# US 2018/0362123 A1 · Device and system for propelling a passenger

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- Number: US 2018/0362123 A1
- Document ID: US20180362123A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/115,030
- Filed: 2018-08-28
- Published: 2018-12-20
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-05
- Assignees: Ziph2O
- Applicants: ZipH2O
- Inventors: Franky Zapata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180362123A1

## CPC

- B63B 32/10: Motor-propelled water sports boards (power-driven personal watercraft B63B34/10)
- B63B 34/15: for hydroflight sports
- B63H 11/00: Marine propulsion by water jets
- B63H 11/107: Direction control of propulsive fluid {(B63H11/101 takes precedence)}
- B63H 11/113: Pivoted outlet
- B63H 2011/006: {with propulsive medium supplied from sources external to propelled vessel, e.g. water from public water supply}
- B63H 2011/008: {Arrangements of two or more jet units}
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)
- B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00)

## Abstract

A propulsion device includes a platform which provides support for a passenger. The platform comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and cooperates with means for collecting and distributing a pressurized fluid to a primary nozzle expelling the fluid from a fluid outlet in a fluid expulsion direction. The means are supplied with pressurized fluid by a fluid supply conduit. The primary nozzle is oriented substantially from the bow to the stern of the platform. The fluid expulsion direction of the primary nozzle is located in a median plane of the platform. The fluid expulsion direction of the primary nozzle describes defines an angle comprised between −10° and +45° with a longitudinal axis of the platform contained in the median plane. The means for collecting and distributing a fluid cooperate with the platform by an embedding link.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A propulsion device, including a platform which provides support for a passenger, said platform comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, and cooperating with means for collecting and distributing a pressurized fluid to a primary nozzle expelling said fluid from a fluid outlet in a fluid expulsion direction, said means being supplied with pressurized fluid by a fluid supply conduit, wherein:
the primary nozzle is oriented substantially from the bow to the stern of the platform;
the fluid expulsion direction of the primary nozzle is located in a median plane of the platform;
the fluid expulsion direction of the primary nozzle defines an angle comprised between −10° and +45° with a longitudinal axis of the platform contained in said median plane; and
the means for collecting and distributing a fluid cooperate with the platform by an embedding link.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the means for collecting and distributing a fluid are configured to cooperate with the fluid supply conduit using a pivot link at the proximal part of said conduit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the platform includes at least two parts consisting of a single and same entity.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the primary nozzle cooperates with the upper surface of the platform, the fluid expulsion direction of said nozzle and the longitudinal axis, said fluid expulsion and longitudinal axis directions being comprised in the median plane of the platform and being substantially parallel to the median plane of the platform.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, including means for adjusting the distance between the primary nozzle and the bow of the platform along the longitudinal axis of said platform.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, including two co-planar secondary nozzles cooperating with the lower face of the platform in a plane secant to a longitudinal plane of the platform along a transverse axis of the platform, the normal of said longitudinal plane and the normal of said plane secant to the longitudinal plane defining an angle comprised between 0° and 90°.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The propulsion device according to claim 6, wherein fluid expulsion directions of the secondary nozzles define an angle R comprised between 60° and 120° relative to one another.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The propulsion device according to claim 6, wherein the primary nozzle and the two secondary nozzles constitute a single and same entity in the form of a composite fluid outlet.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The propulsion device according to claim 6, including means for independently closing off the fluid outlets of each secondary nozzle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The propulsion device according to claim 9, wherein the closing off means are controlled electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, including means for adjusting the angle defined by the fluid expulsion direction of the primary nozzle and the longitudinal axis contained in the median plane containing said fluid expulsion direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The propulsion device according to claim 11, wherein the adjusting means are controlled electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The propulsion device according to claim 11, wherein the adjusting means comprise a directional fluid outlet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The propulsion device according to claim 13, wherein the directional fluid outlet is configured to be oriented along the median plane, said median plane containing the fluid expulsion direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the means for collecting and distributing the pressurized fluid and the primary nozzle include an oblong section.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The propulsion device according to claim 15, wherein the means for collecting and distributing the fluid include a connecting elbow.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The propulsion device according to claim 15, wherein the fluid outlet of the primary nozzle is coupled to a directional flap.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The propulsion device according to claim 17, wherein the directional flap is articulated along the median plane of the platform.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, including at least two primary nozzles whereof the respective fluid expulsion directions are substantially parallel to one another.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The propulsion device according to claim 19, wherein the means for collecting and distributing a fluid are arranged to distribute the fluid to the different primary nozzles.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, including a fairing cooperating with the platform.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The propulsion device according to claim 1, including means for maintaining a passenger on the platform.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The propulsion device according to claim 22, wherein the means for maintaining a passenger include gripping means.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The propulsion device according to claim 22, wherein the means for maintaining a passenger include bearing means.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

A propulsion system, including a remote compression station, and a propulsion device according to claim 1 cooperating with the remote compression station, said station supplying pressurized fluid to said propulsion device.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The propulsion system according to claim 25, including a supply conduit connected to the propulsion device and to the remote compression station so that the remote compression station delivers the pressurized fluid to said propulsion device via said supply conduit.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The system according to claim 25, wherein the remote compression station comprises a motorized water vehicle including a hull, and propulsion means compressing, by turbining, a fluid ingested from an inlet and expelling said fluid thus pressurized from a fluid outlet at the rear of said motorized water vehicle.