US 6,601,529 B1 · Stabilized tumblehome hull form

Abstract

A marine vessel which uniquely combines tumblehome-like and trimaran-like attributes in an integrative form describing two underside channels comprises a medial major hull and a pair of lateral minor hulls. The port and starboard minor hulls, each generally describing an inverted triangular cross-section, have respective outside surfaces which slope in tumblehome fashion (downwardly outwardly). The major hull has port and starboard outside surfaces which can slope in any fashion, whether tumblehome or nontumblehome. The outside surfaces of the minor hulls are parallel to the vessel's centerline, whereas the outside surfaces of the major hull aftwardly slant toward the centerline. The minor hulls' respective outside surfaces and the major hull's outside surfaces generally converge at longitudinally equivalent port and starboard locations, at which locations the major hull's outside surfaces commence to forwardly slant toward the centerline so as to generally converge at the vessel's bow tip.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A water vehicle such as a water transportation vehicle, said water vehicle having a length, an imaginary lengthwise axis, a port side and a starboard side, said water vehicle being about equivalently configured on each said side of said water vehicle, wherein on each said side of said water vehicle:

said water vehicle comprises a tumblehome outer surface, an inner surface and a junctional surface;
said inner surface generally is located more proximate said lengthwise axis than said tumblehome outer surface;
said junctional surface joins each of said tumblehome outer surface and said inner surface so as to generally be interposed between said tumblehome outer surface and said inner surface;
said inner surface is a tumblehome inner surface;
and
relative to horizontality, said tumblehome outer surface and said tumblehome inner surface are about equivalently sloped.

3 more elements

A hull comprising a pair of lateral fins and a medial portion between said lateral fins, said lateral fins being integrally associated with said medial portion, each said lateral fin including a lateral tumblehome face, said hull including a back section of said hull, and a front section of said hull;

said hull being characterized by a length and by an imaginary horizontal plane passing through said hull;
said back section including said lateral fins and said medial portion;
said medial portion including a pair of medial faces;
each said lateral fin including a crosswise face;
each said crosswise face and a said lateral tumblehome face forming therebetween an at least substantially horizontal fin edge;
each said crosswise face and a said medial face forming therebetween an at least substantially horizontal junctional corner;
each said crosswise face being at least substantially sloped at an angle with respect to said imaginary horizontal plane which, to at least a substantial degree, gradually increases in accordance with the forward lengthwise direction of said hull;
said hull being characterized an imaginary lengthwise medial vertical plane passing through said hull;
each said crosswise face at least substantially being sloped at an angle with respect to said imaginary lengthwise medial vertical plane which, to at least a substantial degree, gradually increases in accordance with the forward direction of said imaginary lengthwise medial vertical plane;
said fin edges being at least substantially parallel to each other;
said fin edges, at least to a substantial degree, being situated at about the same fin edge height.

8 more elements

A marine vessel comprising a hull having, on opposite port-starboard sides of said hull, a pair of inner surfaces, a pair of tumblehome outer surfaces and a pair of inner-outer connective surfaces, said inner surfaces and said inner-outer connective surfaces together defining a pair of downwardly divergently acutely angular grooves on said opposite sides;

said outer tumblehome surfaces and said inner-outer connective surfaces together defining a pair of upwardly divergently acutely angular structures on said opposite sides;
said grooves and said structures being approximately coextensive longitudinally from the stern of said hull to a pair of approximately equivalent junctional locations;
said grooves and said structures tapering in the longitudinally forward direction from said stern to said locations;
said tumblehome outer surfaces approximately defining respective outer tumblehome axes which are approximately parallel in relation to each other;
said inner surfaces approximately defining respective inner axes which are approximately coplanar and oblique in relation to each other, said inner axes diverging in said longitudinally forward direction;
wherein, on each said side, the corresponding said tumblehome outer surface, the corresponding said inner-outer connective surface and the corresponding said inner surface converge in the approximate vicinity of the corresponding said junctional location.

3 more elements

A hull configuration having an imaginary centerline and comprising a stern surface, an outer starboard tumblehome surface, an inner starboard surface, an outer port tumblehome surface, an inner port surface, a starboard obliquely downfacing surface and a port obliquely downfacing surface, wherein:

said outer starboard tumblehome surface, said inner starboard surface, said outer port tumblehome surface, said inner port surface, said starboard obliquely downfacing surface and said port obliquely downfacing surface each extend from said stern surface in a generally forward direction;
said starboard obliquely downfacing surface connects said outer starboard tumblehome and said inner starboard surface;
said port obliquely downfacing surface connects said outer port tumblehome surface and said inner port surface;
said outer starboard tumblehome surface and said outer port tumblehome surface are each approximately parallel to said centerline;
proceeding from said stern surface in a generally forward direction, said inner starboard surface and said inner port surface diverge from said centerline in approximately equivalent fashion;
said inner starboard surface is an inner tumblehome starboard surface;
said inner port surface is an inner tumblehome port surface;
said outer starboard tumblehome surface, said starboard obliquely downfacing surface and said inner starboard tumblehome surface define, from an aft perspective, an approximate N-shaped starboard profile wherein said outer starboard tumblehome surface reaches a greater elevation than does said inner starboard tumblehome surface;
said outer port tumblehome surface, said port obliquely downfacing surface and said inner port tumblehome surface define, from an aft perspective, an approximate reverse N-shaped port profile wherein said outer port tumblehome surface reaches a greater elevation than does said inner port tumblehome surface;
and
proceeding from said stern surface in a generally forward direction, said N-shaped starboard profile and said reverse N-shaped port profile each narrow in breadth in approximately equivalent fashion.

8 more elements

A water vehicle conceivably having a vertical centerline plane, said water vehicle comprising:

on its starboard- and port sides, two stabilization flotation members, each said stabilization flotation member generally defining a V-shaped cross-section, each said stabilization flotation member having an outer member side and an inner member side, said outer member sides generally facing away from said vertical centerline plane, said inner member sides generally facing toward said vertical centerline plane, said outer member sides each being generally parallel in relation to said vertical centerline plane and slanting upwardly and inwardly at approximately equal opposite outside inclinations in relation to said vertical centerline plane, said inner member sides each being generally oblique in relation to said vertical centerline plane and slanting upwardly and inwardly at approximately equal opposite inside member inclinations in relation to said vertical centerline plane, said outside member inclinations each being generally unvarying in relation to said vertical centerline plane, said outside member inclinations generally being steeper than said inside member inclinations in relation to said vertical centerline plane, said inside member inclinations each generally steepening in relation to said vertical centerline plane as a function of distance in the forward direction;
and
intermediate said stabilization flotation members, a hull structure, said hull structure having two structure sides and a structure underside, said structure sides generally facing away from said vertical centerline plane, said structure underside generally being bisected by said vertical centerline plane, said structure sides each being generally nonparallel in relation to said vertical centerline plane and being disposed at approximately equal opposite structure inclinations in relation to said vertical centerline plane said, structure inclinations each being generally unvarying in relation to said vertical centerline plane, said structure sides each generally decreasing in distance in relation to said vertical centerline plane as a function of distance in the forward direction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Stabilized tumblehome hull form

Life of this patent

Stabilized tumblehome hull form

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19