SYSTEM FOR HOISTING AND LOWERING THE SAIL OF A SAILING BOAT

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for hoisting and lowering the sail (30) of a sailing boat (10), comprising: - a furler (60) for furling and unfurling a sail (30), said device being rotatable about an axis of rotation, adapted to rotate in a first direction for unfurling said sail (30) and adapted to rotate in a second direction for furling the sail (30), - a first mechanism, connected to the halyard point (31) of said sail (30) for exerting a force on said halyard point (31) of the sail (30) thereby allowing the sail (30) to be unfurled by rotating the furler (60) in its first direction, said first mechanism comprising a first rope (33) and a first winch (61, 161) for respectively winding or unwinding said first rope. abstract figure: 2

Description

Title of the invention: SYSTEM FOR HOISTING AND LOWERING THE SAIL OF A SAILING BOAT Field of invention

[0001] The invention relates to a system for hoisting and lowering sails, in particular for hoisting and lowering the sails of a sailing boat. State of the art

[0002] Sailing ships usually have one or more masts. On a top-rigged vessel, each mast may carry a mainsail. The term mainsail refers to a sail that is essentially triangular in shape and, when hoisted, is connected to the mast by its luff. The sail, when hoisted, extends in a horizontal direction from the luff to the leech. The upper end of the sail is also called the top end. Said upper end is connected, when hoisted, with a line at the top of the mast. At the top of the mast, the line is usually carried by a pulley to the foot of the mast so that the line can be handled from the deck. When hoisted, the sail extends from the upper end to the foot of the sail connected to a bollard or located near the bollard, said bollard being fixed to the mast.

[0003] On the front face of the mast or on the foremast, if the boat has more than one mast, other headsails may be hoisted, such as a jib, genoa or similar sail. These sails, like the mainsail, are triangular in shape and essentially fill the triangle formed by the forestay, mast and foredeck of the sailboat.

[0004] In the state of the art, it is known to make the mast or bollard in such a way that the mainsail, once lowered, is rolled around a furler, forming part of the bollard. Said furler has the shape of an elongated, essentially cylindrical body, movable in rotation around its longitudinal axis, so as to unroll the mainsail to hoist it or to roll it up to lower it.

[0005] Headsails, such as the jib and genoa, may also be arranged so that they can be furled around an elongated body. This arrangement involves the headsail, in its furled state, being secured between the foredeck and the upper end of the mast.

[0006] The advantage of being able to furl a sail around a furler is above all ease of use for the sailor. Indeed, to hoist the mainsail, the sailor can unfurl the sail completely or partially, which makes it easier for the sailor to hoist the sail. In addition, reefing is simple to achieve with a mainsail furled around a furler. A reef can be taken into the sail by wrapping part of the sail around the furler. This means that the mainsail area is reduced. In addition, the mainsail is protected from the weather in its lowered position and rolled around the furler, thus ensuring a longer life for the sail.

[0007] Additionally, a pre-rolled headsail can be ready to be unrolled and made available quickly and easily.

[0008] In the use of boats in general, and sailing boats in particular, there has been a trend in recent years to make using the boat more and more user-friendly and therefore easier. In addition, there is a real desire to make piloting a boat safer.

[0009] Thus, nowadays, many sailing boats are equipped with systems that allow the lines to be controlled on board, for example to hoist the sails, without the sailor needing to use his own muscle power to pull the lines. In addition, sailors increasingly want to be able to control all on-board systems, such as the sails, from their cabin.

[0010] As a result, boats today often have a hydraulic system on board to operate winches intended, for example, to hoist a mainsail or furl a headsail.

[0011] One of the main disadvantages of using hydraulic systems on board a boat is the fact that hydraulic systems are relatively complex and expensive. This applies both to the installation of a hydraulic system on board an existing boat and to the installation of a hydraulic system in new boats. In addition, a hydraulic system requires the use of bulky means such as hydraulic hoses and a hydraulic pump in combination with an electrical system comprising at least one electric motor to power the hydraulic pump. Another disadvantage associated with the use of a hydraulic system is the fact that, for technical reasons, such a system has a power loss of at least 30% during operation.

[0012] In view of the aforementioned drawbacks of current systems, there is a need to provide a system that is easy to install on a sailboat in order to hoist and lower the sails of said sailboat, while overcoming said drawbacks. Subject of the invention

[0013] A first object of the present invention relates to a device for hoisting and lowering the sail of a sailing boat, comprising:

[0014] - a furler for rolling up and unrolling a sail, said device being movable in rotation about an axis of rotation, adapted to rotate in a first direction allowing said sail to be unrolled and adapted to rotate in a second direction allowing the sail to be furled,

[0015] - a first mechanism, connected to the halyard point of said sail to exert a force on said halyard point of the sail thus allowing the sail to be unfurled by rotating the furler in its first direction, said first mechanism comprising a first rope and a first winch for respectively winding or unwinding said first rope,

[0016] wherein the device comprises a second mechanism connected to said reel and adapted to generate a force to be overcome to rotate the reel in its first direction.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second mechanism is connected to said reel and is adapted to generate a force to be overcome to rotate the reel in its first direction.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first winch is connected to a motor for actuating said first winch of said first mechanism.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second mechanism comprises an extension of said first rope or an assembly formed of a second rope and a second winch for respectively winding and unwinding said extension of said first rope or the second rope.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second mechanism comprises an element for tensioning the extension of said first rope or said second rope.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the element for tensioning the extension of said first rope or the element for tensioning said second rope comprises a pulley for guiding the extension of said first rope or said second rope and a spring for applying a tensile force to said pulley.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the spring is attached to a movable attachment element, the movable attachment element being used to control the force of the spring on the pulley.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the spring is attached to a movable attachment element, the movable attachment element being used to control the force of the spring on the pulley.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second mechanism is adapted to generate a constant force to be overcome during the rotation of said winder in its first direction.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second mechanism comprises an element for tensioning the extension of said first rope or an element for tensioning said second rope.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the element for tensioning the extension of said first rope or the element for tensioning said second rope comprises a pulley for guiding the extension of said first rope or said second rope, and a spring.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the spring comprises means for adjusting the tensile force of said spring.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the spring is attached to a movable attachment element, the movable attachment element being used to control the force of the spring on the extension of the first string or on said second string.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the invention, the invention relates to an assembly formed of a mast for a sailing boat, a sail and the device for hoisting and lowering the sail of a sailing boat.

[0030] According to a third aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a sailing boat comprising the assembly formed by a mast for said sailing boat, a sail and the device for hoisting and lowering the sail of a sailing boat. Brief description of the drawings

[0031] The aim, object and characteristics of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description given with reference to the figures in which:

[0032] [Fig.l] is a schematic representation of a sailboat, according to the state of the art;

[0033] [Fig.2] schematically shows a system for hoisting and lowering a mainsail, according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0034] [Fig.3] shows a sectional view of a first embodiment of a notched winch, as used in the system according to [Fig.2], and

[0035] [Fig.4] schematically illustrates a system for hoisting and lowering a mainsail, according to a second embodiment of the invention,

[0036] [Fig.5] schematically illustrates a system for hoisting and lowering a mainsail, according to a third embodiment of the invention,

[0037] [Fig.6] illustrates the system for hoisting and lowering a mainsail, according to [Fig.5], in the position for hoisting the mainsail,

[0038] [Fig.7] illustrates the system for hoisting and lowering a mainsail, according to [Fig.5], in the position for lowering the mainsail, and

[0039] [Fig.8] shows a first embodiment of a concave winch, adapted for the system of hoisting and lowering a mainsail according to [Fig.5], [Fig.6] and [Fig.7]. Detailed description of the invention

[0040] [Fig.l] shows a simplified diagram of a sailboat 10. The sailboat 10 comprises a hull 1 which is generally made of wood, steel or a plastic material. The hull 1 extends from the bow 11 located at the front of the sailboat 10 to the stern 12 located at the rear of the sailboat 10.

[0041] The sailboat 10 also includes a mast 2 positioned on the hull 1. The mast 2 is held in a vertical position on the sailboat 10 by means of a mast foot which fixes the mast to the hull 1 at its lower end. The mast foot is not visible in [Fig.l].

[0042] Furthermore, the upper part 21 of the mast 2 is connected to the hull by means of stays. [Fig.l] shows the stay 3 and the backstay 4. The sailboat 10 also includes side panels (not visible in [Fig.l]) on both the starboard side and the port side of the sailboat 10.

[0043] On the sailboat 10, a mainsail 30 and a headsail 130, like a genoa, are attached to the mast 2. In the example of [Fig.l], the mainsail 30 and the genoa 130 are partially unfurled or, according to the terms used in navigation, "hoisted".

[0044] The sailboat 10 is a so-called top-rigged boat. This means that the mainsail 30 is an essentially triangular sail which, after being hoisted, is connected to the mast by a luff. The upper end 31 of the mainsail 30 is also called the halyard point or upper corner of the mainsail 30. The upper corner 31, shown schematically in the example of [Fig.l], is provided with an eyelet 32. The upper corner 31, and more particularly the eyelet 32, is connected to the upper part of the mast or top 21 of the mast 2 by a rope or a cord 33. At the top 21 of the mast 2, the cord 33 is generally carried by a pulley 22 (as shown in [Fig.2]) towards the foot of the mast 2 in order to manipulate the cord 33 from the deck of the hull 1. In the hoisted state, the sail 30 extends from the upper corner 31 to the leech of the sail 30, that is to say the lower part of said sail 30, supported by a terminal 5. According to the example illustrated in [Fig.l], the rope 33 is shown on the outer side of the mast 2. In practice, the rope 33 can be placed on the inside of the mast 2, between the pulley located in the upper part 21 of the mast 2 and the upper angle 31. .

[0045] The terminal 5 is fixed to the lower part of the mast 2. The function of the terminal 5 is to fix and pull down the leech of the sail 30. The terminal 5 is fixed to the mast 2 by a first articulated end 51. This means that the angle formed by the terminal 5 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the hull 1 can be modified. Depending on the value of this angle, the position of the mainsail 30 with respect to the hull can be determined. The optimal angular position of the terminal 5 with respect to the hull 1 depends on the trajectory of the sailboat 10 with respect to the wind direction during navigation. The angular position between mast 2 and hull 1 is determined using mainsail sheet 6. Mainsail sheet 6 is a line or rope that is attached between bollard 5 and hull 1. A navigator can pull or detach mainsail sheet 6 to determine said angular position.

[0046] In the example illustrated in [Fig.l], the boom 5 is arranged so that the mainsail 30 can be furled in the boom 5 or around a cylindrical element forming part of the boom 5. The mainsail 30 being furled, this facilitates its use by the navigator. In order to hoist the mainsail 30, the navigator can unfurl it, completely or partially. Thus, hoisting the mainsail 30 is an easy maneuver for the navigator. In addition, reefing is easily carried out when the mainsail 30 is furled. When reefing, the mainsail 30 can be partially furled. As a result, the surface area of ​​the mainsail 30 which can take the wind is then reduced.

[0047] According to an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the boom 5 may have the shape of a V with a wide upper opening to receive the mainsail 30 in the boom 5. When the main sail 30 is completely lowered and completely furled, it is protected from the weather. This ensures a longer service life for the mainsail 30.

[0048] [Fig.l] further shows that a headsail 130 is present on the forward side of the mast 2. This headsail 130 is typically a jib or a genoa. The headsail 130 is essentially triangular in shape and fills the triangle formed between the forestay 3, the mast 2 and the foredeck located between the lower end of the mast 2 and the lower end of the forestay 3.

[0049] In the case where the foresail 130 is a genoa, the surface of the sail is such that the sail 130 extends along the mast 2 towards the stern 12 of the sailboat 10.

[0050] The headsail 130 is arranged so that it is rolled around an elongated body. On the deck side of the headsail 130, the sailboat 10 comprises a furling mechanism 131 for furling or unfurling the headsail 130. This furling mechanism 131 may be a mechanical mechanism comprising, for example, a spring, for furling or unfurling the headsail 130 by means of a line or rope. The furling mechanism 131 may also be equipped with a hydraulic or electric motor to facilitate the furling and unfurling of the headsail 130.

[0051] [Fig.l] shows the headsail 130 in a position in which it is partially unfurled. For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that the position of the mainsail 30 and the position of the headsail 130, shown in [Fig.l], do not correspond to usual sailing practice. Typically, a sailor begins by fully hoisting the mainsail 30, then hoists the headsail 130. Indeed, in principle, if the sails 30, 130 are to be lowered, a sailor will first lower the headsail 130, then the mainsail 30.

[0052] As shown schematically in [Fig.2], the boom 5 comprises an elongated body 60 or furler. The body 60 is rotatable around its longitudinal axis. When the body 60 rotates in a first direction, the main sail 30 is wrapped around the body 60 and, consequently, the main sail 30 is stretched in the direction of the arrow 71 in [Fig.l]. When the body 60 rotates in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, the main sail 30 is unwound in order to hoist said main sail 30 in the direction of the arrow 72 shown in [Fig.l].

[0053] In the field of sailing boat piloting, there has been a trend in recent years to make their use more and more user-friendly and therefore easier. In addition, efforts are being made to make the operation of sailing boats safer.

[0054] If a navigator wants to hoist the mainsail 30 of the sailboat 10, he must ensure that the different forces to be exerted on the mainsail 30 to hoist it are applied simultaneously. First, the navigator must ensure that the mainsail 30 is unfurled using the furling mechanism of said bollard 5. To do this, the navigator must pull on the rope 33 with an appropriate force in order to guide the mainsail 30 towards the top of the mast 2, the rope 33 being able to be suitably driven using a mechanism associated with said rope 33.

[0055] If a navigator wishes to perform various operations from the cabin of the boat using engines, the navigator must, on the one hand, avoid excessive forces being exerted on the mainsail 30 and, on the other hand, ensure that the tension on the rope 33 is sufficient when this rope 33 is suitably driven. Furthermore, the navigator must ensure that, once the mainsail 30 is hoisted, the tension on the luff, which runs along the mast 2, is optimal for adjusting the mainsail 30 during navigation.

[0056] It is an objective of the present invention to control, during the maneuver aimed at hoisting or lowering the mainsail 30, the tension exerted on the rope 33 between the winch 50 and the winch 61. This means that when the user lowers the mainsail 30 and it rolls up, a certain tension exerted on said rope 33 guarantees the perfect rolling up of the mainsail 30 and, during its hoisting, this tension makes it possible to ensure a regular and optimal unrolling of said mainsail 30 from the elongated body 60.

[0057] The technical effect of such control of the tension on the rope 33 is that the rolling and unrolling of the mainsail 30 are guaranteed and the friction of certain parts of the mainsail 30 against adjacent parts of said mainsail 30 is minimized. The service life of the mainsail 30 is thus optimized. Furthermore, such control of the tension on the rope 33 makes it possible to avoid the formation of folds inside the mainsail 30, which could prevent it from rolling perfectly.

[0058] [Fig.2] schematically shows a first embodiment of a system 70 according to the invention for raising, or hoisting, and lowering, or lowering, the mainsail 30 of the sailboat 10 which allows control of the tension exerted on a rope 33 which connects the mainsail 30 with a winch 50.

[0059] The upper corner 31 of the mainsail 30 is connected to a winch using the rope 33. [Fig. 3] shows a more detailed view, in section, of an embodiment of a winch 50 having a notched shape. As illustrated in [Fig. 3], the rope 33 is intimately received and held inside said winch 50, which allows the user to pull with a certain force on the rope 33 and thus hoist the upper corner 31 towards the top of the mast 2 (see [Fig. 1]).

[0060] Schematically, [Fig. 2] illustrates the rope 33 which is guided towards the winch 50 using a series of pulleys 22, 23 and 24. The winch 50 is connected to a motor (not shown in [Fig. 2]) which allows it to rotate in a first direction, in order to hoist the mainsail 30, or, alternatively, in a second direction, in order to lower the mainsail. As shown in [Fig. 2], the rope 33 is guided using the pulleys 25, 26, of the winch 50 towards a winch 61 connected to the elongated body 60 around which the sail 30 is furled.

[0061] As soon as a user uses the winch 50 to pull the rope 33, and thus hoist the mainsail 30, the winch 61 starts to rotate and receives the end of the rope 33 which is wound around said winch 61. When the user operates the winch 50 in the opposite direction, the rope 33 is removed from the winch 61 which starts to rotate, which has the effect of winding the mainsail 30 around the elongated body 60.

[0062] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the rope 33 is provided with a mechanism 40 for pulling said rope 33, thus generating a force to be overcome in order to hoist the mainsail 30. The mechanism 40 comprises a pulley 26, connected to a spring 4L. The pulley 26 is present between the winch 50 and the winch 61. The spring 41 is itself connected to the rope 46 to modify the tension with which the spring 41 pulls on the rope 33 using the pulley 26. According to the example shown in [Fig.2], the rope 46 is guided via a pulley 27 towards a fixing element 47, such as a bollard. The rope 46 is guided inside a brake or clamp 48 which can be closed in order to maintain said rope 46 in a determined position and, thereby, maintain a well-defined tension on the spring 4L.

[0063] It is clear that the mechanism 40 can have any other shape which is suitable for modifying the tension on the spring 4L. For example, the end of said spring 41 can be positioned on a slide which can be set in motion by an electric motor.

[0064] During the maneuver aimed at hoisting or lowering the mainsail, the mechanism 40 makes it possible to ensure a determined tension on the rope 33 between the winch 50 and the winch 61. This means that when the user lowers the mainsail 30 and it rolls up, a certain tension exerted on said rope 33 guarantees perfect furling of the mainsail 30 and, when hoisting it, this tension ensures regular and optimal unfurling of said mainsail 30 from the elongated body 60.

[0065] The rolling and unrolling of the mainsail 30 being thus guaranteed, the friction of certain parts of the mainsail 30 against adjacent parts of said mainsail 30 is minimized. The service life of the mainsail 30 is thus optimized. Furthermore, the mechanism as illustrated in [Fig.2] makes it possible to avoid the formation of folds inside the mainsail 30, which could prevent it from rolling perfectly.

[0066] As seen in [Fig. 2], the winch 61 is provided with a toothed element 65, which cooperates with a lock 80 which can move from an initial position blocking the rotation of the element 65 to a position allowing its rotation. The lock 80 is seen in [Fig. 2], in a position allowing the rotation of the toothed element 65 to be blocked. The movement of the lock 80 is schematically indicated in [Fig. 2] using an arrow 81.

[0067] Furthermore, as also visible in [Fig.2], the rope 33 could optionally be provided with a brake 35, said brake 35 itself being provided with a lever 36 making it possible to activate the movement or blocking of said brake 35. When the movement of the mainsail 30, making it possible either to hoist it or to lower it, is finished, said brake 35 can be used to hold the rope 33 in a fixed position in order to avoid any unexpected winding or unwinding of the mainsail 30.

[0068] The operation of the device 70 as illustrated in [Fig.2] is as follows. The mainsail 30 is wrapped around the elongated body 60 located near the terminal 5 of a sailing boat or which itself forms the terminal 5 of said sailing boat. If a user wishes to hoist the mainsail 30, the latter removes the lock 80 in order to release the element 65 of the winch 61 and thus allow its rotation. A motor (not visible in [Fig.2]) coupled to the winch 50 allows the rope 33 to be tensioned. This tension allows the upper part 31 of the mainsail 30 to be hoisted towards the upper end 21 of the mast 2.

[0069] It is clear that hoisting the sail can be easily achieved thanks to the presence of a single rope that can be manipulated using the winch 50 and a motor associated with said winch. In practice, a user can hoist the mainsail 30 by actuating a button present on the boat. As soon as the mainsail 30 is hoisted in the position desired by the user, the latter stops the motor associated with the winch 50 and actuates the lock 80 according to its locking position. In addition, the brake 35 is actuated to hold the rope 33 in a fixed position. According to this fixed locked position, the mainsail 30 can no longer rise or fall, the user can therefore use it as it is positioned.

[0070] During the hoisting movement of the mainsail 30, the presence of the mechanism 40 makes it possible to exert a certain tension, with the rope 33, on the winch 61. The rope 33, connected to the upper part of the sail 31, is therefore subjected to a certain counter-force allowing optimal unrolling of said mainsail 30.

[0071] If the mainsail 30 is correctly hoisted, the mechanism 70 according to [Fig.2] can be used to lower said mainsail 30 as follows:

[0072] - the lock 80 is removed and the brake 35 is released;

[0073] - then, thanks to the winch 50 associated with the motor, a certain force is exerted on the rope 33 in order to remove it from the winch 61. Exerting tension on the winch 61 causes the elongated body 60 to rotate on itself;

[0074] - this movement forces the mainsail 30 to wrap around said elongated body 60 ;

[0075] - during said movement the mechanism 40 guarantees a certain tension on the rope 33, thus ensuring controlled rolling of the mainsail 30 onto the elongated body 60;

[0076] During the hoisting movement of the mainsail 30, the mechanism 40 serves to control the level of tension desired by the user on the rope 33. Furthermore, the more the rope 46 is taut, the greater the tension exerted by the mechanism 40 on the rope 33.

[0077] [Fig.3] shows a sectional view of a notched winch 50. The notched winch 50 is provided with “V”-shaped spaces for receiving the rope 33. It is obvious that, the interior walls of the winch 50 being notched, it is possible to exert a force on the rope 33 thus preventing it from slipping inside the notched winch 50.

[0078] [Fig.4] shows a second embodiment 75 of the mechanism according to the invention, which makes it possible to hoist and lower a mainsail 30. As already shown in [Fig.2], the mainsail 30 is rolled around an elongated body 60. The upper part of the sail 31, more particularly the fin 32, is fixed using a rope 33, which makes it possible to exert tension on the mainsail 30 in order to hoist said mainsail to the position desired by the user.

[0079] The rope 33 is guided, via pulleys 22, 23 towards a winch 160. As illustrated in [Fig.4], the winch 160 is provided with a first part 161 making it possible to receive a first rope 33 as soon as the mainsail 30 is hoisted and a second part 162 making it possible to receive a second rope 133 as soon as the mainsail 30 is lowered.

[0080] In summary, the operation of the mechanism 75, as shown in [Fig. 4], is similar to the operation of the mechanism 70, as illustrated in [Fig. 2]. From the position shown in [Fig. 4], the user can hoist the mainsail 30 by exerting tension on the rope 33 using the winch 160. To do this, the winch 160 is connected to a motor (not shown in [Fig.4]) operated, for example, by means of a button. The winch 160 rotates in a direction allowing the rope 33 to be received in the first part 161 of said winch 160. During the automatic rotation of the winch 160, the rope 33 is unwound from the second part 162 of said winch 160 and is received inside the winch 61 fixed on the end of the elongated body 60. In this way, the mainsail 30 is hoisted in a position chosen by the user. When said mainsail 30 is hoisted optimally, the motor connected to the winch 160 is stopped and the brake 35 is used to lock the rope 33 in a determined position. The mechanism for preventing movement of the winch 61 by means of a lock 80 (as shown in [Fig.2]) is not shown in [Fig.4] but can, of course, be used in a similar manner to that shown in [Fig.2].

[0081] As explained in [Fig.4], the rope 33 is guided by the presence of a pulley 26. The mechanism 40, comprising a spring 41, is adapted to exert a certain tension on said rope 133. The mechanism 40 is provided with a pulley 27, a spring 41, a rope 46, a fixing element 47 and a brake 48. The elements 27, 41, 46, 47 and 48 make it possible to exert a determined tension to pull and maintain a tension on the rope 133, in a similar manner to what has been explained with reference to [Fig.2].

[0082] When the mainsail 30 is hoisted, the user can lower it using the winch 160 which rotates in the opposite direction in order to receive the rope 33 in the second part 162 of said winch 160, thus releasing said rope 33 from the first part 161 of the winch 160. To do this, firstly, the brake 35 is released and the motor connected to the winch 160 (motor not shown in [Fig.4]) is used to ensure the rotation of said winch 160. The tensioning of the rope 133 allows the rotation of the winch 61 fixed to the end of the elongated body 60. Thanks to this rotation, the mainsail 30 is rolled around said elongated body 60. When rolling the mainsail 30, the presence of the rope 33 makes it possible to exert a certain tension on the upper part of the sail 31, which tension ensures optimal winding of said sail 31, as described with reference to [Fig.2].

[0083] With reference to [Fig.2] and [Fig.4], it should be noted that, according to an embodiment of the invention not shown in the figures, the mechanism 40 for generating a force to be overcome and comprising the spring 41 and the mechanism 45, can be replaced by a spring present between the winch 61 and the elongated body 60. In addition, a mechanism that would allow the force on said spring to be modified between the winch 61 and the elongated body 60 can be installed.

[0084] [Fig.5], [Fig.6] and [Fig.7] schematically show a third embodiment of a system 170 according to the invention for raising, or hoisting, and lowering, or lowering, the mainsail of a sailboat 10 which allows control of the tension exerted on the rope 133 connecting the mainsail to a winch 150. For reasons of clarity the mainsail is not shown in [Fig.5], [Fig.6] and [Fig.7], but it is obvious that said mainsail is adapted to be furled around furler 160 in a similar manner to the systems 70, 75 described above.

[0085] The upper corner of the mainsail is connected to a winch 150 using a rope 133. [Fig.8] shows a more detailed view of an embodiment of a winch 150 having a concave shape. As illustrated in [Fig.8], the rope 133 is turned several times around the winch 150 and the different windings are forced against each other. The winch 150 according to [Fig.8] is particularly suitable for turning the rope 133 in both directions, as schematically indicated with the arrow 151.

[0086] Schematically, [Fig.5] shows the system 170 in a rest position. The rope 33 is guided from the mainsail to the winch 150 using a series of pulleys 122, 124, 125. The winch 150 is connected to a motor (not shown in [Fig.2]) which allows it to rotate in a first direction, in order to hoist the mainsail 30. This use is explained with the aid of [Fig.6]. The winch 150 can, alternatively, rotate in a second direction, in order to lower the mainsail. This use is explained with the aid of [Fig.7].

[0087] As shown in [Fig.5], the system 170 comprises a furler 160, adapted to furl the mainsail around said furler 160. The furler 160 can rotate about an axis of rotation in a first direction to furl the mainsail and in the opposite direction to unfurl the mainsail.

[0088] The reel 160 is provided with a winch 161. As shown in [Fig.5], the rope 133 is guided using the pulleys 135, 136 of the winch 150 towards the winch 61 connected to the reel 160.

[0089] As soon as a user uses the winch 150 to pull the rope 133, and thus hoist the mainsail 30, the winch 161 starts to rotate and receives the end of the rope 133 which is wound around said winch 161. When the user operates the winch 150 in the opposite direction, the rope 133 is removed from the winch 161 which starts to rotate, which has the effect of winding the mainsail 30 around the elongated body 160.

[0090] The system 170 according to [Fig.5], [Fig.6] and [Fig.7], is provided with a mechanism 140 for pulling said rope 33, thus generating tension on the rope 133 during the action for rolling the mainsail around the furler 160 and during the action for unrolling the mainsail.

[0091] The mechanism 140 comprises a pulley 126, connected to a spring 141. The spring 41 is itself connected to the rope 146 to modify the tension with which the spring 41 pulls on the rope 133 using the pulley 126. According to the example shown in [Fig.5], the rope 146 is guided via pulleys 127 and 128 towards an element fixing 147, such as a bollard. The rope 146 is guided inside a brake or clamp 148 which can be closed in order to hold said rope 146 in a determined position and, thereby, maintain a well-defined tension on the spring 41.

[0092] The pulley 126 of the mechanism 140 is connected by means of a rope 134 with the pulleys 125 and 135. It is important to note that said pulleys 125 and 135 are movable from their position shown in [Fig.5] to positions shown in [Fig.6] and [Fig.7]. To limit the movement of the pulleys 125 and 135, the system 170 is provided with stops 181 and 182.

[0093] The positions of the pulleys 125 and 135 during the maneuver for hoisting the mainsail are shown in [Fig.6]. The winch 150 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 151. The pulley 125 is pulled against the stop 182 and the rope 133 is pulled with sufficient force to hoist the sail. During this maneuver, the mechanism 140 makes it possible to ensure a determined tension on the rope 133 between the winch 150 and the winch 161. This means that the tension exerted on said rope 133 guarantees the perfect unwinding of the mainsail 30, regular and optimal unwinding of said mainsail 30 from the elongated body 60.

[0094] The positions of the pulleys 125 and 135 during the maneuver to lower the mainsail are shown in [Fig.7]. The winch 150 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 151. The pulley 135 is pulled against the stop 181 and the rope 133 is pulled with sufficient force to lower the sail. During this maneuver the mechanism 140 makes it possible to ensure a determined tension on the rope 133 between the winch 150 and the mainsail. This means that the tension exerted on said rope 133 guarantees the perfect furling of the mainsail 30.

[0095] The rolling and unrolling of the mainsail 30 being thus guaranteed, the friction of certain parts of the mainsail 30 against adjacent parts of said mainsail 30 is minimized. The service life of the mainsail 30 is thus optimized.

Claims

Claims

1. Device for hoisting and lowering the sail (30) of a sailing boat (10), comprising: - a furler (60) for furling and unfurling a sail (30), said device being rotatable about an axis of rotation, adapted to rotate in a first direction for unfurling said sail (30) and adapted to rotate in a second direction for furling the sail (30), - a first mechanism, connected to the halyard point (31) of said sail (30) for exerting a force on said halyard point (31) of the sail (30) thereby allowing the sail (30) to be unfurled by rotating the furler (60) in its first direction, said first mechanism comprising a first rope (33) and a first winch (61, 161) for respectively winding or unwinding said first rope,wherein the device comprises a second mechanism (40) connected to said reel (60) and adapted to generate a force to be overcome to rotate the reel in its first direction.,

2. Device according to claim 1, said second mechanism (40) being adapted to generate a constant force to be overcome during the rotation of said winder in its first direction.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first winch (61, 161) is connected to a motor for driving said first winch (61, 161) of said first mechanism.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the second mechanism (40) comprises an extension of said first rope (33) or, an assembly formed of a second rope (133) and a second winch (160) for respectively winding and unwinding said extension of said first rope (33) or the second rope (133).

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the second mechanism (40) comprises an element for tensioning the extension of said first rope (33) or an element for tensioning said second rope (133).

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the tensioning element of the extension of said first rope (33) or the tensioning element of said second rope (133) comprises a pulley (26) for guiding the extension of said first rope (33) or said second rope (133), and a spring (41).

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the spring (41) comprises means for adjusting the tensile force of said spring (41).

8. A device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the spring (41) is attached to a movable attachment element (47), the movable attachment element (47) being used to control the force of the spring on the extension of the first string (33) or on said second string (133).

9. Assembly formed of a mast (2) for a sailing boat (10), a sail (30) and the device according to one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A sailing boat (10) comprising the assembly of claim 9.

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