Personal underwater vehicle

Claim 2

In a motorized device for work in a fluid environment, the combination of a motor, a shell-like body forming a sealed enclosure to substantially surround and protect the motor from the environment, at least a portion of the outer surface of said body being capable of transferring heat to said environment, and means for directly transferring substantially the total heat from said motor to said portion of said body, said heat transfer means being at least partially located adjacent one end of said motor, the heat transfer capacity of said means and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is in said environment, said shell-like body comprising a section of tubular metal pipe, a cone attached to one end of said pipe in sealed relationship, said motor being mounted within the confines of said cone, and a removable dome fitting on the end opposite said one end of said pipe and means for attaching and sealing said dome to said pipe.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for attaching and sealing said dome comprises an elastic band stretchably spanning the interconnection between said pipe and said rear dome, at least one portion of the width of said band being sufficiently resilient to be separable from the corresponding part of said body by pulling said band back onto the other portion thereof to allow removal of said dome and access to the interior of said body, the sealing efficiency of the band seal being increased as the exterior pressure of said fluid environment is increased.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 wherein is further provided a breather passageway underlying and sealed by said elastic band, said passageway allowing release of fluid pressure by bubbling from the interior of said device to said environment.

Claim 5

An underwater vehicle for personal use comprising an outer shell-like body forming a watertight enclosure, a motor having a housing substantially surrounded by said shell, propulsion means connected to said motor for moving said vehicle through the water, an annular disc close fitting around said housing for supporting said motor within said body, said disc forming a heat transfer path whereby heat generated in the motor is transferred radially outward through said disc, the outer periphery of said disc close fitting in heat transfer relationship with the interior of said body and spaced from the end walls of the shell, said body being capable of transferring heAt to the water and the heat transfer capacity of said disc and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit the substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is under water.

Claim 6

An underwater vehicle for personal use comprising an outer shell-like body forming a watertight enclosure, a motor having a housing substantially surrounded by said shell, propulsion means connected to said motor for moving said vehicle through the water, an annular disc close fitting around said housing for supporting said motor within said body, said disc forming a heat transfer path whereby heat generated in the motor is transferred radially outward through said disc, the outer periphery of said disc close fitting in heat transfer relationship with the interior of said body and spaced from the end walls of the shell, said body being capable of transferring heAt to the water and the heat transfer capacity of said disc and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit the substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is under water.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein the annular disc is mounted on said motor housing substantially in the plane of one bearing of said motor to directly transfer friction heat therefrom radially outwardly to said body.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 4 wherein said body includes a nose cone, said motor being mounted substantially within said nose cone, the housing of said motor adjacent the other bearing of said motor being mounted in face-to-face contact with the forward portion of said nose cone to effect further support of said motor and direct friction heat transfer from said other bearing.

Claim 9

An underwater vehicle for personal use comprising an electric motor, a battery for energizing said motor, a shell-like body forming a watertight and substantially surrounding enclosure to protect the motor and battery from the ambient water, propulsion means connected to said motor for moving said vehicle through the water, said body being capable of transferring heat to said ambient water and annular means spaced from the endwalls of the body for supporting said motor within the interior of said body, said annular means forming a heat transfer path for directly transferring the power loss heat from said motor to said body, the heat transfer capacity of said annular means and said body being sufficient to dissipate said heat from said motor so as to permit the substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is under water.

Claim 10

An underwater vehicle for personal use comprising an electric motor, a battery for energizing said motor, a shell-like body forming a watertight and substantially surrounding enclosure to protect the motor and battery from the ambient water, propulsion means connected to said motor for moving said vehicle through the water, said body being capable of transferring heat to said ambient water and annular means spaced from the endwalls of the body for supporting said motor within the interior of said body, said annular means forming a heat transfer path for directly transferring the power loss heat from said motor to said body, the heat transfer capacity of said annular means and said body being sufficient to dissipate said heat from said motor so as to permit the substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is under water.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 7 wherein said body and said motor are cylindrical in shape and coaxial, said motor being spaced from said body by an insulator along the longitudinal axis substantially the full length of said motor, said annular means including a disc coaxially mounted at one end of said motor.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 8 wherein is provided a retainer clip for said battery, said clip being attached to said one end of said motor and said disc for support and extending under said battery, stop means on said clip for preventing shifting of said battery along said body.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 9 wherein said clip is spring metal biased upwardly so as to fit snugly against the bottom of said battery, said stop means including an upwardly extending projection on said clip positioned behind said battery, a removable rear dome for presenting an open end of said body adjacent said projection, said clip being adapted for release of said battery for removal past said projection upon being sprung downwardly.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 10 wherein said projection forms a handle to facilitate removal of said motor from said body by pulling and withdrawal through said open end.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 7 wherein said battery has exterior dimensions approximating the interior of said body to permit a snug fit therein, said battery being sufficiently rigid to reinforce said body.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 12 wherein is provided a pair of runners for positioning along the longitudinal edges of said battery to adapt said battery for said snug fit.

Claim 17

An underwater vehicle to pull a diver through the water comprising a shell-like body, drive means in said body for propelling said vehicle, a handle means on said body for grasping by said diver, said handle having a girth such as to limit the hand of said diver to a generally open grip, the forward face dimension of said handle transverse to the movement through the water being sufficiently wide to distribute the pulling force across substantially the full length of the second and third sectiOns of the fingers of the diver whereby maximum control and minimum fatigue of said hand is gained, said handle means includes an outwardly curved surface to fit the palm of the hand of the diver to permit transmission of pulling force through frictional engagement, said curved surface merging smoothly with the forward face of said handle, the cross section said handle including said curved surface being substantially tear-shaped and means for mounting said handle means on said body but spaced therefrom to permit ease of flow of water therebetween.

Claim 18

An underwater vehicle to pull a diver through the water comprising a shell-like body, drive means in said body for propelling said vehicle, a handle means on said body for grasping by said diver, said handle having a girth such as to limit the hand of said diver to a generally open grip, the forward face dimension of said handle transverse to the movement through the water being sufficiently wide to distribute the pulling force across substantially the full length of the second and third sectiOns of the fingers of the diver whereby maximum control and minimum fatigue of said hand is gained, said handle means includes an outwardly curved surface to fit the palm of the hand of the diver to permit transmission of pulling force through frictional engagement, said curved surface merging smoothly with the forward face of said handle, the cross section said handle including said curved surface being substantially tear-shaped and means for mounting said handle means on said body but spaced therefrom to permit ease of flow of water therebetween.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 14 wherein said handle means includes spaced parallel ridges extending at least partially around the girth of said handle in at least a 90* arc to separate the fingers and prevent slipping along the same.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 14 wherein is provided plunger means reciprocally mounted in said handle to activate said drive means, said plunger means being exposed for engagement by the hand of the diver.

Claim 21

The combination of claim 16 wherein said plunger means includes a magnet adjacent the lower end thereof and wherein is provided a magnetically responsive switch on the inside of said body adjacent said handle for activation of said drive means upon depressing said plunger to bring said magnet into proximity to said switch.

Claim 22

The combination of claim 14 wherein said handle means is tilted forward for ease of control by the diver when positioned behind and slightly above said vehicle.

Claim 23

The combination of claim 14 wherein said handle means is tilted inwardly to approximate the natural holding on position of the hands.

Claim 24

In a motorized device for work in a fluid environment, the combination of a motor, a shell-like body forming a sealed enclosure to substantially surround and protect the motor from the environment, at least a portion of the outer surface of said body being capable of transferring heat to said environment, and means for directly transferring substantially the total heat from said motor to said portion of said body, said heat transfer means being at least partially located adjacent one end of said motor, the heat transfer capacity of said means and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is in said environment, said motor including a cylindrical housing and said heat transfer means comprising an annular disc, said disc fitting in heat transfer relationship around the outer periphery of said housing and the inner periphery of said body, said housing including and end bell to form the end of said motor, said disc being mounted substantially in the plane of said bell.

Claim 25

In a motorized device for work in a fluid environment, the combination of a motor, a shell-like body forming a sealed enclosure to substantially surround and protect the motor from the environment, at least a portion of the outer surface of said body being capable of transferring heat to said environment, and means for directly transferring substantially the total heat from said motor to said portion of said body, said heat transfer means being at least partially located adjacent one end of said motor, the heat transfer capacity of said means and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is in said environment, said motor including a cylindrical housing and said heat transfer means comprising an annular disc, said disc fitting in heat transfer relationship around the outer periphery of said housing and the inner periphery of said body, said housing including and end bell to form the end of said motor, said disc being mounted substantially in the plane of said bell.

Claim 26

In a motorized device for work in a fluid environment, the combination of a motor, a shell-like body forming a sealed enclosure to substantially surround and protect the motor from the environment, at least a portion of the outer surface of said body being capable of transferring heat to said environment, and means for directly transferring substantially the total heat from said motor to said portion of said body, said heat transfer means being at least partially located adjacent one end of said motor, the heat transfer capacity of said means and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is in said environment, said heat transfer means including an end bell of one end of said motor mounted in contact with one end of said shell-like body so as to be in heat transfer relationship therewith whereby to directly transfer heat to said body to aid in dissipation of the heat from said motor.

Claim 27

In a motorized device for work in a fluid environment, the combination of a motor, a shell-like body forming a sealed enclosure to substantially surround and protect the motor from the environment, at least a portion of the outer surface of said body being capable of transferring heat to said environment, and means for directly transferring substantially the total heat from said motor to said portion of said body, said heat transfer means being at least partially located adjacent one end of said motor, the heat transfer capacity of said means and said body being sufficient to dissipate the power loss heat generated by said motor to permit substantially high output and continuous operation of said motor at a substantially constant maximum temperature within the allowable temperature range of said motor while said body is in said environment, said heat transfer means including an end bell of one end of said motor mounted in contact with one end of said shell-like body so as to be in heat transfer relationship therewith whereby to directly transfer heat to said body to aid in dissipation of the heat from said motor.