Water vehicle capable of automatically balancing hydrofoils

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric hydrofoil water vehicle, which adopts an automatic balancing technology, dynamically balances the water vehicle according to acceleration caused by pitching change, and automatically maintains the water vehicle at a preset height. The speed of the water vehicle can be controlled through the center-of-gravity shift of the rider or the forward and backward movement of the hydrofoil relative to the hull.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications:

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 414,540, filed on October 9, 2022, entitled “Self-Balancing Hydrofoil Vessel,” which has the same inventors as this application. Field of the invention:

[0003] The present invention relates to motorized hydrofoil vessels and, more particularly, to methods of controlling such vessels. Background of the invention:

[0005] Current motorized personal hydrofoil boards on the market require the rider to control the board's rise and fall by shifting their weight forward and backward, while also using a handheld remote to control speed. This control method requires extensive practice to learn lift control skills, which may pose a barrier to some potential users. Furthermore, the rider must always pay attention to lift control, which can pose a safety risk, especially for novice riders. If the rider fails to maintain a certain level of lift stability, the board may contact the water at high speed (too low) or the hydrofoil may suddenly break through the water, causing a sudden loss of lift (too high). Both situations can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and even dangerous.

[0006] Speed ​​control with a handheld remote control is not optimal because the rider must shift their weight to compensate for inertia when accelerating or decelerating. This can lead to unintended weight shifts due to over- or under-compensation, causing unintended rise and fall. The rider also needs to shift their weight to compensate for pitch changes caused by accelerating or decelerating the boat. Summary of the invention:

[0007] The present invention provides an electric hydrofoil watercraft that uses automatic balancing technology to control speed and altitude. The causal relationship between acceleration and pitch angle in an electric hydrofoil watercraft makes it suitable for control using methods commonly used in the field of automatic balancing equipment. Using pitch angle data provided by an attitude sensor, an electric motor drives a propeller to dynamically balance the watercraft in the fore-aft direction. In some embodiments, speed is controlled by the fore-aft shift of the rider's center of gravity; in other embodiments, speed is controlled by the fore-aft movement of the hydrofoil relative to the watercraft's center of gravity.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the watercraft is configured to automatically maintain a preset height between the board or hull and the water surface. Using data from an altitude sensor, the vehicle adjusts the pitch angle to raise or lower the vehicle if the vehicle deviates from the preset height. This automatic height control, combined with speed control based on the pitch angle, eliminates the difficulties associated with conventional systems, making operation simpler and more comfortable.

[0009] The water vehicle of the present invention can be a surfboard type or a hull type, or any other type of electric hydrofoil water vehicle.

[0010] The above and related objects of the present invention are achieved by using the hydrofoil water vehicle with automatic balancing technology described herein.

[0011] The above advantages and features of the present invention will become more clearly understood by those skilled in the art by reading the detailed description given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Description of the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 A perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention (hydrofoil surfboard structure)

[0013] Figure 2 A perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention (hull structure)

[0014] Figure 3 A perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention (a small foot-operated structure) Specific implementation method:

[0015] See also Figure 1 , shown is a perspective view of a hydrofoil water vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The water vehicle 10 comprises a buoyant body 1, similar to a surfboard, for supporting at least one rider; a hydrofoil 4 rigidly mounted on a body 5 containing a propeller 3; and a support column 2 rigidly connecting the body 5 to the body 1. A posture sensor 6 and control circuitry are located within the body 5. In other embodiments, the posture sensor and control circuitry may be located elsewhere, such as within the body. The control circuitry does not need to be located close to the sensor as in this embodiment.

[0016] When the watercraft 10 travels through the water, the lift generated by the hydrofoils 4 supports the board 1 above the water surface. Because the overall center of gravity is higher than the hydrofoils 4 and propellers 3, acceleration or deceleration causes the watercraft 10 to change its pitch angle (i.e., tilt forward or backward). The control circuit uses attitude data from the attitude sensor 6 to drive the propeller 3 to achieve dynamic balance, ensuring that the board 1 maintains a preset pitch angle (mostly horizontal) during use. Since the hydrofoils 4 do not move relative to the board 1, they also maintain a preset angle of attack.

[0017] The rider can change the pitch angle by moving their body forward and backward, thereby triggering acceleration or deceleration, similar to a self-balancing vehicle on land. The data used to balance the water vehicle includes the pitch angle, and may also include other posture data and / or other information about the vehicle's state. The posture sensor 6 can be a combination of an electric gyroscope and an accelerometer, or any other suitable posture detection method.

[0018] Pressure sensor 7 is mounted on the surface of the body 5 to monitor the depth of the hydrofoil 4 in the water. In other embodiments, the pressure sensor may be mounted on the hydrofoil or on the struts. Based on the data from pressure sensor 7, the control circuit can adjust the currently set pitch angle to maintain the preset depth of the hydrofoil 4 while the watercraft 10 is in motion. For example, if pressure sensor 7 detects that the depth of the hydrofoil 4 exceeds the preset depth, the control circuit can automatically increase the currently set pitch angle, causing the watercraft 10 to tilt backward, thereby increasing the angle of attack of the hydrofoil 4 and allowing it to ascend to the preset depth. Similarly, if the depth of the hydrofoil 4 is too shallow, the preset pitch angle will automatically decrease to lower the angle of attack and allow it to dive.

[0019] The control circuit may include two control loops: one for maintaining the balance of the water vehicle 10 at a preset pitch angle based on the data of the attitude sensor 6 ; and the other for maintaining the preset altitude by adjusting the current preset pitch angle based on the data of the pressure sensor 7 .

[0020] Altitude maintenance can also be achieved using only pressure sensors without an attitude sensor. For example, when pressure sensor 7 detects that hydrofoil 4 is deeper than a preset depth, the control circuit can drive propeller 3 to accelerate, causing water vehicle 10 to tilt backward. Conversely, when hydrofoil 4 is too shallow, propeller 3 can decelerate, causing water vehicle 10 to tilt forward.

[0021] In this embodiment, a pressure sensor is used to provide underwater depth for height measurement. However, other height sensors may be used in other embodiments. For example, an ultrasonic sensor may be installed on the bottom of the board to monitor the distance between the bottom of the board and the water surface. An ultrasonic sensor may also be installed in the underwater portion of the device to monitor the water surface from below. In addition to the above method, other methods for measuring height may also be used, as long as they are applicable to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 1 The embodiment shown uses a single hydrofoil, but other embodiments may use two hydrofoils spaced forward and backward and / or vertically to increase lift and stability. The double-foil configuration is particularly suitable for situations where the length of the hydrofoil is limited due to design constraints.

[0023] In other embodiments, the plate may be much smaller than Figure 1 As shown, for example, there is only enough surface area to support the rider's feet. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the board is replaced by a foot support structure rigidly connected to the pillars 2. This embodiment may include foot straps for securing at least one foot, or a leg support structure with leg straps, or other means of securing the rider to the watercraft to enhance stability and control.

[0024] See also Figure 2, which is a perspective view of a hydrofoil water vehicle 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The water vehicle 100 is similar to the aforementioned water vehicle 10, but it uses a hull 101 similar to a small boat instead of a Figure 1 The watercraft 100 may include the same or similar components as the watercraft 10, such as a posture sensor 106, an altitude sensor 107, hydrofoils 104 rigidly mounted on a body 105 (the body 105 includes a propeller 103), and a support column 102 rigidly connected to the body 105.

[0025] In this embodiment, the support column 102 and the hull 101 are movably connected (instead of being Figure 1 The hull 101 can move forward and backward relative to the support 102. This movement can be driven by a motor controlled by the rider or by human power.

[0026] Unlike watercraft 10, which controls speed by distributing the rider's center of gravity forward and backward, watercraft 100 achieves speed control by moving support columns 102 (and thus hydrofoils 104) forward and backward relative to hull 101. Alternatively, the center of gravity of watercraft 100 can be changed by moving hull 105 relative to support columns 102, or by moving hydrofoils 104 relative to hull 105.

[0027] In other embodiments, the overall center of gravity can be changed to achieve control by moving a counterweight disposed inside the hull 101 in the fore-aft direction. The counterweight can be a battery.

[0028] The above principles of the present invention are also applicable to various other forms of electric hydrofoil water vehicles, not limited to surfboard or boat structures. The present invention is also applicable to unmanned hydrofoil water vehicles, which can be operated by remote control or automatic control.

[0029] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible to further modification. This application is intended to cover all variations, uses, or adaptations of the principles of the invention, including all departures from the present disclosure that are within the scope of common knowledge or conventional practice in the art, provided that they are applicable to the aforementioned essential features and fall within the scope of protection of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A water vehicle device comprising: at least one hydrofoil; a member positioned above the water surface, the member being rigidly connected via the at least one hydrofoil and being supported above the water surface by the at least one hydrofoil when the water vehicle device is traveling; a propeller for propelling the water vehicle device forward; at least one attitude sensor; as well as A control circuit drives the propeller to maintain a preset angle of attack of the hydrofoil based on data from the attitude sensor.

2. The water vehicle device according to claim 1 further includes a height sensor, wherein the preset angle of attack is adjusted by the control circuit based on data from the height sensor to maintain the component located above the water surface at the set height. The device of claim 2 , wherein the height sensor is a pressure sensor. The device of claim 2 , wherein the height sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a support strut for connecting the hydrofoil and propeller to the above-water structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hydrofoil is movable in a fore-aft direction relative to a center of gravity of the above-water member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a counterweight movable in a fore-aft direction relative to the center of gravity of the above-water member. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the attitude sensor comprises at least one gyroscope sensor.

9. A water vehicle device comprising: at least one hydrofoil; a member positioned above the water surface, the member being rigidly connected via the at least one hydrofoil and being supported above the water surface by the at least one hydrofoil when the water vehicle is traveling; a propeller for propelling the water vehicle forward; at least one height sensor; as well as A control circuit drives the thrusters to maintain the set depth of the hydrofoil based on data from the height sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the altitude sensor is a pressure sensor. The device of claim 9 , wherein the height sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a strut for connecting the hydrofoil and propeller to the above-water structure.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the attitude sensor comprises at least one gyroscope sensor.

Images