| JP60025877 | ROW-BOAT WITH FLOAT |
| JP2001106186 | MANPOWER DRIVING TYPE BOAT |
| WO/2008/152635 | PEDALING APPARATUS |
LATOUR, Joris Bastiaan (Bas Backerlaan 5, DX Apeldoorn, NL-7316, NL)
Claims
1. Vessel having a rowing device comprising two or more elongated hulls, wherein at least a first hull of the hulls (2) comprises one or several inflatable flotation compartments, characterised in that at least the first hull comprises a first frame (1 ) extending in the longitudinal axis of the first hull and foldabie in parts, particularly telescopically retractable and extendable or collapsible and unfoldable, and the vessel further comprises one or several connection elements (3) which connect the hulls in a more or less parallel, adjacently placed position with respect to each other, wherein the rowing device is placed on the one or several connection elements.
2. Vessel according to claim 1 , characterised in that the one or several connection elements are either foldabie or telescopically extendable.
3. Vessel according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the rowing device comprises two either telescopically extendable or foldabie riggers (7).
4. Vessel according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterised in that the rowing device comprises an outrigger structure that can be moved back and forth in sailing direction.
5. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises two telescopically retractable and extendable oars (10).
6. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a second hull of the hulls comprises one or several inflatable flotation compartments (2), wherein the second hull comprises a second frame (1 ) extending in the longitudinal axis of the second hull and foidable in parts, particularly telescopically retractable and extendable or collapsible and unfoldable, and wherein the one or several connection elements (3) connect the first and second hull in a more or less parallel, adjacently placed position with respect to each other.
7. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that in the telescopically extended or unfolded position the first and/or the second frame extend from at least near the bow to at least near the stern of the first hull.
8. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the inflatable flotation compartments are placed below the first and/or second frame, wherein each frame comprises at least two girders running parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, such that the girders preferably are placed at least near opposite sides of the hull.
9. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the deflated first and/or second hull with telescopically retracted and/or folded first and/or frame, and connection elements is adapted for making the vessel ready for its sailing purposes in a few simple folding and sliding movements and inflating the flotation compartments.
10. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the outer dimensions of the vessel in telescopically retracted and/or folded and deflated condition are such that it can be placed in a passenger car, particularly in its cargo compartment.
1 1. Vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first frame, the second frame and/or the connection elements are made of a rigid material, and wherein at least the first hull, at least its flotation compartments, are made substantially of a flexible material.
12. Vessel according to claim 1 1 , wherein the first frame, the second frame and/or the connection elements are made of a lightweight material.
13. Vessel according to claim 12, wherein the lightweight material comprises a fibre-reinforced synthetic material.
14. Vessel according to claim 12, wherein the lightweight material comprises a lightweight metal, preferably aluminium.
15. Vessel provided with one or more of the characterising measures described in the attached description and/or shown in the attached drawings.
16. Method provided with or more of the characterising measures described in the attached description and/or shown in the attached drawings. |
Foldable multi-hull rowing boat
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a simple foldable and inflatable and as a result easily transportable, for instance in the boot of a car, vessel having a rowing device, comprising two or more elongated hulls, wherein at least one of the hulls comprises one or several inflatable flotation compartments.
Inflatable catamarans, that means catamarans having inflatable hulls, are known from for instance SU1675155, US4782777, GB2171652, AU3905385, US4284024 and US4936242. However, they are suitable for sailing or wind-surfing and unsuitable for rowing.
There are inflatable canoes on which a rowing structure can be disposed. The rower then moves back and forth on a bench as described in CA2201763, US4649852 and EPO158525. Due to the weight displacement related thereto the prow and bow of the boat are pushed up and down with each stroke which adversely affects the sailing speed and the stability of the vessel. Indeed in cases of a canoe or any vessel at all of a (small) length of for instance less than 4 meters, this upward and downward movement will be considerable and the sailing properties with a back and forth rowing movement on a bench are insufficient. Moreover the inflatable canoes are too wide for a rapid progress that is interesting to the more skilled rower. The speed of rowing boats also depends on the width of the hull. Slimmer hulls are fast but also unsteady. This renders a slimline boat unsuitable for a large group of potential rowing users as they lack the practice and skill.
With a multi-hull vessel such as a catamaran a stable boat can be realised which nonetheless has slim hulls and therefore is fast. Patent specifications FR2587966 and FR2827257 describe a rowing-type catamaran on which the sailor moves back and forth by means of a mobile bench. The catamaran potentially has a speedier course than the said canoes but in this case as well the rower moves up and down which makes the boat move upwards and downwards which is disadvantageous to the speed of the boat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to at least partially overcome one or more of the above- mentioned drawbacks, the invention provides a vessel having a rowing device, comprising two or more elongated hulls, wherein at least a first hull of the hulls comprises one or several inflatable flotation compartments, characterised in that at least the first hull comprises a first frame extending in the longitudinal axis of the first hull and foldable in parts, particularly telescopically retractable and extendable or collapsible and unfoldable, and the vessel further comprises one or several connection elements which connect the hulls in a more or less parallel, adjacently placed position with respect to each other, wherein the rowing device is placed on the one or several connection elements.
Also due to the frame extending in longitudinal direction of the hull, a slim, and therefore fast, inflatable hull can be realised having sufficient rigidity.
In one embodiment the one or several connection elements are either foldable or telescopically extendable. Because both the connection elements and the first and/or second frame are foldable, the dimensions of the folded or collapsed vessel can be further reduced.
In one embodiment the rowing device comprises two either telescopically extendable or foldable riggers.
In one embodiment the rowing device comprises an rigger structure that can be moved back and forth in sailing direction. Such a movable rigger structure usually comprises footrests that can move along with the rigger. Using a rigger structure that can be moved back and forth may also strongly reduce the up and down movement on a shorter boat as a result of which good speed can be realised. The riggers moving up and down are usually attached to a slidable footboard as a result of which the rower is able to move the riggers in the longitudinal axis of the boat by means of the foot movement. Meanwhile several varieties on said movable rigger (US4889509; FI874563; DE1288939; GB607158; DE3016857; GB2044706; GB804510; GB2099773) have been patented. As regards the easily transportable recreational boats the roller riggers have meanwhile also been suggested on surfboards (US4976423; DE3828212). However, their drawback is that a surfboard is needed which is not always available anymore, that the connection of the rowing structure to the surfboard depends on the type of surfboard and is hard to make generic and that the surfboards are too wide to make sufficient speed without extreme effort. Meanwhile the said roller rigger has also been positioned for a catamaran (WO0212059). The speed and stability of the structure are favourable. The application in question regards a roller rigger on a catamaran having solid (non-inflatable) carriers of a length of 4 meters which have to be transported on the roof of a car. This constitutes an impediment to a large group of rowing users who do want to row but do not wish to have an object on their car for that purpose. Moreover the patented boat and the rigger structure WO0212059 like all the other above-mentioned roller rigger structures are not foldable or easily made foldable.
In one embodiment the vessel comprises two telescopically retractable and extendable oars. Various oars have been patented (AU2003205746; RU2057685) but none of the oars are telescopically retractable and extendable so that they can easily be stored away in a bag having a length of 1.10 meters at the most.
In one embodiment of the vessel a second hull comprises one or several inflatable flotation compartments, wherein the second hull comprises a second frame extending in the longitudinal axis of the second hull and
foldable in parts, particularly telescopically retractable and extendable and or collapsible and unfoldable, and wherein the vessel further comprises one or several connection elements that connect the first and second hull in a more or less parallel, adjacently placed position with respect to each other. Preferably the vessel comprises two equal or similar hulls, such as a catamaran, as a result of which improved sailing behaviour can be achieved.
In one embodiment the first and/or the second frame, when in the telescopically extended or unfolded position, extend from at least near the bow to at least near the stern of the first hull. As a result the stability of the hull in the sailing direction can be improved.
In one embodiment the inflatable flotation compartments are placed below the first and/or second frame, wherein each frame comprises at least two girders or tubes running parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, such that the girders preferably are placed at least near opposite sides of the hull. In that way the rigidity of the hull, at least in sailing direction, can be further improved.
In one embodiment the deflated first hull with telescopically retracted and/or folded first frame, and connection elements is adapted for making the vessel ready for its sailing purposes in a few simple folding and sliding movements and inflating the flotation compartments.
In one embodiment the vessel is adapted such that the outer dimensions of the vessel in telescopically retracted and/or folded and deflated condition are such that it can be placed in a passenger car, particularly in its cargo compartment.
In one embodiment the first frame and/or the connection elements are made of a rigid material, and wherein at least the first hull, at least its flotation compartments, are made substantially of a flexible material.
In one embodiment the first frame and/or the connection elements are made of a lightweight material. In one embodiment the lightweight material comprises a fibre-reinforced synthetic material. In one
embodiment the lightweight material comprises a lightweight metal, preferably aluminium.
The aspects and measures described in this description and the claims of the application and/or shown in the drawings of this application may where possible also be used individually. Said individual aspects may be the subject of divisional patent applications relating thereto. This particularly applies to the measures and aspects that are described per se in the sub claims.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be elucidated on the basis of a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the attached drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a top view of a rowing-type catamaran according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a side view of the rowing-type catamaran;
Figure 3 shows a front view of the rowing-type catamaran; and
Figure 4 shown a number of steps of a method for folding the rowing- type catamaran.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows the top view of the rowing-type catamaran. The rowing-type catamaran consists of two or more frames or supports 1 that are telescopically retractable and extendable or collapsible and unfoldable in the longitudinal axis of the catamaran and which each comprise a hull 2 having one or several inflatable flotation compartments. In the shown example the supports each consist of two girders or tubes that run parallel to each other at a distance of approximately 10 cm.
The supports are connected to each other with one or several hinging, either foldable or telescopically extendable connection elements 3
extending substantially transverse to the supports and which connect the hulls 2, particularly their supports 1 , in a more or less parallel adjacent position.
On one or several of the connection elements 3 one or several vertical beams 1 1 are placed on which a seat 4 for the rower is mounted (see figure 3).
In the middle of the connection elements 3 a beam 5 is attached which extends in the sailing direction and parallel to the supports. On said beam 5 a second beam 6 having U-shaped wheels 13 is attached so that it can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the catamaran. The U-shape of the wheels ensures that the second beam 6 can only be moved in the sailing direction.
On the second beam 6 either foldable or detachable riggers 7 are mounted and two footrests having attachment points 8 in which the rower can secure his feet so that he is able to move the second beam and the riggers back and forth during the stroke in the longitudinal direction of the catamaran.
The rowing-type catamaran has oars 10 which have been mounted on the rigger by means of the thole connection 9 common for said purpose.
Figure 2 shows a side view of the rowing-type catamaran. The inflatable flotation compartments 2 are attached below the supports. The space between the tubes of the support ensures that the inflatable floats due to the upward pressure are clamped between the tubes during use so that they do not pop away sideways during use.
Figure 3 shows the front view of the rowing-type catamaran. In this example the connection element 3 is foldable, telescopically retractable and extendable or able to hinge in approximately the middle. At the ends the connection elements at the location of the supports are curved 12 as a result of which the distance of the seat of the user with respect the water surface is larger than in case of an uncurved beam.
Figure 4 shows a number of steps of a method to make the rowing- type catamaran ready for transportation in a few simple folding and sliding movements and deflation of the flotation compartments and store it away in a carrier bag for that purpose.
Figure 4a is the same as figure 1 after the oars 10 have been removed from the thole 9.
In figure 4b the inflatable flotation compartments 2 have been detached from the supports 1 so that they can be deflated in order to be transported.
Figure 4c shows the rowing-type catamaran with collapsed riggers.
Figure 4d shows how the supports consisting of tubes fitting in one another are telescopically retracted as a result of which the length of the catamaran is reduced.
Figure 4e shows the rowing-type catamaran after the beam 6 that can move up and down has been rolled in said position as a result of which the overall length of the rowing-type catamaran is at its smallest.
Figure 4f shows in a front view how the rowing-type catamaran with the foldable connection elements 3 is folded.
Figure 4g shows how the oars 10 are folded in three parts or are telescopically retracted.
Figure 4h shows how all parts are stored in a bag 13 wherein the outer dimension is such that it is smaller than the size of a boot of a passenger car.
The above description is included to illustrate the operation of preferred embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention. Starting from the above explanation many variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention will be evident to an expert.
In short the invention relates to an easily foldabte and inflatable and as a result easily transportable, for instance in the boot of a car, multi-hull rowing boat, particularly a catamaran of good rowing properties with which recreational and more experienced rowers are able to row recreationally on all types of waters. The foldable and inflatable rowing- type catamaran consists of two (or more) supports that are either telescopically retractable and extendable or collapsible and unfoldable in the longitudinal axis of the catamaran, which supports each comprise one or several inflatable flotation compartments. The supports are connected one to the other with one or several either foldable or telescopically extendable connection elements. On the connection elements a seat is attached and a connection element can be moved back and forth with two either telescopically extendable or foldable riggers thereon.