"COMBINATION CATAMARAN AND V-HULL"

INVENTOR: SCHAEFER, JR., Louis, E., a US citizen, of 2210 Twin Oaks Blvd., Kemah, TX 77565, US

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority of my US Provisional Patent Application Number: 61/257,310, filed 2 November 2009, and incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A "MICROFICHE APPENDIX"

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to marine vessels. More particularly the present invention relates to an improved marine vessel hull having an outer hull (e.g. deep vee) and a channel that extends longitudinally from the stern of the hull toward the bow a distance at least half the length of the hull, wherein the channel is defined by portions of the outer hull that are below the tunnel and one or more upper surfaces that form an inner and upper part of two catamaran hulls when the channel is filled with water in an off plane position.

2. General Background of the Invention

Marine vessels commonly employ a "vee" or "deep vee" outer hull arrangement. A deep vee hull can be for example a hull having a deadrise of about 20 - 24 degrees.

While deep vee hulls are smooth riding hulls in rough water and when on plane, they are not as stable as a catamaran style hull when they are not on plane. Patents have issued and applications have published for various hull designs. The following table lists examples. The order of listing has no significance other than chronological. US Patent or Title Pub. Date

US Pub.

MM-DD-YYYY Number

D186,002 Boat Hull 08-25-1959

3,077,851 Catamaran Type Boat 02-19-1963

3,469,557 Channel Stern Power Boat 09-30-1969

D235,985 Twin Keel Boat 07-22-1975

4,165,703 Air Ride Boat Hull 08-28-1979

D264,573 Combined Boat Hull And Top Thereof 05-25-1982

4,587,918 Fine Entry Air Ride Boat Hull 05-13-1986

4,890,564 Extended Bow And Controllable Air 01-02-1990

Cushion Air Ride Boat Hull

5,140,930 Water Craft 08-25-1992

5,231,949 Dihedral Tunnel Boat Hull 08-03-1993

5,265,554 Boat Construction 11-30-1993

D384,321 Boat Hull 09-30-1997

5,833,502 Boat Construction 11-10-1998

6,138,602 Catamaran-V Boat Hull 10-31-2000

6,216,622 Boat Hull Center V-Hull and Sponsons 04-17-2001

6,406,341 Shallow Draft Boat 06-18-2002

6,425,341 Boat Hull 07-30-2002

6,708,642 Tri-Sponson Boat Hull And Method Of 03-23-2004

Making Boat Hulls

2006/0260527 Watercraft Hull Having A Constant Flow 11-23-2006

Tunnel Corresponding Method

2007/0266923 Hybrid Hull 11-22-2007

7,316,193 Vessel For Water Travel 01-08-2008

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved marine vessel that incorporates a hull of improved configuration. The hull provides a bow, stern and port and starboard portions, and a hull bottom having port and starboard sides that form a vee bottom or deep vee bottom.

A channel extends longitudinally from the stern toward the bow a distance at least half the hull length.

The bottom of the channel is defined by a pair of panels that are part of the hull bottom.

An upper part of the channel is defined by one or more upper panels or surfaces that are connected to and extend up from the vee bottom and form a catamaran hull with the port and starboard sides of the hull bottom when the channel is filled with water in a non-planing hull position.

An opening at the stern enables water to fill the channel when the hull is in the non-planing position.

The channel is above the water surface or mostly above the water surface when the hull is in a planing position so that water drains from the channel in the planing position.

In the preferred embodiment, the hull bottom has a "vee"shape with a deadrise of between about 5 and 30 degrees, preferably between 10 and 26 degrees, more preferably between 20 and 24 degrees.

In one embodiment, the upper panels or surfaces form an acute angle. In one embodiment, the upper surfaces form an obtuse angle. In one embodiment, the upper surfaces form a right angle. In one embodiment, the upper surfaces include a curved surface.

In one embodiment, the stern has a transom and the opening is at the stern just below the transom.

In one embodiment, the channel extends to a position next to the bow.

In one embodiment, the channel is mostly or totally below the water line when the hull is not on plane.

In one embodiment, the channel is above the wetted part of the hull when the hull is on plane.

In one embodiment, the channel divides the hull into port and starboard hull sections when the hull is not on plane. In one embodiment, an air opening in the hull enables air to flow into the channel when the hull transfers between an on plane and an off plane position.

In one embodiment, the air opening is above the waterline from the hull is in the on-plane position.

In one embodiment, the channel has a transverse cross section with a maximum area, and the opening is at least one half the area of the maximum area.

In one embodiment, an air opening extends from the channel through the hull at the bow of the hull.

In one embodiment, there are multiple of said channels.

In one embodiment, the hull has port and starboard chines and the channel extends above and below said chines.

In one embodiment, the channel is defined by four side walls.

In one embodiment, two of the side walls are next to the hull bottom an generally parallel to hull bottom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side, partially sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side, partially sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing the hull in an off plane position;

Figure 5 is a side, partially sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing the hull in a transition between off plane and on plane;

Figure 6 is a side, partially sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing the hull in an on plane position;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an alternate construction for the channel or tunnel; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an alternate construction for the channel or tunnel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figures 1-8 show preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 10. Marine vessel or boat 10 provides a hull 11. In the drawings, the numeral 12 indicates the water surface.

Hull 11 has a port side 13 and a starboard side 14. Hull 11 provides a deck 15 to accommodate one or more passengers. Deck 15 can be fitted with chairs, a pilot house, a center console, a steering column and or any other fitting or seating desired. Hull 11 provides gunwales including port gunwale 16 an starboard gunwale 17.

Hull 11 can have attached thereto or received thereon or therein one or more propulsion units 18. In the drawings the propulsion units 18 are outboard motors, though any appropriate propulsion units could be used, including for example inboard motors. Each of the propulsion units 18 in the drawings includes a propeller 19.

Hull 11 provides a hull vee or deep vee portion. Hull 11 provides a bow 21 and stern 22. The hull vee portion 20 provides a keel 23 at the intersection of hull bottom panels or surfaces 24, 25. The bottom surfaces 24, 25 define a hull vee and a deadrise 26 which is illustrated schematically in figure 3. The hull deadrise is typically between about 15 and 30 degrees for a vee hull, more particularly between about 20 and 26 degrees for a hull deadrise for deep vee hull.

Hull 11 has a channel 27 that extends longitudinally. Channel 27 is defined by hull bottom segments 28, 29 and inner hull segments 30, 31. These segments 28, 29, 30, 31 can be seen in the rear view of figure 2-3. The inner hull segments 30, 31 meet at edge 32 as seen in Figure 3. Channel 27 is open at hull 11 stern 22. The stern opening 33 can be seen in Figures 2 and 3. The channel 27 can be closed at the bow.

An optional port 34 can provide an air opening through which air can enter channel 27 when hull 11 moves from the on plane or planing position of Figure 6 to the off plane position of Figure 4. When the vessel hull 11 moves from the on plane position of Figure 6 to the off plane position Figure 4, water enters channel 27 via stern opening 33 and fills the channel 27 as illustrated by Figure 4. Air can optionally exit channel 27 via port 34.

When the hull 11 moves between the off plane position of Figure 4 and the on plane position of Figure 6, arrow 41 in Figure 5 schematically illustrates a discharge of water from channel 27 via stern opening 33. Because the hull bottom surfaces 24, 25 are the "wetted surfaces" that rest upon the water surface 12 when on plane, channel 27 will empty via stern opening 33.

The channel 27 is filled via stern opening 33 when the hull 11 is off plane as shown if Figures 2, 3 and 4. In this position, the inner hull segments 30, 31 form portions of catamaran hulls which are designated as port catamaran hull 42 and starboard catamaran hull 43 in Figure 3. The port catamaran hull is defined by inner hull segment 30 and bottom surface 24. Similarly, the catamaran hull 43 is defined by inner hull segment 31 and the hull bottom surface 25. The catamaran hulls 42, 43 do not include the portion of the hull bottom surfaces 24, 25 that are directly below channel 27. The channel 27 is filled with water in the off plane position as shown in Figure 3 so that buoyancy is only contributed by the portion of hull 11 that is not flooded, namely the port 42 and starboard 43 catamaran hulls.

Figures 7-8 show alternate configurations for the channel 27. Channel 35 shown is Figure 7 includes inner hull segments 36, 37, 38. In Figure 8, the channel 39 is defined by curved inner hull segment 40.

The vessel of the present invention can have inboards instead of outboards, in which case it might have jet drives or propellers. It can be outfitted with inflatable rubber bumpers (or bumpers made of other soft material, not necessarily inflatable), preferably on all sides and back, so that the vessel can be used for ship inspections and offshore platform inspections, spar buoy inspections and maintenance, spar-type platform inspections and maintenance, and semi-submersible platform inspections and maintenance. The vessel can also be outfitted with decompression chambers for use in surface supplied commercial diving operations using compressed air and mixed gas diving. The vessel can also be used to support scuba diving operations.

The tunnel could extend throughout the vessel as shown, or it could terminate further back from the front of the vessel. For example, the tunnel could go from the stern to the forward bulkhead (also known as the crash bulkhead or the collision bulkhead).

PARTS LIST:

The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention:

Parts Number Description

10 marine vessel/boat

11 hull

12 water surface

13 port side

14 starboard side

15 deck

16 port gunwale

17 starboard gunwale

18 propulsion unit

19 propeller

20 hull vee portion

21 bow

22 stern

23 keel

24 bottom surface

25 bottom surface

26 hull deadrise

27 channel

28 hull bottom segment

29 hull bottom segment

30 inner hull segment

31 inner hull segment

32 edge

33 stern opening

34 port 35 channel

36 inner hull segment

37 inner hull segment

38 inner hull segment

39 channel

40 curved inner hull segment

41 arrow

42 port catamaran hull

43 starboard catamaran hull

All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise.

The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.