Container for battery-powered devices for boats

Abstract

Described is container (1) for battery-powered devices to be installed on boats, comprising a first inner casing (2) designed to contain said battery-powered devices, means (3) for extinguishing a fire inside said container (1) and means (4) for suction of gaseous mixtures inside said container (1); said container being removable with respect to a boat.

Description

[0001] Translation (Rule 12.3) 1 28 June 2024

[0002] CONTAINER FOR BATTERY-POWERED DEVICES FOR BOATS

[0003] This invention relates to a container for battery- powered devices for boats .

[0004] In particular, the present invention relates to a container for battery-powered devices such as : auxiliary boats , electric tenders , water transport vehicles for leisure or sports activities such as jet skis .

[0005] As is known, a considerable risk of the batteries used to power various devices , in particular those of the type comprising Lithium or Lead, is linked to the fact that such batteries can generate explosions and fires , as a result of damage of various kinds (electrical or mechanical for example ) .

[0006] In particular, such batteries can become particularly dangerous when located in environments where there is a risk of fire propagation .

[0007] In the field of interest of the present invention, that is to say, that of boats ( for example, yachts ) , the risk of explosion involves a very high level of danger, as the fire caused by the battery could involve the entire boat .

[0008] Currently, in order to contain the risks of a possible explosion of water transport vehicles such as jet skis or electric tenders on board a boat , compartments or rooms with fireproof insulation are known, such as to contain any fires caused by battery explosions ( for example lithium or lead acid) .

[0009] These compartments or rooms known for containing battery-powered devices are formed inside the boats , and are structured substantially so as to act as an insulating garage when battery-powered water transport means are located inside them, and as a relaxation area when they do not contain such water transport means .

[0010] The known compartments and rooms therefore allow a good solution for the safe storage of battery-powered devices , but they are certainly not without drawbacks .

[0011] A major drawback of the containment compartments for known battery-powered devices is that they often occupy excessively large portions of the boat .

[0012] On such occasions , the space used to contain battery- powered devices is much greater than necessary, resulting in an inadequate use of space .

[0013] In addition, a further drawback of known containment compartments is that they do not always guarantee optimal safety of battery-powered devices .

[0014] Another drawback of the known containment compartments is that they are not always practical to use .

[0015] It is therefore the aim of the invention to provide a container for battery-powered devices for boats which is capable of solving the above-mentioned problems .

[0016] Another aim of the invention is to provide a container for battery-powered devices for boats that is simple and practical to use .

[0017] A further aim of the invention is to provide a container for battery-powered devices for boats that guarantees a high degree of safety for the surrounding environment (boat ) .

[0018] Another aim of the invention is to provide a container for battery-powered devices for boats such as to optimise the use of the spaces available on the boat itself , reducing in fact the volume of the boat used to reduce the risk due to any problems with the stored batteries . According to the invention, these aims and others are achieved by a container for battery-powered devices for boats comprising the technical features described in the appended claims .

[0019] The technical features of the invention, according to the above-mentioned aims , are clearly described in the appended claims and its advantages are apparent from the detailed description which follows , with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a nonlimiting example embodiment of it , and in which :

[0020] - Figure 1 illustrates a schematic side perspective view from above of a container for battery-powered devices for boats .

[0021] With reference to Figure 1 , the reference numeral 1 indicates a container for battery-powered devices for boats , hereinafter also referred to simply as the container 1 .

[0022] The container 1 according to the invention comprises a first inner casing 2 designed to contain the above- mentioned battery-powered devices (not shown in the drawings ) .

[0023] The term battery-powered devices means , for example , jet skis , electric tenders or any other device comprising a battery .

[0024] The first inner casing 2 has a first 21 plurality of insulating walls .

[0025] Advantageously, the first inner casing 2 has a box-like shape and the first 21 plurality of insulating walls comprises four side walls , an upper and a lower wall . The first inner casing 2 comprises a fire door 22 .

[0026] The term fire door 22 means a door characterised by a high fire resistance, capable of isolating flames in the event of a fire .

[0027] Advantageously, the fire door 22 comprises an intumescent gasket .

[0028] The intumescent gasket is a type of gasket capable of expanding its volume in case of fire .

[0029] This ensures insulation even in the event of thermal expansion of the components of the first inner casing 2 . The container 1 according to this invention comprises extinguishing means 3 for extinguishing a fire inside the first inner casing 2 .

[0030] As illustrated in Figure 1 , the extinguishing means 3 comprise a tank 31 of extinguishing material .

[0031] The extinguishing material comprises foam or firefighting powder .

[0032] The extinguishing means 3 further comprise an extinguishing pump 32 designed to deliver the extinguishing material inside the first inner casing 2 . The container according to the invention further comprises suction means 4 for the suction of gaseous mixtures inside the first inner casing 2 .

[0033] The term gaseous mixtures means , for example, the fumes generated by the explosion of a battery of a battery- powered device .

[0034] In addition, the term gaseous mixtures also means air . The fact of sucking in air in fact makes it possible to subtract oxygen and, therefore, comburent from the inside of the first inner casing 2 , facilitating the extinguishing of the flame . As illustrated in Figure 1 , the suction means 4 comprise a tank 41 for collecting the above-mentioned gaseous mixtures .

[0035] The suction means 4 further comprise a pump 42 for suction of gaseous mixtures from the first inner casing 2 .

[0036] This suction pump 42 comprises a non-return valve for containing the gaseous mixtures inside the collection tank 41 .

[0037] The container 1 according to the invention is removable with respect to the boat on which it is located .

[0038] This allows the container 1 to be moved to the most convenient position to optimise overall dimensions .

[0039] The container 1 comprises a plurality of anchoring elements 7 formed on the outer surface of the container 1 itself .

[0040] The anchoring elements 7 allow the lifting and handling of the container 1 according to the invention, for example for installation or removal operations in the event of an accident .

[0041] Advantageously, the container 1 comprises heat dissipation means 5 .

[0042] The heat dissipation means 5 , as illustrated in Figure 1 , comprise a second outer casing 51 .

[0043] The second outer casing 51 comprises a second plurality of walls 511 .

[0044] Advantageously, the second outer casing 51 has a boxlike shape .

[0045] The second outer casing 51 is designed to contain the first inner casing 2 so as to define a gap 52 between the respective first 21 and second 511 plurality of walls .

[0046] Substantially, this cavity 52 is defined by the distance gap between the outer surface of the first inner casing 2 and the inner surface of the second outer casing 51 . When a fire occurs inside the first inner casing 2 , even if the first inner casing 2 is of a fireproof insulation type, after long periods of time the volume of air outside the first inner casing 2 itself also tends to heat up, that is to say, the volume defined by the cavity 52 .

[0047] The heat dissipation means 5 thus comprise a water supply pump 53 designed to feed water into the cavity 52 .

[0048] This generates a recirculation that removes heat from the system in order to contain the fire even for long periods of time .

[0049] Advantageously, this water is water drawn directly from the sea or watercourse .

[0050] The heat dissipation means 5 comprises a water discharge pipe 54 .

[0051] The casing 51 comprises a watertight door 512 .

[0052] Advantageously, the container 1 according to the invention comprises a plurality of sealed electrical passages 6 .

[0053] Advantageously, moreover, the container 1 comprises a charging socket that can be connected to the battery- powered device ( and in particular to its battery) by means of one of the above-mentioned sealed electrical passages .

[0054] Advantageously, moreover, the container 1 comprises monitoring sensors connectable with a space inside the first casing 2 by means of the above-mentioned plurality of electrical passages 6 .

[0055] The monitoring sensors allow, for example, the detection of fumes inside the first inner casing 2 and / or the detection of the temperature .

[0056] These sensors can advantageously be viewed by a user directly from the boat ' s dashboard or remotely .

[0057] The container 1 of battery-powered devices for boats according to the invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks and achieves important advantages .

[0058] An important advantage of the container 1 according to the invention is due to the fact that it allows an optimal safety of battery-powered devices , avoiding any risk of propagation of a possible fire arising from the explosion of the batteries .

[0059] Another advantage of the container 1 according to the invention is due to the fact of cancelling or at least limiting the risk of spreading harmful substances and toxic fumes in the surrounding environment , if a battery explosion occurs .

[0060] Another advantage of the container 1 according to the invention is due to the fact of guaranteeing a practical use .

[0061] The container 1 is in fact movable with respect to the boat on which it is located, and this allows it to be positioned in various environments according to the needs and preferences of a user .

Claims

CLAIMS1. A container (1) for battery-powered devices for boats, comprising :- a first inner casing (2) designed to contain said battery-powered devices, said first inner casing (2) comprising a first (21) plurality of insulating walls and a fire door (22) ;- extinguishing means (3) to extinguish a fire inside said first inner casing (2) ;- means (4) for suction of gaseous mixtures inside said first inner casing (2) ; said container being removably attachable to a surface of a boat .

2. The container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises heat dissipation means (5) .

3. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said heat dissipation means (5) comprise :- a second outer casing (51) comprising a second (511) plurality of walls, said second outer casing (51) being designed to contain said first inner casing (2) so as to define a gap (52) between said respective first (21) and second (511) plurality of walls;- a water supply pump (53) designed to supply water in said gap ( 52 ) ;- a water discharge pipe (54) .

4. The container (1) according to any one of thepreceding claims, characterized in that said extinguishing means (3) comprise a tank (31) of extinguishing material and an extinguishing pump (32) designed to deliver said extinguishing material inside said first inner casing (2) .

5. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said extinguishing material comprises foam or fire-fighting powder.

6. The container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said suction means (4) comprise a tank (41) for collecting said gaseous mixtures, and a pump (42) for sucking said gaseous mixtures from said first (2) casing.

7. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said suction pump (42) comprises a non-return valve, for containing said gaseous mixtures inside said collection tank (41) .

8. The container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of sealed electrical passages (6) .

9. The container (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a charging socket connectable to said battery-powered device by means of one of said sealed electrical passages (6) .

10. The container (1) according to claim 8, characterizedin that it comprises monitoring sensors connectable with a space inside said first (2) casing by means of said plurality of electrical passages (6) .

11. The container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of anchoring elements (7) formed on the outer surface of said container (1) to allow the lifting and handling of said container (1) .

12. The container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fire door (22) comprises an intumescent gasket.

13. The container (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said second outer casing (51) comprises a watertight door (512) .

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