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US 7,305,930 B1Granted
Marine vessel vent plate
OwnerRobert Wayne Beal, Thomas J Vincentinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment of a vent plate for a marine vessel includes a plate having a top surface that defines a total surface area and a plurality of apertures arranged in a pattern covering at least one quarter of the total surface area, the pattern including a plurality of rows of apertures off-set by an angle of approximately forty five degrees.
Claims33
A vent plate for a marine vessel, comprising:
- a plate including:
- a top surface that defines a total surface area;
- and
- a plurality of apertures arranged in a pattern covering at least one quarter of said total surface area, said pattern comprising a plurality of rows of apertures off-set by an angle of approximately forty five degrees,
- wherein said plate has an outer region and a central region, wherein said plurality of apertures are positioned in said central region, and wherein said central region has a thickness greater than a thickness of said outer region.
2 more elements
A vent plate for a marine vessel, comprising:
- a plate including:
- a top surface that defines a total surface area;
- and
- a plurality of apertures arranged in a pattern covering at least one quarter of said total surface area, said pattern comprising a plurality of rows of apertures off-set by an angle of approximately forty five degrees,
- wherein said plate has an outer region and a central region, wherein said plurality of apertures are positioned in said central region, and wherein said central region has a thickness greater than a thickness of said outer region,
- wherein said pattern is substantially undetectable by radar.
3 more elements
A vent plate for a marine vessel, comprising:
- a plate including:
- a top surface;
- a thickness;
- and
- a plurality of apertures arranged in a pattern on said top surface and extending through said thickness of said plate, wherein each of said apertures define a width of less than 0.25 inches,
- wherein said plate is welded into an aperture of a marine vessel hull such that said plate becomes a component of said hull and such that said top surface of said plate is positioned in a plane of an exterior surface of said hull.
3 more elements
A marine vessel, comprising:
- a hull including an aperture therein;
- a vent plate secured within said aperture of said hull, said vent plate including a plurality of vent openings sized and arranged so as to create a sheeting effect over said vent openings such that substantially no water flows through said vent openings at atmospheric pressure,
- wherein said vent plate and said hull are both manufactured of an electrically conductive material, and wherein said vent plate is secured to said hull so as to define a continuous electrical conductivity path from said hull and through said vent plate.
A method of flowing water through a marine vessel hull, comprising:
- providing a plurality of apertures in a wall of said hull, said plurality of apertures sized and spaced so as to reduce a flow of water through said apertures at atmospheric pressure and so as to increase a flow of water through said apertures at pressures other than atmospheric pressure;
- and
- providing a pressure other than atmospheric pressure within said hull so as to facilitate a flow of water through said apertures.
A marine vessel, comprising:
- means for venting water through a hull of said marine vessel, wherein said means for venting water is sized so as to reduce a flow of water through said means for venting at atmospheric pressure and so as to increase a flow of water through said means for venting at pressures other than atmospheric pressure;
- and
- means for pressuring said hull so as to facilitate flow of water through said means for venting.
A marine vessel comprising:
- a marine hull including an outer surface;
- a vent plate welded to said hull wherein an outer surface of said vent plate is positioned in a single plane with said outer surface of said hull, said vent plate including a pattern of apertures therein, said apertures being cylindrical in shape and arranged in rows, each row defining a centerline-to-centerline spacing of less than 0.25 inches and defining a center-to-center offset of less than 0.25 inches, and wherein said pattern of apertures extends across at least one quarter of said outer surface of said vent plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.