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US 2023/0303221 A1Published application
Launch and recovery of underwater units or vehicles
AssigneeDeepOcean AS
InventorKnut Vibran Knutsen
Life of this patent
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AssigneeDeepOcean AS
InventorKnut Vibran Knutsen
Estimating the term…
A launch and recovery apparatus is for a surface vessel, a surface vessel is for use on water, and related methods are for launching or recovering an underwater unit. The unmanned surface vessel may have a ramp member for providing a ramp structure under the water for facilitating launch or recovery of the underwater unit, the ramp structure having an incline for the underwater unit and an aperture or gap penetrating through the ramp structure for communicating a flow of water in the aperture or gap relative to the vessel. The surface vessel is advanced across the water, obtaining a flow of water relative to the vessel in the aperture or gap through the underwater ramp structure, the underwater unit is supported on the incline of the ramp structure, and the underwater unit is moved up or down the incline to facilitate the launch or recovery of the underwater unit.
1-27. (canceled)
An unmanned surface vessel for use on water, the unmanned surface vessel having a hull and at least one ramp member for providing a ramp structure under the water for facilitating launch or recovery of an underwater unit, the ramp structure comprising an incline for moving the underwater unit up or down the incline, and at least one aperture or gap penetrating through the ramp structure for communicating a flow of water in the aperture or gap relative to the unmanned surface vessel, the ramp member being movable with respect to the hull to obtain an operational position in which the ramp member is arranged to provide the ramp structure in use, the unmanned surface vessel further comprising at least one actuator between the hull and the ramp member for moving the ramp member into the operational position with respect to the hull.
A method of launching or recovering an underwater unit from an unmanned surface vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
A ramp member for an unmanned surface vessel for use on water, the unmanned surface vessel having a hull and at least one ramp member for providing a ramp structure under the water for facilitating launch or recovery of an underwater unit, the ramp structure comprising an incline for moving the underwater unit up or down the incline, and at least one aperture or gap penetrating through the ramp structure for communicating a flow of water in the aperture or gap relative to the unmanned surface vessel, the ramp member being movable with respect to the hull to obtain an operational position in which the ramp member is arranged to provide the ramp structure in use, the unmanned surface vessel further comprising at least one actuator between the hull and the ramp member for moving the ramp member into the operational position with respect to the hull.
A launch and recovery apparatus for a surface vessel on water, the apparatus comprising at least one ramp member for providing a ramp structure under the water for facilitating launch or recovery of an underwater unit from the surface vessel, the ramp structure comprising an incline for the underwater unit and at least one aperture or gap penetrating through the ramp structure for communicating a flow of water in the aperture or gap relative to the unmanned surface vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.