Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02598258 2007-08-22
AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The application claims priority to United States Provisional Application No.
60/839810, which was filed on 24 August 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The application relates generally to a vehicle for transporting cargo across
land and water.
Known trailers transport cargo on land, but are limited to land-based
movements. The trailers include any number or arrangement of axles and wheels
to
facilitate movement. Trailers are not self-propelled, and instead include a
tongue
for attaching the trailer to another vehicle, such as, but not limited to, a
truck or all-
terrain-vehicle (ATV). Moving the vehicle tows the trailer with the cargo.
Known boats transport cargo across water, but are limited to water-based
movements.
Transporting the same cargo across land and water is often complicated as a
separate boat and trailer must be used. As an example, a person constructing a
cottage in a location accessible only by water must load construction material
into a
boat, drive the boat across water to a position near the desired location,
unload the
construction material, and then transport the construction material to the
construction site using a trailer.
Transporting boats over land is similarly difficult. Although some boats are
small enough to be moved across land by hand, many others must be loaded on a
boat trailer. Boat operators use boat trailers when moving the boat across
land from
a river to a lake, for example. Loading the boat is a time consuming process
that
involves backing a trailer into the river, maneuvering the boat onto the boat
trailer,
and then securing the boat to the boat trailer. The boat must also be launched
from
the boat trailer after reaching the lake, which is similarly time consuming.
Transporting the boat using a separate boat trailer also affects boat
portability. For example, the boat operator must make sure that both the boat
trailer
and the boat are in the same general location in order to load the boat on the
boat
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trailer. If the boat operator wishes to move the boat across land after
launching the
boat, the boat operator must drive the boat back to the same boat trailer
location,
return to the vehicle to move the boat trailer to another loading location, or
utilize
another boat trailer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An example amphibious vehicle includes a trailer portion, a hull including a
bottom, and at least one wheel. The wheel moves between a first wheel position
where at least some of the wheel is below the hull bottom, and a second wheel
position above the hull bottom. The wheel supports the trailer portion when in
the
first wheel position and the hull bottom supports the trailer portion when the
wheel
is in the second wheel position.
One example includes a tongue for towing the trailer portion. The tongue
rotates about an axis near the base of the transom. The tongue rotates between
a
stowed position and a position for towing.
The example amphibious vehicle includes a trailer portion having a boating
configuration and a towing configuration. At least one wheel extends from the
trailer portion. The wheel supports the trailer portion in the towing
configuration
for movement of the trailer portion on land. The trailer includes a hull
portion that
supports the trailer portion in the boating configuration for movement of the
trailer
portion on water.
An example method of transporting cargo includes towing cargo across land
using a vehicle, retracting a wheel above the hull bottom, and moving the
cargo
across water using the vehicle.
The example amphibious vehicle can be towed on land by an ATV. If a
body of water impedes the movement of both vehicles then the option exists
that the
ATV can be transported across the water as cargo in the amphibious vehicle
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the disclosed example can be understood from
the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief
description.
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Figure 1 illustrates an example amphibious vehicle in a towing configuration.
Figure 2 illustrates the Figure 1 vehicle in a boating configuration.
Figure 3 illustrates a wheel area of the Figure 1 vehicle showing a wheel in
an extended position below the hull bottom.
Figure 4 illustrates another view of the wheel area of the Figure 1 vehicle
showing the wheel in a retracted position above the hull bottom.
Figure 5 illustrates yet another view of the wheel area of the Figure 1
vehicle
showing a sliding door in an open position.
Figure 6 illustrates yet another view of the wheel area of the Figure 1
vehicle
showing the sliding door in a closed position.
Figure 7 illustrates a tongue area of the Figure 1 vehicle showing a partial
sectional view of an example tongue in an extended position ready for towing.
Figure 8 illustrates a side view of the tongue area of the Figure 1 vehicle
showing a partial sectional view of the tongue in a stowed and nearly upright
position.
Figure 9 illustrates a tongue area of the Figure 1 vehicle showing a partial
sectional view of another example tongue in a retracted position.
Figure 10 illustrates a loading door of the Figure 1 vehicle in a down
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT
An example amphibious vehicle 10 includes a towing configuration of
Figure 1 and a boating configuration of Figure 2. The towing configuration
includes
a tongue 14 and a ball coupler 86 for attaching the vehicle 10 to a vehicle
18, for
example a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The vehicle 18 tows the attached
vehicle 10
as the vehicle 18 moves. The vehicle 10 includes wheels 30 that support the
vehicle
10 when used in a towing mode.
The vehicle 10 changes from the towing configuration to the boating
configuration to move through water. A water tight hull 54 on the underside of
the
vehicle 10 displaces an appropriate amount of water to maintain the buoyancy
of the
vehicle 10 within water. An outboard motor 50 propels the vehicle 10 when in
the
boating configuration.
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A cargo area 22 transports cargo 26 when the vehicle 10 is in the towing
configuration or the boating configuration. Example cargo 26 includes an All
Terrain Vehicle (ATV) 28, which is another type of vehicle suitable for towing
the
vehicle 10.
The tongue 14 and the wheels 30 are moveable between an extended position
for towing and a retracted position for boating. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an
example
system for retracting and extending one of the wheels 30 of the vehicle 10. An
auto
braking hand winch 42, coupled with a gas spring actuator 70, and at least one
cable
62 move the wheels 30 between the extended and retracted positions. The wheels
30
retract at least partially into a wheel well 38 when in the retracted
position. In this
example, each wheel 30 is completely received into a corresponding wheel well
38.
The wheel 30 can be moved from an extended position to a retracted
position, when the hull 54 is supported by either the wheel 30 or a buoyancy
force
caused by water on the hull 54. To retract the wheel 30, the operator rotates
a
handle on the hand winch 42 in a first direction, which increases tension on
the cable
62. Other examples may include a hydraulic ram or hydraulic ram coupled with a
cable and pulley assembly and a hydraulic power pack in place of the hand
winch
42. Slack in cable 62 is taken up by the cable 62 winding on the cable drum of
winch 42. The cable to spring link bracket 99 contacts a stop on the pulley
bracket
100, which prevents further rotation of the handle on the hand winch 42.
Tension in the cable 62 overcomes forces caused by the weight of the hull 54
on the wheel 30 and force from the gas spring cable 63 on the support arm 66.
Accordingly, the operator is able to remove a system locking member 58, such
as a
pin, enabling raising movements of the wheel 30. The operator then rotates the
handle on the hand winch 42 in a second direction, which releases the cable 62
providing slack in the system and enabling the gas spring actuator 70 to
extend. The
gas spring actuator 70 is biased toward an extended position. Other examples
may
include a spirally wound spring or other spring loaded device in place of the
gas
spring actuator 70.
A second cable 63 loops over pulleys 74, 74A attached to the gas spring
actuator 70. The gas spring actuator 70 moves the pulley 74 as it extends,
which
pulls the second cable 63. Pulling the second cable 63 rotates the support arm
66
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and one of the attached wheels 30 upward into the corresponding wheel well 38.
In
this example, the gas spring actuator 70 movement maintains about a 1:2 ratio
relative to the amount of wheel 30 retraction. The wheels 30 only move as
slack in
the cable 62 is made available. Thus, the operator controls the speed of the
movement by controlling the speed of of rotation of the handle on the hand
winch
42. Sliding doors 46 are slidable over the wheel well 38 after retracting the
wheel
30 into the wheel well 38.
To move back to an extended position, an operator opens the sliding doors
46 on the sides of the vehicle 10. The operator then rotates the handle on the
hand
winch 42 in the first direction, opposite the second direction, to overcome
the
biasing force exerted by the gas spring actuator 70 and any forces caused by
the
wheel 30 contacting the earth which will in turn raise the hull 54. The
operator will
hit a hard stop once the cable to spring link bracket 99 contacts the pulley
bracket
100. Once the hard stop has been contacted the operator will no longer be able
to
rotate the handle on the hand winch 42 in the first direction. The operator
then
replaces the locking member 58, this allows the operator to give some slack in
the
cable 62 while the locking member 58 maintains the position of the wheels 30.
Support arm 66 rotates as the whee1301owers.
A leaf spring 78 forms a portion of the suspension system when the wheels
30 are in the extended position. The leaf spring 78 enhances the towing
performance of the vehicle 10 when used in the trailer configuration.
In the illustrated example boating configuration, the wheels 30 retract fully
into the wheel wells 38 enabling a sliding door 46 to close and to cover each
wheel
well 38. The sliding door 46 moves along a pair of extruded channels 82 on the
hull
54, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. A handle and latch assembly 84, such as a
spring
loaded latch assembly, hold the sliding door 46 in position. The closed
sliding doors
46 act as a portion of the hull 54 preventing drag by deflecting water from
the wheel
well 38. Fully retracting the wheels 30 into the wheel wells 38 allows the
sliding
doors 46 to close. Although the sliding doors 46 seal the wheel wells 38 from
water
in some examples, there is no need for the sliding doors 46 to fully prevent
water
from entering the wheel wells 38 as the interior of the wheel wells 38 is
configured
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to be waterproof so that water does not enter the cargo area 22. Instead, the
sliding
door 46 need only lessen the drag of water on the wheel we1138.
The example vehicle 10 includes additional features for changing between
the towing configuration and the boating configuration. For example, as shown
in
Figure 7, the ball coupler 86 on the tongue 14 provides an attachment for
coupling
the vehicle 10 to a vehicle 18 (Figure 1). A set of brackets 90 provide
support for
the tongue 14, braces 94, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders 34. Bolts 91
secure the
hydraulic cylinders 34 to the brackets 90. Pressurizing extends the hydraulic
cylinders 34 to rotate the tongue 14 away from the transom 87 to the towing
position
shown. The position of the braces 94 relative to the bolts 91 is adjustable
within
notches of a slot 95 in the braces 94. The slots 95 in braces 94 have notches
for
accommodating the bolts 91 in at least one position. Adjusting the position of
the
braces 94 relative the brackets 90 changes the degree of rotation of the
tongue 14
relative to the transom which in turn facilitates placing the ball receiver 86
at an
appropriate height for towing.
In this example, pins 92 inserted through holes in the brackets 90 contact the
braces 94 locking the bolt 91 in a notch in a slot 95 of brace 94 which in
turn locks
the tongue 14 in the towing position. The brackets 90, the braces 94, or both
may
include additional holes for locking the tongue 14 in other positions, such as
positions that locate the coupler 86 at different heights relative to ground
level to
accommodate differing tow vehicle 18 ball heights.
To move the tongue 14 from the trailer configuration to the boating
configuration, the operator backs the vehicle 10 into a body of water. The
buoyancy
of the water raises portions of the vehicle 10, which increases the load
exerted
downward through the coupler 86 and lessens load on the wheels 30. At a
certain
point, the water and the coupler 86 may share the entire load of the vehicle
10. The
proportion of which vehicle 10 is supported by the coupler 86, wheels 30 and
water
depends on several factors, some of which include the angle of the ground as
vehicle
18 and vehicle 10 enter the water, height of hitch on vehicle 18, and the
distribution
and weight of cargo 26 in vehicle 10.
The load of the vehicle 10 exerted on the hitch of the vehicle 18 through the
coupler 86 will often inhibit manually decoupling the coupler 86 from the
vehicle
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18. With the pins 92 removed, the operator releases hydraulic pressure inside
the
cylinders 34 using a manually controllable valve located on a hydraulic
pumping
unit 88. The escaping hydraulic fluid allows the cylinders 34 to retract,
which
facilitates controlled rotation of the tongue 14 about a pivot point 98 until
the
transom 87 hull area of vehicle 10 is supported by either buoyancy of the
transom 87
hull area of vehicle 10 or the ground while the rest of the vehicle 10 weight
is
supported by any combination of wheels 30 and buoyancy of the forward area of
the
hull 54. At that point, the load from the vehicle 10 on the coupler 86 is only
that of
the weight of the tongue 14, brackets 94 and hydraulic cylinder rods 34.
The operator then manually decouples the coupler 86 from the vehicle 18
and by lifting tongue 14 causes the tongue 14 to rotate towards the transom 87
of the
vehicle 10. The bolts 91 guide the respective braces 94 through the slots 95
as the
tongue 14 rotates toward a stowed position. A locking pin 92 holds the tongue
14 in
the stowed position near the vehicle 10. In the tow or stowed position, the
cylinders
34 nest between respective braces 94, as shown in Figure 8. In addition to
decoupling the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 18, raising or retracting the
tongue 14
results in less drag when operating the vehicle 10 in the boating
configuration.
The wheels 30, which may or may not support a portion of the load of
vehicle 10, can be moved by the operator to a retracted position, which will
in turn
allow the water under vehicle 10 to support the load of vehicle 10 instead of
the
wheels 30. The operator can also now close the sliding doors 46 in preparation
for
boating. The vehicle 10 can be decoupled from the vehicle 18 on land using a
tongue jack, for example. Vehicle 10 may also be lowered to the ground on land
while coupled to vehicle 18 in a similar fashion as described above. The
operator is
free to move the wheels 30 and the hitch 14 between retracted and extended
positions at any time. For example, when on land, the operator may store the
vehicle 10 so that it rests on the hu1154 instead of the wheels 30.
To couple the vehicle 10 to the vehicle 18, such as when moving the vehicle
10 from the boating configuration to the towing configuration, the operator
removes
the locking pin 92 and rotates the tongue 14 away from the transom 87 toward a
horizontal position. The tongue 14 pivots about a pivot axis 98 located near
the
bottom of the transom 87 when moving between the stowed and tow position. Once
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the operator manually couples the coupler 86 to the hitch on vehicle 18 the
operator
must then pressurize the cylinders 34 using the hydraulic hand pump 88.
Pressurizing the cylinders 34 extends the cylinders 34, which forces the
tongue 14 to
rotate towards the tow position. The degree of rotation of the tongue 14 is
limited
by the slots 95 in braces 94. Once the edges of the slots 95 contact the bolt
91, the
tongue 14 cannot rotate any further away from the transom 87. At this point,
holes
in brackets 90 and braces 94 will be aligned allowing pin 92 to be inserted,
locking
the location of the brace 94 and therefore the angle of the tongue 14 to the
brackets
90 in a position suitable for towing. In another example, the operator uses an
electric
pump to extend the hydraulic cylinders 34. In such a position, the coupler 86
exerts
some downward force on the vehicle 18.
In the example tongue 14 of Figure 9, the towing height of the coupler 86
does not adjust, as the slot 96 does not include notches as in the Figure 7
example.
In both examples, the pin 92 prevents rotation of the tongue 14 from the
extended
position.
Referring now to Figures 10 and 2, the example vehicle 10 in the boating
configuration is loaded with cargo 26. The example embodiment includes a
hinged
door 102 forming one of the sides of the vehicle 10. The door 102 rotates away
from the vehicle 10 to provide an unloading point for the cargo 26. After
directing
the vehicle 10 in the boating configuration to an unloading location, such as
shallow
water or a sandy beach, the operator rotates the door 102 away from the
vehicle 10
to provide a ramp-like area for cargo 26 and passengers exiting the vehicle
10, as
shown in Figure 10. For example, driving the ATV 28 off of the vehicle 10 to a
land
location when the door 102 is rotated away from the vehicle 10.
After unloading the ATV 28, the operator could use the ATV 28 to tow the
vehicle 10 to another location. To do so, the operator turns the vehicle 10 in
the
water so that the tongue 14 is facing the land. The operator removes the pins
92 and
then rotates the tongue 14 so that the coupler 86 couples the ball on the ATV
28. In
this motion the hydraulic cylinders 34 are free to extend as the operator
rotates the
tongue 14 away from the transom 87. The tongue 14 may or may not be in the tow
position at this time. If the tongue 14 is not in the tow position the
operator then
pressurizes the hydraulic cylinders 34 using the pump 88 (Figure 8), to extend
the
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hydraulic cylinders 34 and move the tongue 14 to the tow position causing the
ATV
28 to support a portion of the vehicle 10. Such action usually also raises the
transom
87 of the vehicle 10 out of the water. Once the hydraulic cylinders 34 have
been
appropriately extended, the pins 92 can be reinserted into the braces 90
ensuring that
the tongue 14 remains in a fixed position when towed. With the vehicle 10
transformed to a trailer configuration, the operator drives the ATV 28 to
another
land location with the vehicle 10 in tow.
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a
worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain
modifications would
come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims
should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
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