Toroidal propeller for watercraft

Abstract

The present invention relates to a toroidal propeller for watercraft, comprising a hub, a plurality of radial blades or vanes, and a series of fastening elements, and configured such that said one hub can be connected to a shaft of the watercraft and support the plurality of blades, characterised in that the hub is divided into a fixed inner part and a series of detachable modules bearing the blades or vanes, such that the blades are detachable and adjustable, and, furthermore, the propeller is configured so that the hub can bear a cap.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] TOROIDAL PROPELLER FOR BOATS

[0003] TECHNICAL SECTOR

[0004] The present invention relates to a toroidal propeller for vessels, which features a significant improvement in repair and maintenance capabilities. Furthermore, the blades are removable and adjustable.

[0005] STATE OF THE ART

[0006] Propulsion systems for boats typically comprise fixed-pitch propellers with blades that are not interchangeable or removable, that is, they are monobloc propellers. It is true that there are partially removable fixed-pitch propellers for boats that comprise a hub, a plurality of radial blades or vanes, and a series of fastening elements, but they are rarely used and are inefficient, due to, among other things, manufacturing and maintenance costs, as well as propulsion efficiency. In this sense, through the hub, the propeller receives motion from a shaft with the collaboration of the corresponding transmission driven by the respective engine. In turn, the blades are assembled to this hub, distributed angularly equidistant around its periphery, which is inefficient in monobloc toroidal propellers and / or removable fixed-pitch propellers.

[0007] It should be noted that, in this regard, the applicant is not aware of toroidal propellers with removable blades.

[0008] The state of the art is known to have propellers with toroidal blades, a central through hole, and a curved part forming the contour. Examples can be found in ES2706413T3 and ES2882203T3.

[0009] These propellers are monoblock and offer very attractive performance, but they are difficult to manufacture because they require very precise curvature. Therefore, a broken blade cannot be easily repaired and the entire propeller must be replaced. On the one hand, this results in longer vessel downtime, since a repair is usually faster than a replacement, where a new propeller must be produced. On the other hand, this wastes energy and materials to produce a completely new propeller.

[0010] Another drawback is that, to ensure the assembly's watertightness, it is often necessary to install rubber seals or similar to prevent any liquid from entering through the holes. This also results in greater structural complexity and longer assembly and disassembly times. Furthermore, improper placement of these seals can cause mechanical problems by allowing water to penetrate. Therefore, it is best not to manipulate them once installed, to avoid the risk of moving or becoming damaged.

[0011] As previously mentioned, the applicant does not know of any toroidal helix that could be considered similar to that of the present invention.

[0012] BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The invention relates to a toroidal propeller for vessels according to the claims. In its various embodiments, it addresses the problems of the prior art.

[0014] This toroidal propeller comprises a hub that can be connected to a vessel's shaft, for which it has a coupling hole with its steering wheel. This hub supports a plurality of toroidal blades. The hub is divided into a fixed internal section, where the shaft is attached, and a series of removable modules that carry the blades. The hub can be solid or lightweight.

[0015] In one embodiment, each module carries a blade. This embodiment is more preferred when the number of blades is low or they have a small angle with the axis.

[0016] It is also possible to have each module carry half of a blade, so that once both are assembled, the halves can be joined together to form the blade. This connection can be direct or via a detachable part. In this sense, the invention can also comprise more portions of the blade module, these being joined together with detachables to form the blade.

[0017] To ensure that each module supports the adjacent modules, the modules can have protrusions and recesses on their sides, overlapping the recesses and protrusions of the adjacent modules. In this way, the modules can only be moved in a direction parallel to the sides, which will normally correspond to the direction of the axis. The core can be finished with a cap, the shape of which is not limited by the invention. For example, it can have wings or be solid. If a cap is not installed, the core can be longitudinally perforated.

[0018] While not precluding the possibility of more advanced custom geometric designs if the solution so requires, the invention allows for the use of standardized cores, such as cylindrical, prismatic, and / or with flat rather than rounded faces, among others, allowing for stock availability and thus reducing delivery times and lowering the cost of the systems. This also results in more durable products that are adaptable to other vessel propulsion changes.

[0019] The invention can be applied independently of the vessel's propulsion, allowing for variations in power and torque, and its application can be carried out on variable nozzles or shafts. It even allows, in the event of modifications to the engine or gearbox, the blades to be changed to adapt their geometry to the new propulsion.

[0020] This system is adaptable to various solutions and can be applied regardless of the number of blades and their parameters or geometry, adapting to the required propulsion.

[0021] This system allows us to manufacture balanced and milled replacement blades with the same center of gravity as the monobloc type. This ensures a quick changeover, which is especially beneficial for large vessels due to the type of work they perform and the downtime costs associated with large vessels. Furthermore, the detachability offers other benefits, such as using bronze cores and steel blades, or vice versa, depending on the vessel's use. Whether for reasons of cost-efficiency preference or maintenance, the ability to detach the core and blades provides advantages and versatility.

[0022] Other variants are set forth in the independent claims and described below.

[0023] It should be noted that throughout the description and claims, the term “comprises” and its variants are not intended to exclude other technical features or additional elements.

[0024] DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] In order to complete the description and to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, a set of figures and drawings is presented in which the following is represented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes:

[0026] Fig. 1: Perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Fig. 2: Perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

[0028] Fig. 3: Perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention.

[0029] Fig. 4: Detail of a blade or vane separated into halves, with a connecting piece.

[0030] Fig. 5: Perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the invention.

[0031] DETAILED EXPLANATION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Below, various embodiments of the invention are briefly described, as an illustrative and non-limiting example thereof.

[0033] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention. It starts from a core (1) from which a series of blades (2) emerge, formed by toroidal structures. The core (1) comprises an inner part (11) that can be fixed to the axis of the vessel and an outer part formed by a series of removable modules (12). As can be seen, the preferred way of fixing the modules (12) to the inner part (11) of the core (1) is by means of screws or similar perpendicular to the direction of the axis. In this way, the separation forces, due to centrifugal forces, are better resisted.

[0034] In this figure 1, it can be seen how each module (12) carries a blade (2), so that when disassembling the module (12) the corresponding blade (2) is removed. This implies that it is easier to replace a damaged blade (2) by changing the entire module (12).

[0035] Figure 2 shows a second embodiment with similar parts. In this case, it can be seen how the module (12) of this embodiment carries only one half (21, 22) of the blade (2). Once the two modules (12) have been assembled, so that the halves (21, 22) of the blade (2) face each other, a insert (3) can be placed to join both halves (21, 22). It is also possible to fix the halves (21, 22) together by tongue and groove, or another system. The modules (12) of these two embodiments can have projections and recesses on their side, so that they act as a guide for the adjacent modules (12). This implies that the module cannot be pulled out by centrifugal force, but can only move in the direction shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0036] As can be seen in Figure 2, the modules (12) of this second embodiment are grouped into two levels, so that they can be joined to both halves (21, 22). As can be seen, these modules (12) will be misaligned when the blade (2) is very inclined with respect to the axis direction, since each half (21, 22) emerges from the core (1) at a different point. Thus, to remove a module (12) from the second level (on the right in Figure 2), it is necessary to first extract two modules (12) from the other level.

[0037] In Figure 3, however, the removal of each module (12) is straightforward. In this case, the second level requires a certain free distance from the core (1) to the shaft support, so that the movement represented can be performed. Thus, the modules (12) that carry each half (21, 22) are dismantled in a direction parallel to the shaft and in opposite directions, simplifying the maintenance and replacement of the elements.

[0038] The inner part (11) of the core (1) may be cylindrical. In the case of figure 1, where the module (12) occupies the entire length of the inner part (11), this can also be prismatic. The only difference is that the inner part of the modules (12) will have the appropriate shape, flat or concave.

[0039] The core (1) may be terminated in a cap (4), the shape of which is not limited by the invention, and may have wings or be solid. If a cap (4) is not provided, the core (1) may be longitudinally perforated.

[0040] The selection between the two embodiments will be made, among other factors, by the space in the core (1), including its diameter, the number of blades (2), the pitch or inclination angle of the blades (2)

Claims

CLAIMS 1- Toroidal propeller for boats, comprising a core (1) connecting it to an axis of the boat and supporting a plurality of toroidal blades (2), characterized in that the core (1) is divided into a fixed internal part (11) and a series of removable modules (12) that carry the blades (2). 2- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that the modules (12) are joined to the internal part (11) by screws perpendicular to the axis of the boat. 3- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that each module (12) carries a blade (2). 4- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that each module (12) carries half (21, 22) of a blade (2). 5- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 4, characterized in that the halves (21, 22) of each blade (2) are joined together by a insert (3). 6- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that the core (1) carries a cap (4). 7- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap (4) comprises wings. 8- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that the core (1) is longitudinally hollow. 9- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 1, characterized in that the modules (12) have projections and recesses on their sides overlapping the recesses and projections of the adjacent modules (12). 10- Toroidal propeller for boats, according to claim 4, characterized in that the modules (12) that carry each half (21, 22) are disassembled in a direction parallel to the axis and opposite directions.

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