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US3756343A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Air cushion seal

Assignee: Textron Inc
•
Filing: 1971-09-02
•
Granted: 1973-09-04
•
Expires: 1991-09-02
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Abstract

Abstract There is disclosed herein an improved seal device for aircushion vehicles, surface effect ships, or the like; consisting of a plurality of discrete, vertically elongate, closed, bucketshaped cell members which are disposed serially in side-by-side free-sliding relation, and which are formed of flexible fabric and are inflated to pressures greater than the associated aircushion pressure. At their upper ends the cells are firmly affixed to the vehicle structure so as to extend therebelow in cantilever mounted relation, and in side view are of acute angle form terminating in apex configurations at their bottom ends. Thus the cells are individually deformable, but are pneumatically resilient; and due to their higher pressured condition automatically spring back and return to their normal configurations after being deflected when passing over obstacles or waves with more positive control of the transiently confined air cushion than within the capabilities of prior air-cushion sealing devices. The cell members are preferably mounted relative to the ''''hard'''' frame or hull structure of the vehicle so as to splay outwardly from the vertical view perimeters thereof; thereby enhancing the non-scooping and non-snagging performance of the system, while also increasing the air-cushion area relative to the ''''hard'''' structure. Thus, the invention operates more efficiently and with a greatly reduced drag effect (attendant frictional contacts with the surface over which the vehicle is travelling) due to the shape of the cell members as well as to their angle of contact with the reaction surface.

Inventors

  • 👤 D Joyce

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 23:20
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60V; B60V1/00; B60V1/16

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 198 words
In an air-cushion vehicle wherein the air cushion cavity air is contained under relatively low pressure at least in part by a flexible wall structure attached to and depending below the hard structure of the vehicle body, said wall structure comprising a succession of individual, separately formed, cell members arrayed in side-by-side, slide-abutting cooperating air-sealing relationship, while being individually deformable independently of one another in response to obstacle impacts; the improvements comprising: each of said cell members being V-shaped in side view and having opposed inner and outer wall portions which converge to an apex bottom portion in downward directions in an acute angle relationship defining an included angle sufficiently acute as to allow the cell independently to deflect when it strikes an obstacle without scooping and without excessive drag; a source of relatively high pressure air; the interiors of said cell members being in open communication with said source of a relatively high pressure air and said source including means for maintaining pressure in said cells in amount sufficient continuously to stiffen them into pneumatically resilient box-beam configurations during operation of the vehicle; and said cell members bEing cantilever-beam connected at their upper ends to said vehicle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 198 words
In an air-cushion vehicle wherein the air cushion cavity air is contained under relatively low pressure at least in part by a flexible wall structure attached to and depending below the hard structure of the vehicle body, said wall structure comprising a succession of individual, separately formed, cell members arrayed in side-by-side, slide-abutting cooperating air-sealing relationship, while being individually deformable independently of one another in response to obstacle impacts; the improvements comprising: each of said cell members being V-shaped in side view and having opposed inner and outer wall portions which converge to an apex bottom portion in downward directions in an acute angle relationship defining an included angle sufficiently acute as to allow the cell independently to deflect when it strikes an obstacle without scooping and without excessive drag; a source of relatively high pressure air; the interiors of said cell members being in open communication with said source of a relatively high pressure air and said source including means for maintaining pressure in said cells in amount sufficient continuously to stiffen them into pneumatically resilient box-beam configurations during operation of the vehicle; and said cell members bEing cantilever-beam connected at their upper ends to said vehicle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said included angle is in the neighborhood of a 45* angle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the apex bottom portions of said cell members terminate in outwardly extending flap formations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cell members are disposed to splay outwardly from their upper end connections to the vehicle structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein the separate cell members are attached to extend downwardly from the hard structure of said vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 35 words
A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cell members are separately attached to and extend downwardly from an inflatable trunk device disposed intermediately of the vehicle hard structure and said cell members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 24 words
A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 wherein water drain-out apertures are provided through the walls of said cells adjacent the bottoms thereof.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3291237A Cited
US3265144A Cited
US3363717A Cited
US3362499A Cited
US3384197A Cited
US3397753A Cited
US3478836A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1976-09-03 1977-03-05 1977-09-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1980-09-03 1981-03-05 1981-09-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1984-09-03 1985-03-05 1985-09-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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