Apparatus and method for docking, deploying and recovering an underwater vehicle

An apparatus for deployment and recovery of an underwater vehicle to and from a recovery tube of an underwater recovery vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• a moveable tube having a first end sized to be received into the recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof;
• said insertion/extraction device being configured to have an end facing away from said moveable tube with greater circumference than said moveable tube in the extended state, and a circumference that corresponds to or is smaller than said moveable tube in the retracted state thereof;
• and
• said moveable tube including a plurality of tube sections configured to telescope into and out of one another.

An apparatus for deployment and recovery of an underwater vehicle to and from a recovery tube of an underwater recovery vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• a moveable tube having a first end sized to be received into the recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof;
• and
• said insertion/extraction device including one or more alignment means disposed on said funnel in the extended state thereof.

An apparatus for deployment and recovery of an underwater vehicle to and from a recovery tube of an underwater recovery vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• a moveable tube having a first end sized to be received into the recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof;
• said insertion/extraction device including one or more alignment means;
• and
• said alignment means being disposed on an edge of said insertion/extraction device at an end thereof facing away from said moveable tube.

A method of recovering an underwater vehicle, the method which comprises the following steps:

• providing an underwater recovery vehicle with an apparatus having a moveable tube with a first end being introduced into a recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• and an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof, and thereafter carrying out the following steps:
• a) moving the moveable tube in a direction of open water and extending the insertion/extraction device, to locate at least the insertion/extraction device with a funnel outside an outer casing of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• b) retracting, after the underwater vehicle is at least partially located within the funnel of the insertion/extraction device, the insertion/extraction device until an edge of the insertion/extraction device at the end facing away from the moveable tube grips a periphery of the underwater vehicle and introducing the underwater vehicle into the recovery tube by moving the moveable tube;
• and
• c) moving the moveable tube in a direction of an interior of the underwater recovery vehicle inserting the underwater vehicle into the recovery tube.

A method of deploying an underwater vehicle, the method which comprises the following steps:

• providing an underwater recovery vehicle with an apparatus having a moveable tube with a first end being introduced into a recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• and an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof, and thereafter carrying out the following steps:
• a) enclosing a periphery of the underwater vehicle with insertion/extraction means;
• b) moving the moveable tube together with the underwater vehicle in a direction of open water to place the insertion/extraction device outside an outer casing of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• and
• c) opening the insertion/extraction device by further extending the insertion/extraction device until the underwater vehicle is no longer surrounded by the insertion/extraction device.

A method of docking an underwater vehicle at an underwater recovery vehicle, the method which comprises:

• providing the underwater recovery vehicle with a recovery apparatus having a moveable tube with a first end being introduced into a recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• and an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof, and carrying out the following steps:
• a) approaching, with the underwater vehicle, rendezvous coordinates that have been agreed between the underwater vehicle and the underwater recovery vehicle;
• b) carrying out an identification interchange between the underwater vehicle and the underwater recovery vehicle;
• c) if the identification interchange is successful, approaching towards the recovery tube;
• and
• d) at least partially inserting the underwater vehicle into a funnel formed by the extended insertion/extraction device of the apparatus.

An apparatus for deployment and recovery of an underwater vehicle to and from a recovery tube of an underwater recovery vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

• a moveable tube having a first end sized to be received into the recovery tube of the underwater recovery vehicle;
• an insertion/extraction device disposed at said first end of said moveable tube, said insertion/extraction device being a tube or a ring in a retracted state thereof and being a funnel in an extended state thereof, said insertion/extraction device being configured to have an end facing away from said moveable tube with greater circumference than said moveable tube in the extended state, and a circumference that corresponds to or is smaller than said moveable tube in the retracted state thereof;
• and
• at least one alignment device being arranged on an edge of said insertion/extraction device which is located at the end facing away from said moveable tube.