Sidewall air cushion vehicle
US5454440A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 1, 1994 |
| Grant date | Oct 3, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 1, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60V1/12
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A sidewall air cushion vehicle or side effect ship (SES) includes a pair of parallel body members which are connected to each other by a rigid structure above the water surface, a flexible bow skirt in the front of the vehicle and a flexible stern skirt in the rear of the vehicle, an air cushion space between said bow and stern skirts, partition means extending transversely to the fore-aft-direction of the vehicle and dividing said space at substantially the mid thereof so as to provide a pair of compartments which are separated from each other by said partition means in a substantially fluid tight manner, at least one fan means for generating air cushions in said compartments, and sensor means for sensing the pitch angle or the pitch angle velocity of the vehicle to be used as control parameters for control of the pressure of the air in the compartments; the partition means and/or a bypass passage bypassing said partition means includes flow control means having an adjustable flow cross section and adapted to be actuated by actuating means which is controlled by said control means so that said flow cross section is adjusted in response to the pitch angle and/or the pitch angle vel…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.