Back to results
US 6,499,419 B1Granted
Hydrofoil wing system for monohull keel boat
AssigneeRobert W. Bussard
InventorRobert W. Bussard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monohull keel sail boat is provided with a bow foil structure, a keel foil structure and a stern foil structure. The bow, keel and stern foil structures have foils with may be moved to provide a variable angle of attack and thus variable lifting forces. The stern foil structure has a ladder foil arrangement and includes vertical struts to provide steering control thus replacing a conventional rudder. The three foil structures work in concert to lift the hull of the boat, but not the keel, completely out of the water so as to provide near listless sailing.
Claims20
A sail boat comprising:
- a boat hull structure including a monohull and a deck;
- a keel attached to the boat hull, said keel having sufficiently large mass to enhance boat stability, inhibit capsizing and permit righting of said boat if capsized;
- a bow foil attached to a bow of the boat;
- a keel foil attached to the keel of the boat;
- a stern foil attached to the stern of the boat;
- wherein said bow foil comprises a port bow foil and a starboard bow foil and a first strut connecting said port bow foil to said boat and a second strut connecting said starboard bow foil to said boat;
- wherein said first and second struts are moveable between a stowed position in which said port and starboard bow foils are out of the water and a deployed position in which said port and starboard bow foils are submerged in the water;
- and
- wherein said port and starboard bow foils are each separately adjustable as to their angle of attack.
6 more elements
A sail boat comprising:
- a boat hull structure including a monohull and a deck;
- a keel attached to the boat hull, said keel having sufficiently large mass to enhance boat stability, inhibit capsizing and permit righting of said boat if capsized;
- a bow foil attached to a bow of the boat;
- a keel foil attached to the keel of the boat;
- a stern foil attached to the stern of the boat;
- wherein said keel foil comprises a port and starboard keel foil, said port keel foil attached to a third strut and said starboard keel foil attached to a fourth strut and said third and fourth struts secured to said boat;
- wherein said third and fourth struts are moveable between a stowed position in which said port and starboard keel foils are out of the water and a deployed position in which said port and starboard keel foils are submerged in the water;
- and
- said port and starboard keel foils are each separately adjustable as to their angle of attack.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.