IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0294537
(2005-12-06)
|
등록번호 |
US-7314395
(2008-01-01)
|
우선권정보 |
NZ-516154(2001-12-17); NZ-518603(2002-04-29); NZ-520154(2002-07-12); NZ-520297(2002-07-19); NZ-520334(2002-07-23) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Sealegs International Limited
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
4 |
초록
▼
An amphibious vehicle (1), in the form of an inflatable boat (2) has a self propelled and steerable retractable undercarriage system, enabling the vehicle to enter and exit the water under its own power. The swing of the wheels and their supporting struts (3) & (4) occurs external to the hull of the
An amphibious vehicle (1), in the form of an inflatable boat (2) has a self propelled and steerable retractable undercarriage system, enabling the vehicle to enter and exit the water under its own power. The swing of the wheels and their supporting struts (3) & (4) occurs external to the hull of the vehicle. A steerable nose leg (3) is raised or lowered by an actuator situated inside the boat. Stowage is accomplished within the lines of an inflatable craft by the incorporation of fibreglass fairings (5) & (6) sized to match the main inflated tubes (7). Power is provided to the back wheels (4) via an internal drive train within the legs (4). All terrain balloon type tires are used to enable the boat to travel over a variety shoreline terrain. A steering system engages with the front wheel when the wheel is in its extended position. Motive power is provided by a separate aircooled motor.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. An amphibious vehicle comprising: (a) a hull extending in an aft direction from a bow to a stern; (b) a leg assembly coupled to the bow, the leg assembly including: (i) a wheel assembly having a wheel for engaging and rolling upon a surface; and (ii) an actuator located
The invention claimed is: 1. An amphibious vehicle comprising: (a) a hull extending in an aft direction from a bow to a stern; (b) a leg assembly coupled to the bow, the leg assembly including: (i) a wheel assembly having a wheel for engaging and rolling upon a surface; and (ii) an actuator located inside of the hull so as not to be exposed to the water supporting the vehicle during use, the actuator adapted for automatically rotating the leg assembly in a clockwise direction when viewing a starboard side of the hull to transition the wheel from a stowed position in which at least a portion of the wheel is disposed below a height of a top of the bow and in which at least a majority of the wheel is above a waterline of the hull to an extended position in which at least a portion of the wheel is disposed aft of a forward tip of the bow and in which at least a majority of the wheel is below the waterline of the hull to at least partially support the bow above the surface, and wherein when the wheel is rotated from the stowed position to the extended position, the wheel does not pass through an opening in the hull located below the waterline; and (c) a steering system connected to the wheel assembly and adapted to selectively turn the wheel to provide controlled steerage to the hull while the hull moves upon the surface. 2. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the wheel is in the stowed position, a majority of the wheel is disposed below the height of the top of the bow. 3. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the wheel is in the stowed position, substantially all of the wheel is disposed below the height of the top of the bow and above the waterline of the hull. 4. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly includes a substantially V-shaped structure or a substantially triangular shaped structure pivotally coupled to the hull for supporting the wheel away from the hull when the wheel is in the extended position. 5. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly includes at least a first elongate support member pivotally coupled at a proximate end to a port side of the hull and at a distal end to the wheel assembly and a second elongate support member pivotally coupled at a proximate end to the starboard side of the hull and at a distal end to the wheel assembly, and wherein the first and second elongate support members are inclined relative to each other such that a distance between the distal ends of the first and second elongate support members is less than a distance between the proximate ends of the first and second elongate support members. 6. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the wheel, when in the stowed position, is exposed forward of the bow to act as a bumper or a fender to impede damage to the bow. 7. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the steering system includes a steering actuator for selectively turning the wheel about an axis to provide the controlled steerage to the hull while the hull moves upon the surface, and wherein the steering actuator is coupled to the leg assembly such that the steering actuator rotates along with the leg assembly when the wheel is moved from the stowed position to the extended position. 8. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly is rotated about a substantially transversely oriented axis when the wheel is transitioned from the stowed position to the extended position, and wherein the wheel is rotated less than a 180 degrees about the substantially transversely oriented axis when the wheel is transitioned from the stowed position to the extended position. 9. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, further including a stern leg assembly coupled to the stern, the stern leg assembly including: (a) a stern wheel for engaging and rolling upon the surface; and (b) an actuator for moving the stern leg assembly to transition the stern wheel from a stowed position in which at least a portion of the stern wheel is disposed below a height of a top of the stern and a majority of the stern wheel is above the waterline of the hull to an extended position in which a majority of the stern wheel is disposed below the waterline of the hull, and wherein the actuator is adapted to rotate the stern leg assembly in a counterclockwise direction when viewing the starboard side of the hull to transition the stern wheel from the stowed position to the extended position resulting in at least a portion of the stern being automatically lifted from the surface and supported by the stern wheel. 10. The amphibious vehicle of claim 9, further including a drive assembly coupled to the stern wheel, the drive assembly adapted to rotate the stern wheel to assist in propelling the amphibious vehicle along the surface when the stern wheel is in the extended position. 11. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, further including a cowling for at least partially covering the wheel when the wheel is in the stowed position. 12. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly engages the hull at at least two spaced apart points when the wheel is in the stowed position. 13. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly engages the hull at at least two spaced apart points when the wheel is in the extended position. 14. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the actuator is adapted to move the wheel from the stowed position while the hull rests on the surface to the extended position resulting in the bow being automatically lifted from the surface and at least partially supported by the wheel. 15. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein the wheel includes a balloon tire. 16. The amphibious vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the leg assembly is rotated to transition the wheel from the stowed position to the extended position, the wheel does not pass through an opening in the hull in which doors or flaps are used to selectively close the opening. 17. An amphibious vehicle comprising: (a) a hull extending in an aft direction from a bow to a stern; (b) a leg assembly coupled to the bow, the leg assembly including: (i) a bow wheel assembly including a bow wheel for engaging and rolling upon a surface; and (ii) an actuator for rotating the leg assembly in a clockwise direction when viewing a starboard side of the hull to transition the bow wheel from a stowed position, wherein the actuator is located inside of the hull so as not to be exposed to the water supporting the vessel during use, in which at least a portion of the bow wheel is disposed below a height of a top of the bow and a majority of the bow wheel is above a waterline of the hull, to an extended position, in which the wheel is located further aft than the wheel in its stowed position, in which at least a portion of the bow wheel is disposed aft of a forward tip of the bow and a majority of the bow wheel is below the waterline of the hull resulting in the bow being automatically lifted from the surface and at least partially supported by the bow wheel, and wherein when the wheel is rotated from the stowed position to the extended position, the wheel does not pass through an opening in the hull located below the waterline; and (c) a steering assembly connected to the bow wheel assembly and adapted to selectively turn the bow wheel to provide controlled steerage to the hull while the hull is moving over the surface; (d) a stern wheel coupled to the stern for engaging and rolling upon the surface; and (e) a drive assembly for selectively rotating the stern wheel to drive the hull in a selected direction upon the surface. 18. The amphibious vehicle of claim 17, wherein when the bow wheel is in the stowed position, at least a portion of the bow wheel extends forward of the bow and is exposed to act as a bumper or a fender to impede damage to the bow. 19. The amphibious vehicle of claim 17, further including a stern wheel actuator for rotating the stern wheel in a counterclockwise direction when viewing the starboard side of the hull from a stowed position in which at least a portion of the stern wheel is disposed below a height of a top of the stern and in which at least a majority of the stern wheel is disposed above the waterline of the hull to an extended position in which a majority of the stern wheel is disposed below the waterline of the hull resulting in at least a portion of the stern being automatically lifted from the surface and supported by the stern wheel.
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