U.S. patent application number 16/762651 was filed with the patent office on 2020-12-17 for drive module for a boat-like buoyancy body, and buoyancy body equipped therewith.
This patent application is currently assigned to Inventra AG. The applicant listed for this patent is INVENTRA AG. Invention is credited to Ulo Gertsch.
Application Number | 20200391830 16/762651 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005072842 |
Filed Date | 2020-12-17 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200391830 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gertsch; Ulo |
December 17, 2020 |
DRIVE MODULE FOR A BOAT-LIKE BUOYANCY BODY, AND BUOYANCY BODY
EQUIPPED THEREWITH
Abstract
The drive module buoyancy body is either made as a solid
material, inflatable or as a hollow body with inflatable air
chambers inside, which includes a seat and a shaft mounted in a
front portion and extending in a direction transverse to the
longitudinal direction of the buoyancy body. Paddle wheels are
mounted at the ends of the shaft. A profile is articulated to the
shaft in its center so as to be able to pivot about its lower end
region, which profile extends upwards from the shaft and in which a
crankshaft with a drive wheel is mounted at the upper end region of
the profile. The cranks of the crankshaft can be optionally
equipped with pedals for a foot drive or crank handles for a hand
drive. By driving the cranks, the paddle wheels are driven by a
roller chain or a toothed belt, the profile (7) being able to be
engaged in a pivoted position for foot drive and being able to be
engaged in a position different therefrom for manual drive.
Inventors: |
Gertsch; Ulo; (Steffisburg,
CH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INVENTRA AG |
Steffisburg |
|
CH |
|
|
Assignee: |
Inventra AG
Steffisburg
CN
|
Family ID: |
1000005072842 |
Appl. No.: |
16/762651 |
Filed: |
October 11, 2018 |
PCT Filed: |
October 11, 2018 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2018/077750 |
371 Date: |
May 8, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63H 1/06 20130101; B63H
16/12 20130101; B63B 32/56 20200201; B63H 16/20 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B63B 32/56 20060101
B63B032/56; B63H 1/06 20060101 B63H001/06; B63H 16/08 20060101
B63H016/08; B63H 16/20 20060101 B63H016/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 13, 2017 |
CH |
01250/17 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A drive module for a buoyancy body, comprising: a body having
air chambers inflatable therein, said body including a seat and a
shaft extending in a direction transverse to a longitudinal
direction of said buoyancy body; lateral paddle wheels mounted on
end portions of said shaft; a profile pivotably articulated on said
shaft and extending upwards from said shaft; blade wheels; an
output wheel; two paddle wheels; a crankshaft mounted in an upper
end region of said profile with cranks able to be driven for
driving said blade wheels via a secondary drive, wherein said
profile is able to be locked in a pivoted position for being foot
driven, and is lockable in a position deviating therefrom for
manual drive; and, a drive module includes a rail run along the
buoyancy body with said seat being arranged on said rail so as to
be longitudinally displaceable and engageable in a plurality of
positions, said shaft extending transversely to a longitudinal
direction of said buoyancy body and mounted directly or indirectly
on the rail via a bearing block and projecting beyond said rail,
and said shaft having one paddle wheel of said two paddle wheels on
each of two sides of said output wheel at its end portions.
16. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said cranks for pedals are arranged on said crankshaft and
with handgrips and spacer rods being offset thereto on a periphery
of said crankshaft, said pedals and said handgrips with said spacer
rods being foldable and resting against said cranks via a hinge
element, thereby allowing for either pedal operation or manual
operation of said drive module.
17. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 16,
wherein said profile is a square hollow profile, or a U-shaped
profile open at its bottom, and being pivotable in a plurality of
positions about one end region and is able to be secured in each
pivotable position of said plurality of positions via a
longitudinally adjustable support braced against said rail in a
first position in which a person sitting on said seat is able to
drive said pedals of said cranks with the person's fee and in a
second position in which the person is sitting on said seat and is
able to drive said crank via handles with the person's hands.
18. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said secondary drive includes a roller chain or a toothed
belt inside said profile, which is guided via a drive wheel on said
crankshaft and via a driven wheel on said shaft and thereby drives
said shaft and said blade wheels.
19. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said secondary drive includes a first cardan drive with a
first spur gear on said crankshaft, which drives a second cardan
shaft inside said profile, and which in turn drives a second spur
gear on said shaft and thereby drives said shaft and said blade
wheels.
20. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said body includes an inflatable buoyancy body with said
rail running along said inflatable buoyancy body, which is seated
on a longitudinal strut of a support chassis or is formed by said
longitudinal strut itself, said longitudinal strut being supported
laterally on said buoyancy body via a transverse strut, and on said
longitudinal strut at each of its ends is a holding fork forming
two tongues running parallel to said longitudinal strut and
pointing towards said longitudinal strut, wherein said two tongues
are mounted in leg pockets on two mutually opposite holding pockets
that are able to be inserted on an upper side of said buoyancy
body, wherein a connection of said support chassis, and thus of
said drive module on said buoyancy body, is able to be produced
when said buoyancy body is inflated.
21. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said rail is mounted on a base plate that is fixed on said
body by fitting said base plate onto an upper side of said body and
is able to be secured via slides or screws.
22. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
further comprising impellers having center metal bushes with ribs
or profiles extending axially in said center metal bushes that are
able to be fitted over end portions of said shaft that is provided
with complementary ribs or profiles and are able to be secured at
the end portions of said shaft.
23. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said blade wheels comprise two wheel discs with blades
projecting in an axial direction formed with outwardly bulging
projections in a central region, said outwardly bulging projections
lying one on top of the other when said two wheel discs are placed
one on top of the other, said two wheel discs having rubber tires
and bushings for receiving said shaft being able to be clamped in a
sealing manner to flat outer discs so that transmission of torque
of said shaft to said lateral paddle wheels is ensured and a cavity
formed by said outwardly budging projections being sealed off for
providing buoyancy.
24. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 23,
further comprising paddle wheel discs having axial bores into which
rotary discs are inserted, with one said blade on each side, said
blades having an adjustable pivot position.
25. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
wherein said seat is mounted on said rail to be displaceable along
said rail with said seat able to be secured in a plurality of
displacement positions and adjustable in inclination about a
transverse axis in each displaceable position of said plurality of
displaceable positions.
26. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
further comprising a wheel hub motor integrated into a bearing
block on said shaft with control of said wheel hub motor being
either a pedaled control or an electrically powered control able to
be independently regulated by hand.
27. The drive module for a buoyancy body according to claim 15,
further comprising a rudder fixable to a stern or bow of said body,
said rubber able to be pivoted from said seat.
28. A buoyancy body, comprising: a drive module having a base
platform is connected to an upper side of said buoyancy body in a
front half and a rear half of said buoyancy body and having holding
pockets on an upper side of said buoyancy body in said front half
and said rear half, wherein said holding pockets are U-shaped and
having openings in said front half and said rear half for receiving
tongues able to fit into the openings; and, a support chassis on
said on said drive module forming two intersecting struts connected
to one another with an intersection and holding fork attached to
one another at two ends of a longitudinal strut forming two tongues
at each end of the two ends, wherein in a non-inflated state of
said buoyancy body said two tongues are able to be inserted into
said holding pockets and are able to be clamped to said buoyancy
body via inflation for fastening of said support chassis and said
drive module mounted thereon to said buoyancy body.
Description
[0001] In 1964 Newman Darby published a sailboard in Popular
Science, a US magazine with a circulation of 1.5 million and showed
a self-building instruction for his sailboard. The American Jim
Drake then equipped a surfboard with a sail to avoid the annoying
paddling through the waves and developed the construction principle
of the windsurfer with a pair of curved beams, which run crosswise
to the spar and hold the sail between them, a so-called boom. This
wind-powered device was the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,800,
registered on 27 Mar. 1978 and granted on 6 Jan. 1970. Since then,
windsurfing has established itself very successfully worldwide and
became an Olympic discipline for the first time in 1984.
[0002] Since the beginning of the 21st century, stand up paddling,
which has been known for hundreds of years among primitive peoples,
has become more and more popular as a leisure sport and has
developed into a water sport in its own right. The athlete stands
upright on the surfboard and paddles with a standing paddle. The
side to be paddled is changed regularly. Standing paddling can be
combined with surfing (wakeboarding), in which case the paddle can
also be used to steer the surfboard and to support balance. On
inland waters, however, the waves are low and paddling is
practically all that is practiced.
[0003] Paddling standing up is not for everyone. It requires
sufficient fitness and a good sense of balance. For longer
distances paddling is tiring and paddling in a sitting position
would be more comfortable, especially for long distances.
[0004] It is also known that there are a variety of sports
activities available for people with walking disabilities on land,
including sports in sports stadiums, on snow, etc. However, the
offer on the water is totally unsatisfactory, apart from the
passive disciplines such as sailing and motor boating, and the very
small number of people who, despite their walking disabilities, are
able and interested in canoeing on a limited scale. Because
physical activity in fresh air and in the nature is of special
importance for people with walking disabilities, and because the
primeval medium water has a special attraction and health
significance, the aim of the present invention is to create a
novel, movement-intensive, easy-to-learn and safe water sport for
people with walking disabilities and to provide a boat with a drive
system which is not identical with that for people with walking
disabilities and wheelchair users, the so-called handrims on
wheelchairs, so that the new water sport is also in this respect
different and therefore more attractive. Quite apart from the fact
that it makes sense to bring variety to the daily activities of
people with walking disabilities, it would be biomechanically
unfavourable to propel a watercraft with traditional handrims.
Experiments have shown that the jerky propulsion movement with the
constant gripping only results in a very minimal and thus
unattractive locomotion of the vehicle in the water, because the
short interruptions when moving wheelchair handrims always produce
a braking effect. In other words: Only a continuous movement can
propel a manually operated watercraft relatively efficiently and
quickly. It is important to bear in mind that the propulsion
movement is only suitable for various types of walking impediments,
for example for people with paraplegia, if the necessary propulsion
movement is limited as far as possible to the arms and lateral
movement or even twisting of the upper body can be avoided or is
unnecessary. On the other hand, a slight bending back and forth of
the upper body may be accepted or even proves to be beneficial to
health, as is known from wheelchair sports.
[0005] In Switzerland, there are about 40,000 people with walking
disabilities in wheelchairs who are independently mobile, including
about 700 active wheelchair athletes (461 of whom have a Swiss
licence), and 27 wheelchair clubs in all regions of Switzerland.
There are also 96 sports groups PLUSPORT (Behindertensport Schweiz)
in all regions, with 8400 active members. The Swiss Paraplegics
Association (SPV) and Wheelchair Sport Switzerland (RSS) have 8,000
members, 450 of whom are registered as active members. In Germany,
more than 3600 disabled sports clubs with more than 340,000 active
members are registered with the German Disabled Sports Association.
The German Wheelchair Sports Association (DRS) is made up of 230
wheelchair clubs with around 6,000 wheelchair athletes and offers a
wide range of both popular and competitive wheelchair sports.
According to its own information, the Austrian Disabled Sports
Association has around 6500 active members. The range of sporting
activities available to paraplegics is now large on land, road and
snow, but almost non-existent on water.
[0006] Among several dozen sports at the 2000 Sydney
Paralympics--the Olympics for the disabled--swimming and sailing
were the only disciplines in the water. The enthusiasm of
paraplegic people for boating or canoeing is great. The testing of
prototypes by Daniel Bogli, the 400 m silver medalist at the 98
World Disability Championships in Birmingham, produced excellent
results: An independent transfer on land from a wheelchair to a
boat and then launching it without assistance via a ramp into the
water would be greatly appreciated. If the wheelchair user could
even water himself, a watercraft would be perfect for him.
[0007] Such a watercraft to be created should meet these
considerations and objectives as fully as possible. In addition, it
should be designed in such a way that it is very stable in the
water, even capsize-proof, and can thus be used without danger
without a long learning phase and without overcoming fears. A
further, essential goal is to make the vehicle's entry and exit as
easy as possible, which is particularly important in the
handicapped sector. The aim is even to enable the driver to
transfer from the wheelchair to the cockpit without assistance on
land and then to drive independently over the ramp into the water,
and vice versa. Finally, it should be possible to transport the
vehicle on the roof of the car and to store the watercraft and its
propulsion module in a normal garage, so that no boat space is
needed in or on the water. Despite these high demands, the device
should be technically simple and thus functionally reliable.
[0008] The task of this invention is therefore to create a drive
module for a boat-like buoyancy body which is as compact, light and
simple as possible and can be quickly disassembled and reassembled
from the buoyancy body so that it can be transported in or on a
car, at least in its disassembled state, and by means of which the
board can be optionally driven by a person in a seated position by
means of their feet or hands. The watercraft equipped with this
propulsion module shall be capable of being easily launched and
retrieved, in special cases even by a wheelchair user.
[0009] This task is solved by a drive module for a boat-like
buoyancy body made of solid material or inflatable or constructed
as a hollow body with inflatable air chambers inside, including a
seat and a shaft mounted in front of it, running in a transverse
direction to the longitudinal direction of the buoyancy body, and
lateral paddle wheels attached to the end sections of the shaft, as
well as a profile hinged to the shaft, which extends upwardly from
the shaft, wherein at the upper end region of the profile there is
mounted a crankshaft with a drive wheel, the cranks of which can be
optionally equipped with foot pedals or crank handles, for driving
the paddle wheels via a secondary drive, and wherein the profile
can be engaged in a pivoted position for foot drive and can be
engaged in a different position for hand drive.
[0010] In the drawings, design examples of the drive module are
shown and described in detail below and its function is
explained.
[0011] It shows:
[0012] FIG. 1: A watercraft in the form of a paddle or surfboard
with the invented drive module with handles for manual drive;
[0013] FIG. 2: A chain drive wheel with pedals and handles for
optional operation with the feet or hands;
[0014] FIG. 3: A chain drive wheel with pedals and hand grips as
shown in FIG. 9 with pedals and hand grips that can be folded in at
the cranks for one or the other type of use;
[0015] FIG. 4: The power transmission from the chain drive wheel to
a drive axle for the paddle wheels in a side view;
[0016] FIG. 5: The transmission of power from the chain drive wheel
with handles to a drive axle for the paddle wheels, seen in the
longitudinal direction of the vessel;
[0017] FIG. 6: A watercraft in the form of a paddle board or
surfboard with the drive module of the invention with pedals for
propulsion by feet;
[0018] FIG. 7: A watercraft in the form of a paddle or surfboard
with the propulsion module of the invention with pedals and a
downwind sail;
[0019] FIG. 8: A watercraft in the form of a paddle or surfboard
with the propulsion module of the invention viewed from the side,
with the profile supporting the crank shown in a pivoted position
for foot propulsion and a different position for hand
propulsion;
[0020] FIG. 9: The vessel as shown in FIG. 4, seen from above;
[0021] FIG. 10: A single paddle wheel of the propulsion module;
[0022] FIG. 11: A pair of paddle wheels connected by a shaft as an
axle;
[0023] FIG. 12: An inflatable paddle or surf board with an
associated support chassis for the propulsion module, so that it
can be connected to the paddle or surf board without the need for
tools;
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an example of a watercraft with the drive
module 1 according to the invention. In principle, this drive
module 1 can be combined with any boat-like buoyancy body 2. This
boat-like buoyancy body 2 and various versions can be used. A
stand-up paddle board (SUP) comes into question, as such are mainly
used in inflatable versions, although fixed SUP boards are also
available. Further it can be a surfboard, but also a slim boat such
as a racing rowing boat, or even a narrow boat with a side boom or
even a catamaran or trimaran can be considered. The drive module 1
is here as an example mounted on a paddle- or surfboard 2, so that
the associated paddle wheels 13 can be driven either with crank
handles 12 or with foot pedals. The drive module 1 is basically
designed to be mounted easily and quickly on a paddle- or surfboard
2 without the need for tools. An existing surfboard 2 or a stand-up
paddle board can be used as paddle or surfboard 2, or a board 2
specially designed for drive module 1 can be used as a buoyancy
body. Conventional paddle or surfboards are made of solid material,
usually a foamed plastic, which is poured or pressed into a mould
and then remains dimensionally stable. The boards are stiff and in
the water they generate enough buoyancy to carry at least one
person. If such a board 2 is equipped with a drive module 1, this
module 1 must therefore not be too heavy, so that the buoyancy
generated by the board is sufficient to carry module 1 together
with the rider. Preferably, the drive module 1 is built from
aluminium profiles and the associated paddle wheels 13 are made of
aluminium sheets. In a special design the paddle wheels 13 can be
made of plastic and form buoyancy bodies, as will be shown below.
Instead of a paddle or surf board, an inflatable "board" can be
used, which can, for example, be made of a three-dimensional hollow
body of foil material with internal partitions welded together to
form separate chambers, which can be filled individually with
compressed air so that, when all chambers are filled, board 2 takes
on a defined shape. Alternatively, board 2 may also be constructed
or assembled from a number of separate hollow bodies each made of
plastic film material, by welding these hollow bodies together so
that when inflated they form a rigid board, similar to a paddle or
surfboard made of solid material.
[0025] Finally, the board may also be made of plastic sheets or
aluminium sheets, which form the underside and the top, and where
the flanks are also made of plastic sheets or aluminium sheets. In
the case of plastic sheets, they are welded or glued together along
their edges to form a seal, and in the case of aluminium sheets,
they may be riveted or welded. In the case of such a hollow body
made of aluminium sheets or of plastic sheets, a rubber balloon of
similar shape is inserted into the interior, which is then inflated
and its outer skin clings to the inside of the hollow body,
ensuring that this hollow body is always filled on its inside by an
inflated rubber balloon and thus reliably generates the necessary
buoyancy. Instead of a rubber balloon, a suitably shaped buoyancy
body can also be built into the interior of the hollow body, for
example one made of polystyrene, or the hollow body can be filled
directly with expanded perlite. As an alternative, one or more bags
made of plastic film can be filled with expanded perlite and stowed
inside the hollow body so that they fill its interior volume
tightly before the hollow body, whether it is made of plastic
sheets or aluminum sheets, is closed. This creates an unsinkable
board. Expanded perlite is produced from an inert volcanic rock and
is therefore ecologically completely harmless. Expanded perlite
weighs about 70 grams per litre.
[0026] A drive module 1 is built onto such a board, which allows a
very simple and quick change from a pedal drive with pedals to an
operating mode for crank handles. The basic idea behind this is to
achieve large quantities with a muscle-powered board that can be
used by everyone, so that the production costs are correspondingly
low and, thanks to the large series, the board is also affordable
for the disabled. If such a boat were to be designed exclusively
for disabled people, it would regularly become far too expensive to
produce, because it could only be sold in small quantities.
However, the board with the drive module according to the invention
can be equipped with pedals as well as with hand cranks and can
then be used by the broad mass of the non-disabled as a trendy
leisure watercraft. Equipped with hand cranks, it can also be used
by handicapped people, such as wheelchair users, as a highly
welcome enrichment and for physical activity on the water, which
greatly improves their quality of life.
[0027] As can be seen in FIG. 1, drive module 1 includes a central
rail 3 on which the rest of drive module 1 is mounted. This
includes the drive unit with the shaft 5, which extends
transversely to rail 3 and carries a paddle wheel 13 at each of its
two ends. On rail 3 there is a bearing block 6, in which the shaft
5 is rotatably mounted by means of ball bearings or plastic plain
bearings. Furthermore, a profile 7 made of aluminium sheet or
plastic is attached to the shaft 5 so that it can swivel. This
hollow profile forms a housing inside which a secondary drive is
housed. This secondary drive can, for example, be a roller chain or
toothed belt drive, or a cardan drive. The toothed belt or the
roller chain then runs around a drive wheel at the top, which sits
on the crank axle 9, to which cranks 10 are attached on both sides
of the drive wheel, which are either equipped with crank handles 12
at their ends as shown here, or are equipped with pedals for a foot
drive instead of crank handles. Changing from crank handles 12 to
pedals can be done very quickly and without tools by clicking these
parts onto the crank rods by means of snap locks, against the force
of a built-in spring. To release, a push button is pressed and the
pedals or crank handles can be pulled outwards towards the crank
rods. The drive wheel inside the outer end section of the square
profile 7 is provided with a toothing on the outside on which the
roller chain or even the toothed belt fits. The roller chain or the
toothed belt then drives the drive wheel inside the bearing block 6
in the lower end area of the profile 7, which has the same toothing
on its periphery. Thus, if the crank axle 9 is turned by operating
the crank handles or pedals, the driving force is transmitted to
the output wheel on the shaft 5 by means of the roller chain or
toothed belt, and thus the shaft 5 is set in rotation and so are
the paddle wheels 13 located at its end sections. As an alternative
to a drive via a roller chain or toothed belt as a secondary drive,
a cardan drive can be used, as has already been implemented on
bicycles. In this case, the crankshaft drives a crankshaft via a
spur gear, and this drives this shaft and thus the paddle wheels 13
via another spur gear on shaft 5.
[0028] The driver's seat 4 is equipped with a backrest and is
arranged on rail 3 so that it can be moved longitudinally along its
length. The seat 4 can be moved back and forth in many positions
and can engage in any position on rail 3, for example by means of a
spring-loaded pawl via a conveniently operated hand lever, whereby
the pawl engages in a rack running longitudinally on the rail. In
addition, the steepness of the backrest, i.e. the angle between it
and the seat surface, can be adjusted to achieve the optimum
sitting and back position for each user.
[0029] The rail 3 can also be permanently mounted on a base plate
8. In this case, this base plate 8 can be advantageously inserted
into a recess 30 provided on the upper side of the board 2 and
secured in this recess 30 by means of simple sliders on the edge of
the recess 30 on the upper side of the board by pushing these
sliders over the edge of the base plate 8. Instead of a recess,
holders mounted on the board can also be used, in which the base
plate 8 fits and with which it can be firmly anchored to the board
2. The base plate 8 is dimensioned so large that all forces acting
on the rail 3 can be sufficiently withheld and absorbed.
[0030] The swivel position of profile 7, in this case a square
hollow profile or at least one U-profile open at the bottom, is
held in a definitive swivel position by strut 15. This swivel
position can be changed by altering the length of strut 15. Thus,
from the swivel position shown here, profile 7 can be swivelled
even further in the direction of seat 4, or on the other hand in
the direction towards the bow of board 2. In each swivel position
the strut 15 can be locked and secured. For this purpose the brace
15 can be formed by tubes or profiles that can be telescopically
inserted into each other, with a number of cross holes into which a
safety pin, which is held by a safety chain, can then be inserted.
This allows a very large number of swivel positions to be set and
secured, so that together with the seat adjustment an ideal setting
can be found for every rider's height, whether for manual drive as
shown here or for pedal operation. A rudder 16 can be attached to
the stern of the board by clamping or screwing it on, which can be
swivelled from the seat by means of a linkage or cable pulls
17.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a sprocket 23 and the corresponding output
sprocket 24 for driving the shaft 5. The shaft to this sprocket 23
is equipped with both cranks 10 for the pedals 11 and cranks 10 for
the handgrips 12 and their distance rods 51 to the cranks 10,
offset in the circumference of the shaft. The movement circles of
these pedals 11 and handgrips 12 are marked with dotted lines. The
sprocket 23 can therefore be driven either by the pedals 11 or by
the handgrips 12. So that the pedals 11 do not get in the way of
the handgrips 12 during manual operation and vice versa, the pedals
11 and the handgrips 12 can be folded up to fit the cranks 10.
[0032] This is shown in FIG. 3. As can be seen here, the pedals 11
and the distance rods 51 to the handgrips 12 are each held by a
hinge element 52 on the cranks 10. The hinge elements 52 are
designed in such a way that they can be pulled apart piece by piece
against the force of an internal spring by means of a slotted hole
in the outwardly pivoting element through which the fixed pivot pin
on the other element passes. In each end position of the 90.degree.
swivel range, the outwardly located swivel element can rest on the
other and to a certain extent snap into it, so that a fixed setting
is maintained in both end positions. In foot operation, the pedals
11 are then swung out and the handles 12 with their spacer rods 51
resting on the crank 10 are folded in and do not interfere with
foot operation. In manual mode, the handgrips 12 with their spacer
rods 51 are swivelled out and the pedals 11 folded in and resting
on the crank 10 and do not interfere with the manual mode. Thus, by
simply folding in or out the distance rods 51 and handles 12 or the
pedals 11, it is possible to change to the desired drive mode.
[0033] FIG. 4 shows the drive seen from the side. The shaft forming
the crank axle 9 can be adjusted by means of an adjustment
mechanism 53 on profile 7, so that the chain can be tensioned as
required. FIG. 5 shows the drive for manual operation in a
longitudinal view on the hull. The cranks 10 do not run at right
angles to the crank axis 9, but are arranged at a slight angle to
the outside. Spacer bars 51 are attached to the outer ends of the
cranks 10. The outer ends of these bars carry the handles 12, which
can be rotated on them and are aligned in an ergonomically
optimized way.
[0034] A setting for foot pedal operation is shown in FIG. 6. As
can be seen in this FIG. 6, the profile 7 is swung forwards from
the position in FIG. 1 and secured in a position in which the strut
15 is shortened accordingly and in which the profile 7 is directed
forwards and upwards at an angle of about 25.degree. on board 2.
For a taller rider it can be swung further towards board 2. The
limit is the position of profile 7, where the rider's heels just
barely touch the top of board 2 when pedalling. The drive module 1
can be assembled using only one rail 3 as shown here, by screwing
this rail 3 onto the body of the board. In the case of a board 2
made of solid material, e.g. a foamed material, holes can be
drilled through the board 2, through which screws can be inserted
from below, which pass through the board 2 through its material
upwards and protrude a few centimetres from the board surface with
their thread at the top. Rail 3 can then be placed over these screw
ends with appropriate holes and secured with lock nuts or wing
nuts. The paddle wheels 13 are made of plastic or aluminium sheet
and can then be fitted over one or more longitudinal grooves in the
end sections of the shaft to fit exactly over them. For this
purpose, the bushes matching the shaft end sections are fitted with
corresponding inwardly projecting ribs in the center of the
impellers 13. In this way the torque of the shaft can be
transmitted to the paddle wheels 13 and at the same time the paddle
wheels 13 can be quickly disassembled and reassembled. The two ends
of the shaft 5 can be provided with threads onto which a lock nut
can be screwed and secured with a cross pin. Alternatively, they
can also have only a diametric bore into which a locking pin can be
inserted after the paddle wheels 13 have been fitted.
[0035] FIG. 7 shows a variant of drive module 1, which additionally
includes a sail 18 for tailwind. This sail 18 is mounted in a frame
20 and is located behind the driver's seat 4. It can be swivelled
up and down around the frame tube 31. A spring pushes it upwards,
where it finds a stop in an end position as shown here. On its rear
side you can see a cable 19. By pulling in the cable 19 against the
force of the spring, the frame 20 can be swung out with this sail
18 by means of a hand crank, so that the sail 18 loses its effect.
The material of the sail 18 can be an ordinary canvas or a thin
plastic foil, but also a flexible solar panel on a foil. Especially
when swung down or only slightly swung up, it is then optimally
directed towards the sun, depending on the position of the sun, for
the accumulation of sunlight and for the photovoltaic conversion of
the same into electrical energy, which can be stored in an
associated battery with up to 48V voltage and e.g. 10 Ah capacity,
which is common for electric bicycles, and which is best placed
behind the driver's seat 4.
[0036] Optionally, board 2 can be equipped with a centerboard 21.
For this purpose a central longitudinal slot is provided in the
rear area of board 2, into which the centerboard 21 can be inserted
from top to bottom, or a centerboard 21 is mounted on the bottom
side of the board around a swivel axis and stabilized on both sides
with thin wire ropes 32. This allows the wind to be used even
better, especially if the tailwind sail 18 is additionally mounted
to swivel around its vertical axis, for example on a turntable on
which the tube 31 of the frame is mounted. In this case, with such
a pivoting sail, the stability of the boat becomes of much greater
importance, which is the purpose of the paddlewheels 13, which
enclose buoyancy bodies, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.
[0037] To support the muscle drive, the shaft 5 inside the bearing
bracket 6 can be equipped with a wheel hub motor that draws its
energy from the battery mentioned above and is supported by the
bearing bracket 6, thus enabling the shaft 5 to rotate in the same
way as such a wheel hub motor on an electric bicycle can rotate a
bicycle hub. There are also motor concepts on bicycles where the
electric motor is located directly in front of the bottom bracket
and drives the crank axle. Such a concept can also be installed in
the bearing block 6. It can be controlled in the same way as an
electric bicycle, in that a pedelec drive control system supports
the torque generated by muscle power in several selectable stages
and provides additional torque. So as soon as the rider drives the
cranks 10, either with his feet or with his hands, the electric
drive assistance kicks in. On the other hand, the control system
can also optimally provide a purely electric drive that is
independent of pedalling, whereby the power is then infinitely
variable via a handle or lever.
[0038] As a special feature, one of the cranks 10 on crank axle 9
can also be mounted on the crank axle rotated by 180.degree.. Then
they are operated by hand in parallel instead of alternately like
the pedals of a bicycle, which some riders find more
comfortable.
[0039] FIG. 8 shows a watercraft with the drive module invented for
a paddle or surfboard 2 seen from the side, without the right
paddle wheel to give a view of the seat and the drive. As you can
see here, two swivel positions of the profile 7 are drawn
simultaneously. On the one hand profile 7 is swivelled forward
towards the bow on the right side of the drawing, for a pedal
drive, and on the other hand swivelled backwards, for a hand drive.
In this FIG. 8 you can also see the drive wheel 23 at the cranks
10, the roller chain 22 or the toothed belt connecting the drive
wheel 23 with the driven wheel 24 at the shaft 5. Further on, the
here left paddle wheel 13 is drawn sitting on the shaft 5. The
water line 33 is at the occupied and watered board at the level
where the paddle wheels are only immersed in the water with their
area where the paddles are attached, as can be seen from FIGS. 10
and 11. The board 2 as shown here in FIG. 8 is still equipped with
a wheel 25 at the stern, which can be swivelled from the driver's
seat 4 by means of cables or a linkage, so that it can act as a
rudder in the water, and can be locked in a straight line for
launching and unloading. It is then a great help when launching and
recovering on a sloping surface or on a beach, so that even a
single person can launch and recover the watercraft easily and
without much effort.
[0040] FIG. 9 shows the watercraft according to FIG. 6 in a view
from above. Here you can see the rail 3, which extends in the
middle of the board 2 in its longitudinal direction. On this rail 3
the seat 4 can be adjusted back and forth and locked in any
position. Also the inclination of the seat 4 and its backrest can
be adjusted, so that the seat 4 is mounted on a sledge on rail 3
and can be swivelled around its transverse axis. In the
illustration shown, the profile 7 is tilted forward and adjusted
for a foot pedal drive. The paddle wheels 13 protrude over the
sides of the board 2, so that their wheel centers 34 are about half
a board width outside the sides of the board.
[0041] FIG. 10 shows a single special paddle wheel 13 of drive
module 1 in a perspective view. It is made of plastic and consists
here of two wheel discs 35, 36, which are formed with a bulge in
the center area towards the outside. These bulges 26 come to rest
on each other when the two wheel discs 35, 36 are placed on top of
each other as shown here and are welded or glued together to form a
seal. The inner peripheral edges of the bulges 26 are then pressed
together to form a seal, and the peripheral edges are fitted with
seals. The bushings 37, which receive the shaft 5, are clamped
sealingly on the outside with the flat outer discs 38, so that the
transmission of the torque of the shaft 5 to the paddle wheels 13
is ensured and at the same time the cavity formed by the bulges 26
is sealed against the outside and remains dry on the inside. Thus
such an impeller 13 with its cavity formed by the bulges 26 acts as
a buoyancy body. In the normal position of the board 2 occupied by
one person, the hollow bodies of the left and right paddle wheel 13
do not dive into the water at all or only very slightly and in the
latter case they stabilize the normal position like outriggers on a
dugout canoe. If the boat heels due to the rider leaning sideways
or due to the influence of the wind, especially when a sail 18 is
set, the increased buoyancy of the deeper immersed paddle wheel
will limit the heeling. In the peripheral area the paddle wheel
discs are provided with axial bores into which turntables 28 are
inserted, which carry a paddle 27 on each side. The swivel position
of the paddles 27 can be adjusted in such a paddle wheel 13,
similar to a controllable pitch propeller. The angle of attack of
the paddles 27 is slightly increased for fast sailing. The
turntables 28 can be slightly tapered towards the inside and the
outer ones visible here can be braced with the inner ones with
axially running screws which are not visible here. A rubber ring in
the bore hole also creates a watertight seal towards the inside. In
addition, reinforcing ribs 29 are also visible on this paddle wheel
13, which can be provided on the outer side visible here as well as
on the inner side for general stiffening of the paddle wheel
13.
[0042] These paddle wheels 13 can be fitted with rubber tyres 39 at
their periphery. The paddle wheels can even be designed as a rim on
their outer circumference, on which a pneumatic tire can even be
mounted, as on a bicycle rim. On the one hand this makes it easier
to move the vessel on firm ground, especially if the stern is
equipped with a freely pivoting stern wheel 25 as shown in FIG. 8.
The size of the paddle wheels 13 makes it much easier to push the
watercraft on uneven ground and in sand. In addition, the
paddle-wheels 13 are then used for launching and recovering the
watercraft on a gently sloping beach or on a ramp for launching and
recovering boats. A wheelchair user rolls up to a board 2 equipped
with drive module 1 and thus a watercraft ready for take-off behind
the paddle wheels 13 as close and parallel as possible to the board
2 and can then in many cases independently change over from the
wheelchair to the seat 4. Afterwards he can approach the watering
ramp on the paddle wheels 13 and the stern wheel by operating the
hand cranks and then down into the water. Conversely, if the
watering ramps are not very steep, he can approach them from the
water, or on a shallow beach he can approach them from the water
until the paddle-wheels roll aground, and then drive up the ramp or
beach with the hand cranks until the vessel is drained. For this
purpose, the secondary drive can be equipped with a reduction gear,
just like a bicycle, so that with a low gear ratio, even
considerable gradients can be overcome when driving slowly. For
this purpose, the secondary drive can be equipped with a gear
change, just like on a bicycle, at the drive wheel or at the output
wheel or even at both, so that a very small gear ratio can be
selected for launching on a ramp, in order to be able to overcome
the gradient with a force that can be easily applied. Of course,
this dewatering by driving the paddle wheels 13 is greatly
facilitated if the drive is still electrically assisted. Once dry,
the wheelchair user can drive the watercraft back to the vicinity
of his wheelchair and change over to it.
[0043] For further stabilization of the paddle wheels 13, the
associated shaft 5 can be equipped with bearing blocks that can be
attached to the edges of the board 2 or with bearing blocks that
can be clamped to the edge areas of the board 2, but are divisible
but not shown here, so that the shaft 5 is then mounted on the
board at three points between the two paddle wheels 13.
[0044] Thanks to the wide track width of the paddle wheels 13 with
integrated buoyancy bodies, there are no balance problems
whatsoever with a paddle or surfboard equipped with drive module 1.
Such a board 2 or boat is capsize-proof, even in wind and waves,
because the more it heels, the greater the uprighting moment
generated by the immersed paddle wheel 13. In addition to a rudder
16 (FIG. 1) in the stern, a rudder with steering linkage or
steering ropes can also be mounted in the bow to be operated. The
board then guarantees exceptionally good manoeuvrability, even at
low speeds, and the optimally designed, slim hull allows peak
speeds of up to 12 km/h, which is surprisingly high for a purely
muscle-powered watercraft, as determined by tests. Thanks to the
minimal draught, full manoeuvrability is guaranteed even in low
water levels as well as sea grass and driftwood. Such a watercraft
or boat is fast, agile and effortlessly controllable.
[0045] A paddle or surfboard equipped with such a drive module 1 as
presented can also be quickly realized with little effort by
modifying an existing paddle or surfboard. It is therefore also
sensible to offer and sell the drive modules 1 separately, for
equipping existing paddle or surfboards. In the simplest case, a
base plate 8, which carries the rail 3 and all the components of
drive module 1, can be mounted on an existing paddle or surfboard
by placing the base plate 8 on the board and applying tension belts
running around it in a transverse direction to the board, with
which the base plate is immovably braced to the board. The rudder
at the stern or optionally also at the bow can be easily clamped to
the board with a suitable clamping device. This means that no
structural changes need to be made to the board itself.
[0046] FIG. 12 shows a particularly elegant way in which the drive
module 1 can be attached to a paddle or surfboard 2 without tools,
quickly and safely, and removed again, if the surf or paddleboard 2
is an inflatable model. For this purpose, the paddle or surf board
2 is equipped with a base platform 40 for mounting the drive module
on it. This can be a rigid plate made of plastic, wood or steel, or
preferably stainless steel, which is firmly attached to the top of
the inflatable paddle or surfboard. The connection can be a welding
or gluing or it can be realized by a tight screw connection.
Furthermore, 2 holding pockets 41 made of wood, plastic or metal
are glued, welded or tightly screwed to the upper side of the
paddle and surf board. The pockets 41 are U-shaped and open along
the dotted line. They form two thigh pockets 48 to hold two reeds
which fit into these thigh pockets 48. One such holding pocket 41
is located on the front half of the paddle or surfboard 2 and a
second holding pocket 42 is located on the base platform 40 in the
rear half of the paddle or surfboard 2. The open sides of the
pockets 41, 42 are facing away from each other. A support chassis
43 as shown on the left side of the paddle or surf board 2 is then
used to attach the drive module. In the example shown, this support
chassis 43 is formed by two intersecting struts 44, 45 made of
stainless steel, which are firmly connected to each other. A
reinforcement 49 can surround the struts in the crossing area so
that they are always firmly connected to each other at right
angles. At each end of the longitudinal strut 45 there is an
insertion and holding fork 46, 47, which forms two tongues 50 each.
If now the inflatable paddle and surfboard 2 is not yet inflated
and can therefore be folded, the two holding pockets 41, 42 can be
brought closer together. Especially the front holding pocket 41 can
be moved closer to the base platform 40 by folding the foil
material and in this constellation the tabs 50 of the two insertion
and holding forks 46, 47 can then be inserted into the
corresponding leg pockets 48 in the holding pockets 41, 42.
Afterwards you can inflate the paddle- and surfboard 2. The holding
pockets 41, 42 slide apart and the paddle- and surfboard 2 becomes
stiff. This creates a strong and firm connection between the
carrier chassis 43 and the paddle and surf board 2. The carrier
chassis 43 is also supported against lateral inclination thanks to
the cross brace 44 on the base platform 40. The longitudinal strut
45 can also be designed directly as a rail 3 in one variant, to
accommodate the carriage for the seat 4, so that the latter can be
moved along the paddle and surf board 2 on this rail 3.
[0047] When driven by a wheelchair user, the watercraft can be
described as an actual paraboat. The drive module 1 with its
paddle-wheels 13 together with the shaft 5, the rail 3 with the
bearing block 6 and the profile 7 for the cranks 10 as well as the
seat 4 form a construction unit which can be easily mounted on a
board 2 and screwed to it with a few hand movements. Walking
disabled people can even change from wheelchair to boat
independently on land, depending on their disability, and then
drive into the water via a ramp. This paraboat enables people with
walking disabilities to engage in attractive sporting activities in
the primeval medium of water, in fresh air and in the great
outdoors. For such people, this creates a very high added value in
terms of quality of life. With the possibility of quickly changing
from foot drive to hand drive and vice versa without having to use
tools, and which can then even be done directly on the water at any
time, a perfect double function is achieved. This means that the
legs or arms can then be trained alternately with activation of
breathing.
[0048] For such a paraboat no boat place is required, which for
many people is the main limitation for doing water sports, because
boat places are generally very limited available. Such a surf or
paddle board 2 as well as the corresponding drive module 1 can be
transported with a passenger car, an ordinary car. The board 2 can
be transported on the roof of the car, and the removable drive
module 1 in the boot of the car or otherwise on the roof. The drive
module can easily be dismantled into its parts paddle wheels 13,
bearing block with shaft 5 and square profile 7, and rail 3 with
seat 4. Conversely, to assemble the drive module, first mount rail
3 with seat 4 on the board 2, then place the bearing block 6 with
shaft 5 on rail 3 and then mount the two paddle wheels 13 on the
end sections of shaft 5. Finally the stern and bow rudder are
mounted on the board 2 and the cables are led to the driver's seat
4. Then the paraboat is ready for use. Optionally, the sail 18 can
still be mounted on board 3.
LIST OF NUMBERS
[0049] 1 Drive module [0050] 2 Boat-like buoyancy body or paddle or
surf board [0051] 3 Rail mountable along the buoyancy chamber
[0052] 4 Seat mountable on rail 3 [0053] 5 Shaft mounted transverse
to rail 3, for the paddle wheels [0054] 6 Bearing block for the
shaft 5 [0055] 7 On the rail 3 Swivelling profile 7 [0056] 8 Base
plate for installation in the recess 30 [0057] 9 Pedal crank axle
[0058] 10 Cranking the pedal cranks [0059] 11 Pedals for foot drive
[0060] 12 Crank handles [0061] 13 Paddle wheels [0062] 14 Shaft end
section to which the paddle wheels 13 are attached [0063] 15
Support strut to brace the profile [0064] 16 Rudder at the stern
[0065] 17 Cable pulls for operating the rudder 16 [0066] 18
Tailwind sail [0067] 19 Rope for lowering the tailwind sail [0068]
20 Frame of the tailwind sail [0069] 21 Sword [0070] 22 Roller
chain or toothed belt [0071] 23 Drive wheel on the crankshaft
[0072] 24 Output wheel on the shaft 5 [0073] 25 Stern wheel as
rudder [0074] 26 Buoyancy body on the paddle wheel [0075] 27 Paddle
on the paddle wheel [0076] 28 Paddle wheel pivot bearing [0077] 29
Reinforcing ribs on the paddle wheel [0078] 30 Recessed recess on
top of the board 2 [0079] 31 Pivoting cross tube of the frame
[0080] 32 Wire pull for locking the sword 21 [0081] 33 Waterline
[0082] 34 Wheel center seen from above [0083] 35 Inner disc of the
paddle wheel 13 [0084] 36 Outer disc of paddle wheel 13 [0085] 37
Bushing on flat disc 38 [0086] 38 Flat disc outside at the bulge 26
[0087] 39 Rubber tyres on the paddle wheel 13 [0088] 40 Basic
platform for mounting the drive module on it [0089] 41 Front
holding bag on the paddle or surfboard [0090] 42 Rear holding bag
on the paddle or surfboard [0091] 43 Support chassis for the drive
module [0092] 44 Cross brace for lateral support of the carrier
chassis [0093] 45 Longitudinal struts to accommodate the rail 3
[0094] 46 Front insertion and holding fork [0095] 47 Rear insertion
and mounting fork [0096] 48 Thigh pockets in the holding pockets
41, 42 [0097] 49 Reinforcements in the crossing area of the struts
44, 45 [0098] 50 Tabs to insert into the thigh pockets 48 [0099] 51
Spacer bars for handles [0100] 52 Hinge elements for folding the
pedals/handles [0101] 53 Adjusting mechanism
* * * * *