Abstract:
A system and related methods for manned and/or unmanned marine transportation involving equipping a vessel capable with a linear pump for propelling the vessel through or substantially over a body of water.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/926,627, filed on Aug. 25, 2004 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,547,199 on Jun. 16, 2009 (the contents being incorporated herein by reference), which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/497,806 filed Aug. 25, 2003 (the contents being incorporated herein by reference) and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/497,836 filed Aug. 25, 2003 (the contents being incorporated herein by reference). The present invention also incorporates by reference the complete disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,455 to Guagliano et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,368 to Ross et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,445,531 to Ross et al. and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/264,906 filed by Ross et al. on Nov. 4, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     I. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to marine transportation and, more particularly, to an improved system and related methods for manned and/or unmanned marine transportation. 
     II. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Various challenges exist in creating unmanned transportation for marine applications. The present invention is directed at overcoming, or at least improving upon, the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a vehicle for unmanned marine transportation. According to one embodiment of the present invention, this is accomplished by equipping a marine vessel or boat with a bank of batteries to power the various systems on the vessel, a plurality of solar cells to augment and/or supplant the battery bank, a computer guidance system for guiding and operating the various systems on the vessel, an antenna for sending and/or receiving data or signals, a plurality of sensors for providing feedback or input to the various systems on the vessel, a motor capable of being swiveled between a stability-providing position and a drive position, and one or more rudders for steering the vessel. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the motor comprises a linear pump that produces power on all strokes and allows full six degrees of freedom (6DOF) vectoring for rapid and efficient directional control. There are very few parts thereby significantly reducing the maintenance, life cycle cost, energy consumption, weight, and volume. By way of example only, the linear pump may be of a type generally shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,352,455 and 6,607,368, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated into this disclosure as if set forth in their entirety herein. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the linear pump is similar to the linear pumps of the &#39;455 and &#39;368 patents in that it includes an inner chamber disposed within an outer chamber, each having one or more inlets and outlets for passing fluid into and out of each respective chamber to pump fluid. The linear pump of the present invention is different from (and improved relative to) the linear pump of the &#39;455 and &#39;368 patents in that the outer chamber and inner chamber are both generally rigid, wherein the circumference of the inner chamber may be adjusted via a plurality of generally rigid ribs and linear motors, and wherein the end plates do NOT move relative to one another. The linear pump of the present invention may find use in any number of fluid pumping and/or vehicle propulsion applications, including but not limited to pumping water, air, etc. . . . for any of a variety of marine, medical, industrial, governmental and/or recreational uses. 
     In one embodiment, the outer chamber of the linear pump is generally rigid, and includes a plurality of intake ports to permit fluid to enter into the outer chamber (including but not limited to one-way check valves) and a plurality of outlet ports to permit movement of the fluid or relative fluid of the device (including but not limited to one-way check valves). The inner chamber is constructed from a plurality of generally rigid plate members or “slat-like” ribs which run the length of the pumping system of the present invention. Each rib member cooperates with one or more linear motors such that the rib members may be selectively forced in a radial (i.e. outward) direction and medical (i.e. inward) direction. 
     To facilitate this radial and medial motion, each rib member is equipped with an articulating member which engages into a groove formed within an adjacent rib member and forms an articulated joint. As an example, both the rib members and the articulating members are generally curved such that the inner chamber is generally cylindrical. As the linear motors are operated, the rib members are caused to expand and contract within the generally rigid outer chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the linear motors include permanent magnets, but any of a variety of suitable linear drive mechanisms may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention, including but not limited to hydraulic and pneumatic systems. To ensure no pressure loss during operation, the articulating member may be equipped with any of a variety of sealing feature, including but not limited to O-rings or the like to prevent the passage of fluid in between the adjacent rib members during contraction and/or expansion. 
     One advantage of this design is that, unlike the linear pump systems shown and described in the &#39;455 or &#39;368 patents, the inner chamber is not a bladder which will stretch and recover. The power is 90-degree opposition, which provides close to a 100% power exchange instead of the 70% with the flexible bladder of the &#39;455 or &#39;368 patents. This is a significant distinction in that it will allow the pump of the present invention, when attached to a vehicle or appropriate size and construction, to actually propel the vehicle from a position on top of or under the water to an airborne state out of the water. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the outer chamber of linear pump has inlets and outlets disposed along the outer periphery of the outer chamber. Each embodiment of the linear pump disclosed herein is capable of simultaneously discharging the fluid within the inner chamber while fluid is charged or delivered into the outer chamber according to the present invention. The inverse is also true, wherein the linear pump is capable of simultaneously discharging the fluid within the outer chamber while fluid is charged or delivered into the inner chamber according to the present invention. 
     Although described herein as suitable for unmanned use, it will be appreciated that the marine vessel of the present invention may also be equipped to be manned with one or more users. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with a reading of this specification in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a marine transportation vehicle of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the marine transportation vehicle of the present invention taken along lines  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view of the marine transportation vehicle of the present invention taken along lines  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of a linear pump according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the linear pump of  FIG. 4  taken along line  4 - 4  in 
         FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an partial cross-sectional view of the linear pump of  FIG. 4  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of a rib member forming part of the inner chamber of the linear pump of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a rib member forming part of the inner chamber of the linear pump of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a linear pump according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a side cross-sectional view of the linear pump of  FIG. 9  illustrating the simultaneous inner chamber fluid discharge and outer chamber fluid charge according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a side cross-sectional view of the linear pump of  FIG. 9  illustrating the simultaneous outer chamber fluid discharge and inner chamber fluid charge according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the linear pump of  FIG. 9  illustrating the inner chamber in a contracted state; 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of the linear pump of  FIG. 9  illustrating the inner chamber in an expanded state; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a prior art linear pump having a flexible inner chamber, the pump presented in partial cross-section in a condensed bladder configuration, such as after discharging fluid from the inner chamber of the bladder, and 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the linear pump of  FIG. 10  after modification to include a generally rigid inner chamber of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The linear pump of the present invention disclosed herein boasts a variety of inventive features and components that warrant patent protection, both individually and in combination. 
       FIGS. 1-3  depict a marine transportation vehicle  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, this is accomplished by equipping a marine vessel or boat  12  (shown, by way of example only, having two hulls  14 ). The vessel  12  has one or more sets or “banks” of batteries  16  (such as the 24 volt batteries shown by way of example only) to power the various systems on the vessel. A plurality of solar cells  18  may also be provided to augment and/or supplant the battery banks  16 . A computer guidance system  20  may also be provided for guiding and operating the various systems on the vessel  12 . Also provided is an antenna  22  for sending and/or receiving data or signals from or to the various systems on the vessel  12 . A plurality of sensors  24  may also be employed for providing feedback or input to the various systems on the vessel  12 . A motor  26  is coupled to the vessel  12  which, in one embodiment, is capable of being swiveled between a drive position shown and a stability-providing position (not shown, approximately 90 degrees from the drive position). One or more rudders  28  are provided for steering the vessel  12 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the motor  26  comprises a linear pump that produces power on all strokes and allows full six degrees of freedom (6DOF) vectoring for rapid and efficient directional control. There are very few parts thereby significantly reducing the maintenance, life cycle cost, energy consumption, weight, and volume. By way of example only, the linear pump may be of a type generally shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,352,455 and 6,607,368, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated into this disclosure as if set forth in their entirety herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 14 , there is shown a depiction of a linear pump  50  as shown and described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,368. The linear pump  50  includes an inner chamber  52  and an outer chamber  54 . The linear pump  50  also includes end plates  56  having a plurality of intake valves  58  and/or outlet valves  60 . Notably, the linear pump  50  further includes a plurality of flexible rib members  62  such that inner chamber comprises a flexible bladder which will stretch and recover. 
       FIGS. 4-8  and  15  depict a linear pump  110  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The linear pump  110  of the present invention is similar to the linear pumps of the &#39;455 and &#39;368 patents in that it includes an inner chamber  112  disposed within an outer chamber  114 , each having one or more inlets and outlets for passing fluid into and out of each respective chamber to pump fluid. The linear pump  110  of the present invention is different from (and improved relative to) the linear pump of the &#39;455 and &#39;368 patents in that the outer chamber  114  and inner chamber  112  are both generally rigid, wherein the circumference of the inner chamber  112  may be adjusted via a plurality of generally rigid ribs  116  and linear motors  118 , and wherein the end plates  120  do NOT move relative to one another. The linear pump of the present invention may find use in any number of fluid pumping and/or vehicle propulsion applications, including but not limited to pumping water, air, etc. . . . for any of a variety of marine, medical, industrial, governmental and/or recreational uses. 
     In one embodiment, the outer chamber  114  of linear pump  110  is generally rigid, and includes a plurality of intake ports  115  to permit fluid to enter into the outer chamber  114  (including but not limited to one-way check valves) and a plurality of outlet ports to permit movement of the fluid or relative fluid of the device (including but not limited to one-way check valves). The inner chamber  112  is constructed from a plurality of generally rigid plate members or “slat-like” ribs  116  which run the length of the pumping system of the present invention. Each rib member  116  cooperates with one or more linear motors  118  such that the rib members  116  may be selectively forced in a radial (i.e. outward) direction and medial (i.e. inward) direction. 
     To facilitate this radial and medial motion, each rib member  116  is equipped with an articulating member  122  which engages into a groove  124  formed within an adjacent rib member  116  and forms an articulated joint. As an example, both the rib members  116  and the articulating members  122  are generally curved such that the inner chamber  112  is generally cylindrical. As the linear motors  118  are operated, the rib members  116  are caused to expand and contract within the generally rigid outer chamber  114  such that actuation of the linear motors  118  causes the circumference of the inner chamber  112  to either increase or decrease along a longitudinal axis. In a preferred embodiment, the linear motors  118  include permanent magnets, but any of a variety of suitable linear drive mechanisms may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention, including but not limited to hydraulic and pneumatic systems. To ensure no pressure loss during operation, the articulating member may be equipped with any of a variety of sealing features, including but not limited to O-rings or the like to prevent the passage of fluid in between the adjacent rib members  116  during contraction and/or expansion. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the rib members  116  may be attached to the linear motors (by way of example only) by recessed screws  119  inserted into either end of the rib member  116 . 
     One advantage of this design is that, unlike the linear pump systems shown and described in the &#39;455 or &#39;368 patents, the inner chamber  112  is not a bladder which will stretch and recover. The power is 90-degree opposition, which provides close to a 100% power exchange instead of the 70% with the flexible bladder of the &#39;455 or &#39;368 patents. This is a significant distinction in that it will allow the pump  110  of the present invention, when attached to a vehicle or appropriate size and construction, to actually propel the vehicle from a position on top of or under the water to an airborne state out of the water. 
       FIGS. 9-13  illustrate the use of a linear pump  130  according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between linear pump  130  and linear pump  110  of  FIGS. 4-8  is that the outer chamber  114  of linear pump  130  has inlets and outlets disposed along the outer periphery of the outer chamber  114 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , linear pump  130  (along with linear pump  110 ) is capable of simultaneously discharging the fluid within the inner chamber  112  while fluid is charged or delivered into the outer chamber  114  according to the present invention. The inverse is also true, as shown in  FIG. 11 , wherein the linear pump  130  (as well as linear pump  110 ) is capable of simultaneously discharging the fluid within the outer chamber  114  while fluid is charged or delivered into the inner chamber  112  according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a side view of the linear pump  130  illustrating the inner chamber  112  in a contracted state.  FIG. 13  is a side view of the linear pump  130  illustrating the inner chamber  112  in an expanded state. 
     Although described herein as suitable for unmanned use, it will be appreciated that the marine vessel of the present invention may also be equipped to be manned with one or more users. 
     The marine vehicle  10  of the present invention, including any or all its constituent parts, may be dimensioned in any size depending upon the application. 
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined herein and claimed below.