DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of service boats, typically supplied to pleasure crafts. More particularly, the invention relates to a compact and light service boat, i.e. a service boat configured to be able to be moved easily and safely both during use in the water and during storage on deck.

PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION

On board pleasure crafts there is usually a service boat, commonly known as a rubber tender, which is typically towed or stored on deck and used to reach the mainland when moored at anchor or on a buoy, but also, thanks to its agility and ease of use, as a boat for more special uses, such as fishing and short sea or lake trips.

Rubber tenders are inflatable and comprise one or more tubular elements, typically made of reinforced rubberized fabric, provided with inflation and deflation valves.

Rubber tenders can be classified into two main categories, namely fully demountable rubber tenders, with pneumatic or rigid keel, or rubber tenders having a rigid hull made of fiberglass or aluminium.

The fully demountable pneumatic keel rubber tenders are made entirely of waterproofed fabric. The only rigid parts are generally the dunnage boards, typically made of aluminium or plywood. The keel is made of a fabric tube, inflatable under high pressure. The fully demountable rigid keel rubber tenders differ from the previous ones in that the keel, instead of being inflatable, is made up of a plywood beam (keelson). Rigid hull rubber tenders are essentially obtained by coupling the tubular elements to a hull made of fiberglass or aluminium.

Furthermore, the rubber tenders of the known type listed above are driven by an outboard motor, which is applied to the stem of the service boat when its use is necessary. Outboard motors can be of the internal combustion or the electric type and comprise a propeller which, in use, protrudes from the hull and spins in open water.

Internal combustion outboard engines are fed with petrol, which is typically contained in a small tank located inside the engine case or in an auxiliary tank to be placed on the bottom of the hull and connected to the engine via a special supply pipe. The auxiliary tank allows for greater range than the tank built into the engine. The latter, in fact, because of the limited space, contains a reduced amount of petrol, which makes it necessary to have cans on board for topping up with fuel.

Electric outboard motors can be, for example, of the type with internal battery, which, once discharged, must be disconnected from the motor in order to be recharged on board, for example by using solar panels or a power supply.

The rubber tenders of the known type described above have a series of drawbacks because of the presence of an outboard motor. In fact, since the propeller protrudes from the hull and rotates in the sea, the propeller itself or the foot of the motor can break, for example in the event of stranding or impact against rocks or other. As a result, it is often necessary to store an auxiliary motor on the service boat. Furthermore, being outboard, the motor could be lost during installation on the service boat. Moreover, outboard motors, particularly fuel-fed outboard motors, have a high weight, which makes mounting and removal operations thereof onto/from the rubber tender more difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a service boat which solves in a simple way the drawbacks associated with known types of service boats.

More particularly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a service boat configured to be light and compact.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a service boat configured so as not to require mounting and removal of the motor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fully electric service boat.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a service boat configured so as to be able to be moved easily and safely, both during use at sea and during storage on deck.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a service boat configured in such a way as to require reduced maintenance.

Not least object of the present invention is to provide a service boat which can be produced in short times and at competitive costs.

These and other objects, which will become more apparent in the continuation of the present description, are achieved by a service boat according to the independent claim 1. Preferred features of the service boat are mentioned in the dependent claims.

The invention therefore relates to a service boat comprising at least one inflatable tubular element and a hull supporting the at least one inflatable tubular element. The hull delimits an internal chamber and the service boat further comprises propeller propulsion means and at least one drive unit for driving the propeller propulsion means, which are housed in the internal chamber of the hull, wherein on a lower surface of the hull an opening for the entry of water into the propeller propulsion means is formed. The service boat further comprises a battery group housed in the internal chamber of the hull and at least one solar panel associated with the hull for powering the battery group.

Thanks to this combination of features, and in particular thanks to the fact that the propeller propulsion means, the drive unit for the propeller propulsion means and the battery group are all housed and integrated inside the hull, it is possible to obtain a compact and light service boat which can therefore be moved easily and safely, both during use in the water and when stored on deck. Furthermore, since the propeller propulsion means are housed and integrated inside the hull, there are no problems connected to mounting and removal of the motor, with consequent easy handling and storage on deck of the boat, and/or problems connected with a breakage of the propeller, both during handling and during use at sea. Moreover, since the battery group which powers the drive unit is solar-charged, the service boat is fully electric.

In one embodiment, the drive unit for driving the propeller propulsion means comprises an electric motor electrically connected to the battery group.

In one embodiment, the drive unit for driving the propeller propulsion means comprises an internal combustion engine and the boat further comprises a fuel containment tank, which is housed in the internal chamber of the hull and connected to the internal combustion engine.

In one embodiment, the service boat further comprises a solar-charged auxiliary battery for starting the internal combustion engine.

In one embodiment, the internal combustion engine is electrically connected to the battery group to electrically power it.

In one embodiment, the internal combustion engine is connected to the electric motor to electrically power it.

In one embodiment, the at least one solar panel is placed on the hull in positions not normally intended for seating people.

In one embodiment, the service boat comprises a solar panel positioned aft and at least one solar panel positioned on an upper surface of the hull.

In one embodiment, the aft solar panel is fixed, while the solar panel positioned on the upper surface of the hull is removable for accessing the internal chamber through a respective opening, which is formed on the upper surface of the hull.

The at least one solar panel is removable and repositionable, for example on a lower surface of the hull, so as to allow the operation thereof even with the hull overturned, which is the typical storage position of the service boat during the winter months.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, made hereinafter, for indicating and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

- Figure 1 is a plan view of a service boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the service boat of Figure 1 ;

- Figure 3 is a perspective view of an electric drive unit of the service boat of Figure 1; and

- Figure 4 is an exploded side view of the service boat of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to Figures 1 to 4, a service boat is illustrated, for example an inflatable rubber tender, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The service boat, generally indicated with reference numeral 100, comprises one or more inflatable tubular elements 10 and a hull 20 for supporting the inflatable tubular elements 10.

The inflatable tubular elements 10 are typically made of reinforced rubberized fabric and are provided with inflation and deflation valves (not visible in the figures).

The hull 20 is preferably made of a fibre -reinforced composite material having a polymeric matrix (Fibre Reinforced Polymers - FRP), of fiberglass or polymer reinforced with glass fibres (Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic - GFRP), or of aluminium. The hull 20 comprises a lower surface 21, which, when the service boat 100 is in use, is immersed in the water of an expanse of water, for example the sea, an upper surface 22 and side walls 23 and 24 connecting the upper surface 22 and the lower surface 21 with each other. An internal chamber 25 is therefore delimited between the lower surface 21, the upper surface 22 and the side walls 23 and 24.

The service boat 100 further comprises propeller propulsion means 30 and a drive unit 40 for driving the propeller propulsion means 30, which are housed within the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20, aft of the service boat 100.

In the lower surface 22 of the hull 20, and at the housing area of the propeller propulsion means 30, a water inlet opening 26 is formed. Preferably, the water inlet opening 26 is protected by a net (not visible in the figures), which prevents the entry of foreign material, such as for example fishes, algae, or the like, inside the propeller propulsion means 30 and/or in the drive unit 40 housed in the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20, advantageously preserving the operation thereof.

In particular, the propeller propulsion means 30 comprise a propulsion chamber 32 and a propeller 34, which is housed in the propulsion chamber 32 and is connected by an axis 31 to the drive unit 40. The propulsion chamber 32 has a lower water inlet opening 33, wherein the water enters the hull 20 through the opening 26 formed in the lower surface 21 (see arrow Fl in Figure 2), and a rear water outlet opening 35. The lower water inlet opening 33 is coaxial and in fluid communication with the opening 26 in the hull 20.

The drive unit consists of an electric motor 40, preferably of the water-cooled type, which is powered, via a motor electric power supply circuit 42, by a battery group 50, also housed in the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20. Preferably, the battery group 50 is housed at the bow of the service boat 100, in order to balance the weight of the propeller propulsion means 30 and of the electric motor 40, advantageously ensuring the stability of the service boat 100. Of course, the battery group 50 may be positioned in any other suitable position within the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20.

The battery group 50 is powered, via a battery electric power supply circuit 52, by one or more solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c, which are associated with the hull 20. In particular, the solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c are located in positions not normally intended for seating people and easily reachable by the sun's rays.

In the illustrated embodiment, three solar panels are provided, i.e. a solar panel 60a, having larger dimensions, positioned aft and two solar panels 60b and 60c, having smaller dimensions, positioned on the upper surface 22 of the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20. Preferably, the aft solar panel 60a is fixed, while the solar panels 60b and 60c are movable, for example hinged or screwed onto the upper surface 22, so that they can be tilted or removed to gain access to the internal chamber 25, to inspect its interior, through a respective opening 27 and 28, formed in the upper surface 22 of the hull.

In an embodiment variant, at least one solar panel 60a, 60b, 60c, preferably all solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c, is/are removable and connectable to the lower surface 23 of the hull. In this case, the solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c can charge the battery group 50 even when the service boat is stored on deck in an overturned position.

As an alternative to the fully electric drive described above, i.e. as an alternative to the electric motor 40 operated by the solar-charged battery group 50, the service boat 100 may be provided with a petrol drive.

In this case, the drive unit 40 for driving the propeller propulsion means 30 consists of an internal combustion engine, or thermal engine, fed with petrol, which is contained in a tank (not shown), also housed inside the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20, and in communication with the internal combustion engine 40.

A solar-charged auxiliary battery (not shown) is also preferably housed in the internal chamber 25, for starting the internal combustion engine 40. In a further embodiment of the service boat 100 it is possible to provide a hybrid drive, in which the drive unit 40 comprises an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, both housed in the internal chamber 25 of the hull 20. In a first variant of this embodiment, the electric motor is connected to the propeller propulsion means 30 and is powered by the battery 50 charged by the solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c, while the internal combustion engine is fed with petrol and is connected to the battery 50 to generate electric energy for charging the battery itself. Therefore, the internal combustion engine is only used to recharge the battery 50.

According to a variant of the hybrid drive, the electric motor is always connected to the propeller propulsion means 30 and is powered by the battery 50 charged by the solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c, while the internal combustion engine, fed with petrol, is operatively connected to the electric motor. In particular, the shaft of the thermal engine is connected to the rotor of the electric motor through a clutch member which, in a closed configuration, mechanically connects the two elements (shaft and rotor). In this condition, the thermal engine directly supplies the torque to the thermal propulsion means. The electric motor can be activated so as to increase boost. When the clutch is in an open configuration, the propulsion means can be driven only by the electric motor powered by the battery 50.

In general, by virtue of a hybrid drive, in the event of sunshine, the propeller propulsion means 30 are powered by the electric motor 40, which is in turn powered by the solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c. Otherwise, in the absence of the sun, the internal combustion engine is activated, which, depending on the envisaged hybrid configuration, can electrically power the battery 50 or directly drive the propulsion means 30.

The service boat 100 further comprises a rudder unit 70, which is positioned at the stern and comprises a rudder 71 connected to the propeller propulsion means 30 by a control circuit 74 and a servo-electronic actuator 72 for controlling the rudder 71, also controlled by the control circuit 74.

The rudder unit 70 also comprises a knob 73, associated with one end of the rudder, which is operated by a user to control the acceleration of the propeller propulsion means 30 and the direction of the rudder 71.

As shown in Figure 3, the service boat 100 includes a control unit 80 electrically connected to the battery 50, solar panels 60a, 60b, 60c, handle 73, servo-electronic actuator 72 and drive unit 40. Preferably, a safety key 75 is provided which is configured to communicate, via wireless means, with the control unit 80 in order to switch off the drive unit in case of danger. In particular, the safety key 75 is worn or in any case carried by the pilot of the service boat 100. When the safety key 75 moves away from the control unit 80 beyond a predetermined distance, for example due to the pilot falling overboard, the control unit 80 stops the operation of the drive unit 40.

In the absence of the safety key 75, the service boat 100 cannot be started, thus implementing an anti-theft function currently not present in service boats of the same size.

From the above description, the features of the service boat of the present invention as well as the related advantages, are apparent.

Finally, it is evident that the service boat thus conceived is susceptible of various modifications and variations; furthermore, all the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.