Remote autonomous replenishment buoy for sea surface craft
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B65D-088/78
B63B-022/02
출원번호
US-0929527
(2013-06-27)
등록번호
US-8943992
(2015-02-03)
발명자
/ 주소
Petersen, Scott M
Harris, Donald B
Galway, Robert
출원인 / 주소
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
대리인 / 주소
Ghatt, Dave A.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
2인용 특허 :
16
초록▼
An apparatus for servicing one or more water vessels, in particular, the invention is directed towards an autonomous replenishment buoy for fueling one or more water vessels. The autonomous replenishment buoy has a first configuration when not servicing water vessels, and a second configuration when
An apparatus for servicing one or more water vessels, in particular, the invention is directed towards an autonomous replenishment buoy for fueling one or more water vessels. The autonomous replenishment buoy has a first configuration when not servicing water vessels, and a second configuration when performing fueling or other servicing functions. The autonomous replenishment buoy may float at the surface of the water, or may be moored beneath the surface of the water in the first configuration when not servicing water vessels. The autonomous replenishment buoy may transform from the first configuration to the second configuration to perform fueling and other services on water vessels.
대표청구항▼
1. An autonomous replenishment buoy for servicing one or more water vessels wherein each of the one or more water vessels has a probe extending from the bow of the respective water vessel, the autonomous replenishment buoy comprising: a main cylindrical body;a fuel receptacle within the main cylindr
1. An autonomous replenishment buoy for servicing one or more water vessels wherein each of the one or more water vessels has a probe extending from the bow of the respective water vessel, the autonomous replenishment buoy comprising: a main cylindrical body;a fuel receptacle within the main cylindrical body;one or more probe receiving members, each of the one or more probe receiving members for receiving a water vessel probe therein;one or more servicing arms, each servicing arm comprising: an energy absorbing and guiding portion for guiding and absorbing the energy of an incoming water vessel;wherein the autonomous replenishment buoy has a first configuration in a non-deployed state and a second configuration in a deployed state, wherein the in the first configuration the autonomous buoy comprises the substantially cylindrical body with said energy absorbing guide arrangement contained within said substantially cylindrical body, and in the second configuration said energy absorbing guide arrangement and said probe receiving member extend from the substantially cylindrical body. 2. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 1, further comprising a ballast assembly for facilitating the upward and downward movement of the autonomous replenishment buoy including the resurfacing of the autonomous replenishment buoy. 3. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 2, further comprising a mooring arrangement comprising: a vertically movable weight;a plurality of cables for lifting and lowering the vertically movable weight; andan anchor attached to the vertically movable weight, for maintaining the autonomous replenishment buoy below the surface of the water. 4. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 3, further comprising a transceiver and a memory for receiving and storing data from the one or more water vessels, when said one or more water vessels are docked at said replenishment buoy. 5. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 4, wherein the one or more servicing arms further comprise a bow cradle portion for cradling the bow of a water vessel, and wherein one of the one or more probe receiving members is positioned with the bow cradle portion. 6. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 5, wherein each of the one or more servicing arms comprises an inflatable material, and wherein in the second configuration each of the one or more servicing arms is inflated and extends from the main cylindrical body. 7. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 6 wherein the ballast assembly comprises a ballast pump for pumping water and an air supply for supplying air to a ballast tank, and wherein the mooring arrangement comprises a powered winch for controlling the lifting and lowering of the vertically movable weight, the autonomous replenishment buoy further comprising a controller electronically connected to each of the ballast pump, the ballast air supply, and the powered winch, wherein controller controls the upward and downward movements and the mooring of the autonomous replenishment buoy. 8. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 7 further comprising an actuator for one or more latching devices that secure the one or more servicing arms, and an air compressor for inflating the inflatable elements of the servicing arms, wherein the controller is electronically connected to the actuator and the compressor and wherein by actuating the actuator and the pump, the controller controls the transformation from the first configuration to the second configuration. 9. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 8 further comprising a transceiver for receiving signals from signal transmitters on the one or more water vessels, wherein the controller is electronically connected to the transceiver, and wherein in response to receiving a signal from the signal transmitter, the controller initiates the air storage tank release valve for supplying air to a ballast air chamber to move the autonomous replenishment buoy to the surface of the water, the controller further actuating the actuator and the pump to transform the autonomous replenishment buoy from the first configuration to the second configuration. 10. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 9, wherein the energy absorbing guide arrangement comprises two arms, each of the two arms comprising energy absorbing and guiding portions and two probe receiving members. 11. The autonomous replenishment buoy of claim 9, wherein the main cylindrical body comprises an open-bottom canister, and fuel receptacle comprises a bladder, the combination of the open-bottomed main cylindrical body and the bladder providing buoyancy to the autonomous replenishment buoy.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (16)
Gaston, Gregory V.; Phillips, John T.; Bagwell, Brandon R.; Moser, Ronald K., Arrangement for fueling a water vessel.
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