US 11,685,485 B2Granted

Fin stabilizer

AssigneeNaiad Maritime Group, Inc.

InventorsJohn D. Venables, Steven J. Venables, Cameron Costen, Ryan W. Knapp

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A vessel hull stabilization system includes a housing having a rotatable shaft mounted thereto, the shaft configured to connect to a fin such that the fin is located on an outside of the vessel hull and the housing is located on an inside of the vessel hull. A drive system is mounted to the housing and includes a motor and a drive element. The motor is connected to a central shaft of the drive element. The drive element includes a plurality of teeth positioned between the outer element and the central shaft such that when the motor rotates the central shaft, the plurality of teeth oscillate inwards and outwards to interact with teeth in the outer element and thereby cause rotation of a fin shaft connected to the outer element or to the gear having the oscillating teeth. A controller receives sensor readings to determine control signals to send to the motor(s) to impart rotation of the fin.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A vessel hull stabilizer comprising:

a housing having a shaft, the shaft connected to a fin such that the fin is configured to be located on an outside of the vessel hull and the housing is configured to be located on an inside of the vessel hull, the housing having a first side from which the fin extends and a second side spaced relative to the first side;
bearings positioned in the housing and spaced apart at a distance, the bearings supporting the shaft and located between the first and second sides;
a drive system mounted on the second side of said housing, said drive system including a motor and a drive element, the drive element including a central rotating element and an outer element, wherein the motor drives the central rotating element about an axis to cause a plurality of teeth, positioned between the outer element and the central rotating element, to oscillate inwards and outwards and thereby cause the plurality of teeth to progressively interface with outer element teeth of the outer element such that as the plurality teeth oscillate they progressively move into engagement with different ones of the outer element teeth to create a rotational movement;
wherein the drive system is connected to the shaft such that the rotational movement causes rotation of the fin.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/925,556Filed 10 Jul 2020 · continuation in part
Priority: 15 Dec 2017
Published: US 2020/0247511 A119 Nov 2020
Granted: 27 Jun 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B63B 39/06
Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude: to decrease vessel movements by…
B63J 99/00
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
B63B 79/00
Monitoring properties or operating parameters of vessels in operation
B63B 2039/065
To decrease vessel movements by using foils acting on ambient water: the foils being pivotal about an axis substantially parallel to the…

Family

Application15/843,446Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Dec 2017
Application16/853,418Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Apr 2020
US 10,625,831 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Apr 2020
US 2020/0361582 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Nov 2020
US 10,946,942 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application16/853,418Parent of this continuation
US 2019/0185115 A1Published application
US 2020/0247511 A1Published application
US 11,685,485 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.