U.S. patent application number 13/690698 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-20 for hull with delta plate and keel extension.
This patent application is currently assigned to CONNETT HOLDINGS, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Connett Holdings, LLC. Invention is credited to Stephen Connett, JR., Steve Schmidt.
Application Number | 20130152843 13/690698 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48608814 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130152843 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Connett, JR.; Stephen ; et
al. |
June 20, 2013 |
Hull with Delta Plate and Keel Extension
Abstract
A boat hull includes a bow, a stern and a bottom surface
extending from said bow to said stern. Said bottom surface includes
a substantially flat delta plate, and a keel extension extending,
at least partially, across the delta plate.
Inventors: |
Connett, JR.; Stephen;
(Newport, RI) ; Schmidt; Steve; (Picton,
NZ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Connett Holdings, LLC; |
Newport |
RI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
CONNETT HOLDINGS, LLC
Newport
RI
|
Family ID: |
48608814 |
Appl. No.: |
13/690698 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61565130 |
Nov 30, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
114/258 ;
114/271 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B 35/40 20130101;
B63B 1/20 20130101; B63B 23/32 20130101; B63B 3/38 20130101; B63B
1/32 20130101; B63C 3/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
114/258 ;
114/271 |
International
Class: |
B63B 1/32 20060101
B63B001/32; B63B 35/40 20060101 B63B035/40 |
Claims
1. A boat hull comprising: a bow, a stern and a bottom surface
extending from said bow to said stern, said bottom surface
including a substantially flat delta plate, and a keel extension
extending, at least partially, across the delta plate.
2. The boat hull according to claim 1, further comprising a port
side and a starboard side, the keel extension disposed along a
centerline of the boat hull between the port side and the starboard
side.
3. The boat hull according to claim 1, wherein the delta plate has
a triangle shape, the keel extension bisecting said triangle.
4. The boat hull according to claim 1, wherein the delta plate is
narrow fore and wider aft of the hull.
5. A boat system comprising: a first boat having a hull, the hull
including a bow, a stern and a bottom surface extending from said
bow to said stern, said bottom surface including a delta plate that
is substantially flat, and a keel extension extending, at least
partially, across the delta plate; and a parent boat, the parent
boat including a notch, the first boat capable of sliding into
and/or out of the notch for stowage and/or deployment of the first
boat.
6. The boat system according to claim 5, wherein the parent boat
includes notch bunking for contacting the hull of the first boat,
wherein when the first boat slides into and/or out of the notch,
the keel extension reduces contact between the delta plate and the
notch bunking.
7. The boat system according to claim 5, wherein the first boat
further includes a port side and a starboard side, the keel
extension disposed along a centerline of the boat hull between the
port side and the starboard side.
8. The boat hull according to 5, wherein the delta plate has a
triangle shape, the keel extension bisecting said triangle.
9. The boat hull according to claim 5, wherein the delta plate is
narrow fore and wider aft of the hull.
10. A method of stowing and/or deploying a first boat, the first
boat having a hull, the hull including a bow, a stern and a bottom
surface extending from said bow to said stern, said bottom surface
including a delta plate that is substantially flat, and a keel
extension extending, at least partially, across the delta plate;
and sliding the first boat into and/or out of a notch of a parent
boat so as to stow and/or deploy the first boat, respectively.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the parent boat
includes notch bunking for contacting the hull of the first boat,
wherein sliding the first boat into and/or out of the notch
includes placing the keel extension into contact with the notch
bunking, reducing contact between the delta plate and the notch
bunking.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first boat
further includes a port side and a starboard side, the keel
extension disposed along a centerline of the boat hull between the
port side and the starboard side.
13. The boat hull according to 10, wherein the delta plate has a
triangle shape, the keel extension bisecting said triangle.
14. The boat hull according to claim 10, wherein the delta plate is
narrow fore and wider aft of the hull.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional
patent application Ser. No. 61/565,130 filed Nov. 30, 2011,
entitled "Hull with Delta Plate and Keel Extension," which is
hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a boat hull, and more
particularly to a boat hull that includes a delta plate having a
keel extension.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] To promote planing and higher speeds, a boat hull may
include a delta plate. The delta plate is substantially flat,
allowing the boat to rise higher above the water at high
speeds.
[0004] However, a hull that includes a delta plate can prove
disadvantageous when the boat is designed to slide into/out a notch
of a parent boat for stowage/deployment, respectively. The large
amount of friction between the hull's flat delta plate and the
notch of the parent boat may cause the hull to become unstable
and/or otherwise get stuck and not fully slide into the notch.
SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS
[0005] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a boat
hull includes a bow, a stern and a bottom surface extending from
said bow to said stern, said bottom surface including a
substantially flat delta plate, and a keel extension extending, at
least partially, across the delta plate.
[0006] In accordance with related embodiments of the invention, the
boat hull may further includes a port side and a starboard side,
the keel extension disposed along a centerline of the boat hull
between the port side and the starboard side. The delta may have a
triangle shape, the keel extension bisecting said triangle. The
delta plate may be narrow fore and wider aft.
[0007] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a
boat system includes a first boat having a hull. The hull including
a bow, a stern and a bottom surface extending from said bow to said
stern. The bottom surface includes a substantially flat delta
plate, and a keel extension extending, at least partially, across
the delta plate. The boat system further includes a parent boat.
The parent boat includes a notch. The first boat is capable of
sliding into and/or out of the notch for stowage and/or deployment
of the first boat.
[0008] In accordance with related embodiments of the invention, the
parent boat may include notch bunking for contacting the hull of
the first boat, wherein when the first boat slides into and/or out
of the notch, the keel extension reduces contact between the delta
plate and the notch bunking. The first boat may further include a
port side and a starboard side, the keel extension disposed along a
centerline of the boat hull between the port side and the starboard
side. The delta plate may have a triangle shape, the keel extension
bisecting said triangle. The delta plate may be narrow fore and
wider aft.
[0009] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a
method of stowing and/or deploying a first boat is provided. The
first boat has a hull, the hull including a bow, a stern and a
bottom surface extending from said bow to said stern. The bottom
surface includes a delta plate that is substantially flat, and a
keel extension extending, at least partially, across the delta
plate. The first boat is slid into and/or out of a notch of a
parent boat so as to stow and/or deploy the first boat,
respectively.
[0010] In accordance with related embodiments of the invention, the
parent boat may include notch bunking for contacting the hull of
the first boat, wherein sliding the first boat into and/or out of
the notch includes placing the keel extension into contact with the
notch bunking, reducing contact between the delta plate and the
notch bunking. The first boat may further include a port side and a
starboard side, the keel extension disposed along a centerline of
the boat hull between the port side and the starboard side. The
delta plate may have a triangle shape, the keel extension bisecting
said triangle. The delta plate may be narrow fore and wider aft of
the hull.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The foregoing features of embodiments will be more readily
understood by reference to the following detailed description,
taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a first boat sliding into a notch of a parent
boat, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 shows the hull of the first boat in more detail, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 3(a) shows a plan view of the bottom of the first boat,
while FIG. 3(b) shows a perspective view of the bottom view of the
first boat, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Furthermore, FIG. 3(c) shows a cross-sectional view of the bottom
of the first boat shown in FIG. 3(a), with FIG. 3(d) showing a more
detailed cross-section view of the bottom of the first boat, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 4(a) shows an elevation view of the hull of the first
boat when it is properly seated within the notch of the parent
boat, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4(b)
shows a cross-sectional view of the hull resting on notch bunking
associated with the notch of the first boat, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4(c) shows a plan view of the
notch bunking, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
[0016] FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate the notch of the parent boat,
with associated notch bunking, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention; and
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates how the hull of the first boat, and
associated delta plate and keel extension, rests on the notch
bunking, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0018] In illustrative embodiments of the invention, a hull of a
boat includes a substantially flat delta plate that promotes
planing and higher speeds. The delta plate includes a keel
extension that extends, at least partially, across the delta plate.
The keel extension advantageously allows for smooth sliding into
and/or out of a notch of a parent boat, for stowage and/or
deployment. Details are discussed below.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a first boat 101 sliding into a notch 105 of a
parent boat 103, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
The first boat 101 may be, without limitation, a rigid hull
inflatable cutter boat, that is designed to be deployed from a
parent ship. The hull of the first boat 101 may be fabricated from
a large variety of materials, including, for example, aluminum.
Inflatable tubes may be attached to the hull of the first boat 101.
The hull of the first boat 101 may be a stepped hull.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows the hull 200 of the first boat in more detail,
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The hull 200 has
a bow 205, a stern 207 and a bottom 209 surface extending from said
bow to said stern. The hull 200 further includes a delta plate 201
that is substantially planar and flat, so as to promote planing and
high speed. Typically, the delta plate may be positioned so as to
be substantially parallel to the surface of the water when, for
example, the boat is not moving and is properly trimmed. In various
embodiments, the delta plate may be positioned to be substantially
parallel to the deck (not taking into account any variance in the
angle of deck for purposes of, for example, drainage). In various
embodiments, the delta plate may be used, without limitation, in
combination with a round hull, V-hull and/or a V-modified hull,
their use is obviously not applicable to a flat-bottom boat. The
delta plate 201 can be considered as adding a discontinuity in the
normal shape of the central vertical keel (CVK) profile of their
associated type of hull. In various embodiments, the delta plate
may have a small amount of deadrise, such as, without limitation,
less than 3.degree. of deadrise, less than 2.degree. degrees of
deadrise, or less than 1.degree. degree of deadrise. Typically, the
centerline of the hull, without limitation, bisects the delta
plate. The shape, size and positioning of the delta plate, relative
to the length of the boat, may vary depending on desired design
characteristics.
[0021] Contrary to the use of conventional delta plates, the delta
plate 201 includes a keel extension 203, which runs, entirely or at
least partially, across the delta plate 201, along the centerline
of the boat. In various embodiments, the keel extension may be
considered as restoring, at least in part, the central vertical
keel (CVK) profile of what would have otherwise been, for example,
a V hull or deep -V hull without the delta plate.
[0022] The keel extension 203 may be, without limitation, welded to
the delta plate 201 or otherwise attached to the delta plate 201,
as known in the art. In other embodiments, the keel extension may
be integrally formed with the delta plate 201. The keel extension
may be of any height depending on design constraints. For example,
the keel extension may have, without limitation, a height of one to
four inches. The lowest surface of the keel extension (i.e. that
surface which is distal from the hull) may be substantially flat,
however, in various embodiments, the lowest surface of the keel
extension may have, without limitation, a desired amount of
rocker.
[0023] FIG. 3(a) shows a plan view of the bottom of the first boat,
while FIG. 3(b) shows a perspective view of the bottom view of the
first boat, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Furthermore, FIG. 3(c) shows a cross-sectional view of the bottom
of the first boat shown in FIG. 3(a), with FIG. 3(d) showing a more
detailed cross-section view of the bottom of the first boat, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As can be seen, the
delta plate 201 may be, without limitation, triangular in shape,
with the keel extension 203 bisecting said triangle. The delta
plate may be narrow fore and wider aft of the hull.
[0024] FIG. 4(a) shows an elevation view of the hull of the first
boat when it is properly seated within the notch of the parent
boat, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. More
particularly, the hull 200 may rest, without limitation, on notch
bunking 403 associated with the notch of the first boat, as shown
in more detail in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4(b), in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 shows a plan
view of the notch bunking, in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention.
[0025] In illustrative embodiments of the invention, the keel
extension 203 rides on the notch bunking 402, preventing the delta
plate from contacting the notch bunking 402, and decreasing
friction. This may hold true as the first boat slides along the
entire length of the notch bunking 403. This enables the first boat
to slide smoothly in and out of the notch of the parent boat, and
ensures that the first boat slides fully into the notch without
getting stuck or/otherwise twisted as it moves within the
notch.
[0026] FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate the notch of the parent boat,
with associated notch bunking, in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention. The notch bunking is similar to what is shown in
FIG. 4(c).
[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates how the hull of the first boat, and
associated delta plate and keel extension, rests on the notch
bunking, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Frame 1
represents the aft view, while Frame 7 represents the fore view.
The keel extension can be seen in Frames 3-7.
[0028] The first boat may be any type of water vehicle, including
without limitation, a motorboat, a powerboat, a rigid-hulled
inflatable, a jet boat, and/or a jet ski. As described above, the
notch may be associated with a parent boat. Instead of a parent
boat, the notch may be associated with, for example, a boat trailer
or other stowage/deployment systems known in the art.
[0029] The embodiments of the invention described above are
intended to be merely exemplary; numerous variations and
modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All
such variations and modifications are intended to be within the
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *