unstable and will be unable to maintain a steady level of control. With little to no distance between thefirst COG 18 and theCOB 3 an effective righting moment cannot be created regardless of what orientation the submersible is in. The advantage of this configuration is that external forces can work to reposition theexternal body 1 without a righting moment working against it. Thesecond COG 35 of theinternal body 2 is shown inFIG. 9 at a position well below the center of the present invention. Theinternal body 2 is positioned within theexternal body 1. Therefore, theinternal body 2 does not possess itsown COB 3, as it does not displace water. When theinternal body 2 is brought together with theexternal body 1, the resultingsubmersible COG 4 is simply a combination of thefirst COG 18 and thesecond COG 35 of the separate entities. TheCOB 3 will remain in the same position because the same amount of water is being displaced. TheCOB 3 will also remain in the same position regardless of the pitch of the submersible due to its position on the pitch center of axis. Due to a lowersecond COG 35 of theinternal body 2, thesubmersible COG 4 of the combined bodies pulls the overall COG down away from theCOB 3 and in turn allows the present invention to gain stability. - To control the submersible remotely, the present invention also comprises of a buoyancy weight set 5, a
smart charger 6, acontrol tether 7, agame pad controller 8, a pair ofvideo glasses 9, and avideo receiver 10. The buoyancy weight set 5 is an optional addition that is able to fasten onto the sealingfastener ports 134. The buoyancy weight set 5 allows users to fine tune the submersible to gain the desired center ofbuoyancy 3. This may be needed with using the submersible between fresh water and sea water. There is approximately 3% deviation of density between the two types of waters. The buoyancy weight set allows the user to account for this deviation when using the submersible in both types of waters. To charge the battery packs 33 of the submersible the user can attach thesmart charger 6 to thecharge port 11. Thecontrol tether 7 is a long cable that connects thegame pad controller 8 with the submersible at thecontrol tether port 12. Additionally thecontrol tether 7 serves to stream video from the submersible to thegame pad controller 8. Thevideo receiver 10 is connected to thegame pad controller 8 and connected to the pair ofvideo glasses 9. By using the pair ofvideo glasses 9, the user will be able to see what the submersible sees and control the submersible remotely with thegame pad controller 8. - Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims (9)
- A remotely operated submersible vehicle comprises,
an external body (1) comprising a charge port (11), a center shaft (22), a control tether port (12), shell bodies (13), thrusters (14), a viewing window (15), a tether support (16), and window sealing o-rings (17).
an internal body (2) comprising of an internal frame (21), a pitch servo motor (23), a pitch shaft train (24), a camera servo motor (25), a camera train (26), a camera arm (27), a camera shaft mount (28), a flood light (29), a video camera (30), a camera arm mount (31), a control circuit (32), battery packs (33), and weight sets (34);
the remotely operated submersible vehicle having a center of buoyancy (3);
the external body (1) having a first center of gravity (18) positioned at a same location as the center of buoyancy (3);
the internal body (2) having a second center of gravity (35) fixed and vertically downward in relation to the center of buoyancy (3) regardless of pitch orientation of the external body (1); and
the remotely operated submersible vehicle having a center of gravity determined by the first center of gravity (18) and the second center of gravity (35) on basis of weights of the external body (1) and the internal body (2). - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprises,
the shell bodies (13) having a circular profile and comprising of a thruster mount (131), a propeller guarding collar (132), propeller guards (133), and sealing fastener ports (134);
each of the thrusters comprising of a magnetic couple (141), a propeller (142), a driving motor (143), and a shaft coupling cover (144);
the thruster mount (131) being laterally protruded, vertically centered and arranged in horizontal relationship to the shell bodies (13);
the thrusters being inserted into the thruster mount (131);
the propeller (142) protruding from the thruster mount (131) by a propeller shaft (142a) and being enveloped by the propeller guarding collar (132);
the magnetic couple (141) comprising of a driver (141a), a follower (141b), a barrier (141c), and a thruster sealing o-ring (141d);
the thrusters being secured onto the thruster mount (131) at the barrier (141c) by thruster fasteners (503); and
the thruster sealing o-ring (141d) being positioned between the thruster mount (131) and the barrier (141c) preventing water leakage into the remotely operated submersible. - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprises,
the internal frame (21) comprises of a circuit board mount (211), a camera servo mount (212), a pitch servo mount (213), a battery mount (214), a mechanical stop (216), and a shaft frame mount (215);
the internal frame (21) hanging downwardly from and being able to pivot about the center shaft (22) by the shaft frame mount (215);
the center shaft (22) connected and positioned in concentric relationship to the shell bodies (13);
the pitch servo motor (23) being secured onto the pitch servo mount (213) by pitch servo fasteners (504); and
the pitch servo motor (23) being connected to the center shaft (22) by the pitch shaft train (24). - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 2 comprises,
the viewing window (15) being a transparent tubular structure of equal radius relative to the shell bodies (13);
the viewing window (15) being positioned between the shell bodies (13); the window sealing o-ring (17) being positioned between and sealing the shell bodies (13) with the viewing window (15); and
the shell bodies (13) and the viewing window (15) being fastened together at the sealing fastener ports (134) by sealing fasteners (502). - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 2 comprises,
the driver (141a) being connected to the driving motor (143) and sealed within the thruster mount (131) by the barrier (141c) and the thruster sealing o-ring (141d);
the driver (141a) being enveloped by the barrier (141c);
the driving motor (143) being connected to the control circuit (32) and sealed within the thruster mount (131);
the follower (141b) comprises of a propeller water bearing housing (141b.1) and a static o-ring seal (141b.2);
the follower (141b) enveloping the barrier (141c);
the propeller shaft (142a) being fastened onto the propeller water bearing housing (141b.1);
the static o-ring seal (141b.2) being positioned between the propeller shaft (142a) and propeller water bearing housing (141b.1);
the shaft coupling cover (144) enveloping the follower (141b) and the propeller shaft (142a); and
the propeller guards (133) being ribbed structures enclosing the propeller (142) in the propeller guarding collar (132). - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 4 comprises,
the charge port (11) being positioned adjacent to propeller guarding collar (132) and the viewing window (15);
the control tether port (12) being positioned adjacent to the propeller guarding collar (132) and the viewing window (15); and
the tether support (16) being fastened to shell bodies (13) by tether support fasteners (501) and positioned between the charge port (11) and the control tether port (12). - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 3 comprises,
the control circuit (32) being fastened to the circuit board mount (211) by circuit board fasteners (506);
the battery pack (33) and the weight set (34) being secured onto the battery mount (214);
the thrusters (14) being connected to the control circuit (32);
the video camera (30) being connected to the control circuit (32);
the flood light (29) being connected to the control circuit (32);
the pitch servo motor (23) being connected to the control circuit (32);
the camera servo motor (25) being connected to the control circuit (32);
the charge port (11) being connected to the control circuit (32);
the control tether port (12) being connected to the control circuit (32); and the battery pack (33) being connected and providing power to the control circuit (32). - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 3 comprises,
the camera servo motor (25) being fastened onto the camera servo mount (212) by camera servo fasteners (505);
the camera shaft mount (28) connected to and being able to pivot about the center shaft (22);
the camera arm (27) being connected to the camera mount;
the camera servo motor (25) being connected to the camera shaft mount (28) by the camera train (26);
the flood light (29) and the video camera (30) being fastened onto the camera arm (27) by the camera arm mount (31); and
the camera train (26) being an angular motion transferring mechanism selected from the group consisting of a gear set, a belt and pulley system, or a chain and sprocket system. - The remotely operated submersible vehicle as claimed in claim 6 comprises,
a buoyancy weight set (5);
a charging device (6);
a control tether (7);
a game pad controller (8);
a pair of video glasses (9); and
a video receiver (10).
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ES12153107.3T ES2527039T3 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-01-30 | Submersible vehicle operated remotely |
EP20120153107 EP2620358B1 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-01-30 | Remotely operated submersible vehicle |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP20120153107 EP2620358B1 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-01-30 | Remotely operated submersible vehicle |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2620358A1 EP2620358A1 (en) | 2013-07-31 |
EP2620358B1 true EP2620358B1 (en) | 2014-10-08 |
Family
ID=45557923
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20120153107 Not-in-force EP2620358B1 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-01-30 | Remotely operated submersible vehicle |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2620358B1 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2527039T3 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107933856B (en) * | 2017-12-07 | 2023-12-12 | 青岛策海自动化科技有限公司 | Underwater robot |
CN109515658A (en) * | 2019-01-08 | 2019-03-26 | 天长市未名机器人有限责任公司 | Underwater fish mainboard cabin structure |
CN109665078B (en) * | 2019-02-11 | 2024-05-24 | 深圳鳍源科技有限公司 | Remote-controlled submersible |
CN109941412B (en) * | 2019-04-25 | 2024-02-09 | 福州大学 | Multifunctional universal remote control unmanned submersible platform and application method thereof |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2288031A1 (en) * | 1971-09-21 | 1976-05-14 | France Etat | UNDERWATER MACHINE CONTAINING AN AUTONOMOUS SOURCE OF ENERGY |
EP0169219B1 (en) * | 1984-01-17 | 1990-03-28 | Underwater Systems Australia Limited | Remotely operated underwater vehicle and method of operating same |
ZA885156B (en) * | 1987-07-16 | 1989-03-29 | Remotely Operated Vehicles Lim | Underwater remotely controlled vehicle |
US8717844B2 (en) * | 2010-02-23 | 2014-05-06 | Westerngeco L.L.C. | Seismic data acquisition using self-propelled underwater vehicles |
-
2012
- 2012-01-30 ES ES12153107.3T patent/ES2527039T3/en active Active
- 2012-01-30 EP EP20120153107 patent/EP2620358B1/en not_active Not-in-force
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ES2527039T3 (en) | 2015-01-19 |
EP2620358A1 (en) | 2013-07-31 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US8297214B2 (en) | Remotely operated submersible vehicle | |
US10442511B2 (en) | Submersible remote controlled vehicle | |
CN106882347B (en) | Underwater robot with six degrees of freedom | |
CN204021234U (en) | A kind of under-water robot and propelling unit thereof | |
CN103085955B (en) | Sea turtle four-fin flapping imitating type autonomous underwater robot | |
EP2620358B1 (en) | Remotely operated submersible vehicle | |
CN102066191A (en) | Underwater posture stabilization device and diving device equipped with the same | |
CN103287557A (en) | Novel underwater robot motion control device | |
CN103466063B (en) | One is moved drive lacking spherical underwater robot flexibly | |
CN102126544B (en) | Underwater self-propulsion omnibearing sensor | |
CN103057680A (en) | Anti-explosion submersible for mine | |
CN111319738B (en) | Novel super-power-driven underwater helicopter and control method thereof | |
CN203512011U (en) | Novel underwater robot motion control device | |
CN108058797A (en) | A kind of more body cruise systems of the miniature formula that snorkels towards the underwater topography measurement of islands and reefs | |
CN110562419A (en) | Multi-fin cooperation driving robotic fish based on vision | |
CN110203359A (en) | Imitative leopard triangular bream Fu fish underwater robot | |
KR102151216B1 (en) | Drone | |
CN113335480A (en) | Intelligent underwater robot with umbilical cable based on Beidou positioning | |
AU2012202215B2 (en) | Remotely operated submersible vehicle | |
CN207106828U (en) | Underwater navigation robot | |
CN212047837U (en) | Novel super-power-driven underwater helicopter | |
CN110406652B (en) | Two-degree-of-freedom joint for deep-sea multi-joint submersible vehicle | |
CN213262870U (en) | Underwater robot | |
CN213109742U (en) | Balance system of ROV underwater vehicle | |
CN110422307B (en) | Control method of deep sea multi-joint submersible vehicle |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20120918 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: BA ME |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20140214 |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
INTG | Intention to grant announced |
Effective date: 20140616 |
|
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: AT Ref legal event code: REF Ref document number: 690426 Country of ref document: AT Kind code of ref document: T Effective date: 20141015 Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: EP |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R096 Ref document number: 602012003284 Country of ref document: DE Effective date: 20141120 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: FG2A Ref document number: 2527039 Country of ref document: ES Kind code of ref document: T3 Effective date: 20150119 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: SE Ref legal event code: TRGR |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: T3 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NO Ref legal event code: T2 Effective date: 20141008 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GR Ref legal event code: EP Ref document number: 20140402665 Country of ref document: GR Effective date: 20150128 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: AT Ref legal event code: MK05 Ref document number: 690426 Country of ref document: AT Kind code of ref document: T Effective date: 20141008 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: LT Ref legal event code: MG4D |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: PT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150209 Ref country code: FI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: IS Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150208 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: HR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: PL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: CY Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: RS Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: LV Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: AT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20150131 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R097 Ref document number: 602012003284 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: CZ Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: SK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: DK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: EE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: RO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: PL |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20150130 |
|
26N | No opposition filed |
Effective date: 20150709 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MC Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: CH Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20150131 Ref country code: LI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20150131 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: MM4A |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 5 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20150130 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 6 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SM Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 Ref country code: HU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT; INVALID AB INITIO Effective date: 20120130 Ref country code: BG Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: TR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 7 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: AL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20141008 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R081 Ref document number: 602012003284 Country of ref document: DE Owner name: DEEP TREKKER INC., KITCHENER, CA Free format text: FORMER OWNER: LOTZ, JEFFREY PAUL, AYR, ONTARIO, CA |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NO Ref legal event code: CHAD Owner name: DEEP TREKKER INC, CA Ref country code: NO Ref legal event code: CREP |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: PC2A Owner name: DEEP TREKKER INC. Effective date: 20200417 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NO Ref legal event code: CREP Representative=s name: PLOUGMANN VINGTOFT, POSTBOKS 1003 SENTRUM, 0104 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: 732E Free format text: REGISTERED BETWEEN 20200402 AND 20200408 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: PD Owner name: DEEP TREKKER INC.; CA Free format text: DETAILS ASSIGNMENT: CHANGE OF OWNER(S), ASSIGNMENT; FORMER OWNER NAME: LOTZ, JEFFREY PAUL Effective date: 20200415 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Payment date: 20220118 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: DE Payment date: 20220119 Year of fee payment: 11 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SE Payment date: 20220119 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: NO Payment date: 20220121 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: NL Payment date: 20220119 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: IT Payment date: 20220120 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: GR Payment date: 20220120 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: FR Payment date: 20220119 Year of fee payment: 11 Ref country code: ES Payment date: 20220325 Year of fee payment: 11 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R119 Ref document number: 602012003284 Country of ref document: DE |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NO Ref legal event code: MMEP |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: SE Ref legal event code: EUG |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: MM Effective date: 20230201 |
|
GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20230130 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230131 Ref country code: NO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230131 Ref country code: NL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230201 Ref country code: GB Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230130 Ref country code: DE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230801 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230804 Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230131 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230130 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: FD2A Effective date: 20240402 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230131 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20230131 |