US 9,789,944 B2Granted

Cable for connecting a float to a swimmer in a wave powered vehicle

AssigneeLiquid Robotics, Inc.

InventorsRoger G. Hine, Derek L. Hine, Kurt A. F. Kiesow, III, William A. Stutz, Graham Hine

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A float (1) suitable for use as a buoy or as a component for a wave-powered vehicle. The float (1) includes an upper member (12) whose height can be changed and/or which remained substantially vertical even when the float is in wave-bearing water. A low drag cable (2) suitable for use as a tether in a wave-powered vehicle has a streamlined cross-section and includes a tensile member (21) near the front of the cross-section, at least one non-load-bearing member (22) behind the tensile member, and a polymeric jacket (23). Wave-powered vehicles having a float (1), a submerged swimmer (3) and a tether (2) connecting the float and the swimmer, include a means for determining whether the tether is twisted; or a means (91) for untwisting the tether; or a pressure-sensitive connection (71, 72, 73) which can disconnect the tether when the vehicle is dragged downwards by entanglement with a whale; or a 2-axis universal joint securing the tether to the float or to the swimmer; or elastic elements which absorb snap loads created by the tether; or two or more of these.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A cable configured for tethering a float to a swimmer in a wave-powered vehicle (WPV), wherein the cable:

(a) has a cross-section which
(i) has a chord length that is 0.5 to 3.0 inch along a longitudinal axis, and
(ii) comprises a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion spaced along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis and aligned so that the leading edge portion is directed towards the front of the float, the leading edge portion including the greatest width of the cross-section, the greatest width being 0.1 to 1.0 inch and at most 0.5 times the chord length of the cross-section, wherein the width of the cross-section extends in a direction parallel to a transverse axis,
(b) comprises
(1) an elongate tensile member that carries load when the cable is under tension,
(2) at least one additional elongate member that does not carry load when the cable is under tension,
(3) a jacket that provides the outer surface of the cable, and
(4) a joint at or near the upper end of the cable that is configured for connecting the cable to the float in such a manner that the joint pivots relative to the cable about the transverse axis so that the cable is not forced to flex about the transverse axis;
and
(c) is configured for tethering the float to the swimmer in such a manner that when the vehicle is in wave-bearing water, the swimmer interacts with the water to generate forces that tend to move the float horizontally.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/172,860Filed 4 Feb 2014 · continuation
Priority: 2 Mar 2007
Published: US 2014/0335747 A113 Nov 2014
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B63H 19/02
Marine propulsion not otherwise provided for: by using energy derived from movement of ambient water, e.g. from rolling or pitching of vessels
B63B 21/66
Towing or pushing equipment: equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables
F03B 13/14
Characterised by using wave or tide energy: using wave energy
B63B 2035/4466
Floating structures carrying electric power plants: for converting water energy into electric energy, e.g. from tidal flows, waves or currents

Family

Application60/904,647Us provisional application · filed 2 Mar 2007
PCT/US2008/002743Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Feb 2008
US 2014/0335747 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Nov 2014
Application12/449,753Parent of this continuation
US 8,668,534 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2010/0190394 A1Published application
US 9,789,944 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.