Amphibious vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654329-B2
Application number	US-201816167105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

An amphibious vehicle includes a vehicle body; a flap supported at a lower portion in a traveling direction of the vehicle body to be able to swing in a direction in which an upper edge portion approaches and separates from the vehicle body; a support column which has a fluid actuator capable of expanding and contracting in accordance with a pressure of a working fluid to a cylinder chamber, is connected to the flap in at least a first end portion in a longitudinal direction, and performs adjustment of a swinging angle of the flap by expansion and contraction of the fluid actuator; a power source which supplies the working fluid to the cylinder chamber; and a safety valve which communicates with the cylinder chamber, and opens when an internal pressure of the cylinder chamber becomes greater than a predetermined pressure to discharge the working fluid in the cylinder chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An amphibious vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a flap supported at a lower portion in a traveling direction of the vehicle body to be capable of swing in a direction in which an upper edge portion approaches and separates from the vehicle body;
a support column which has a fluid actuator capable of expanding and contracting in accordance with a pressure of a working fluid supplied to a cylinder chamber, is connected to the flap in at least a first end portion in a longitudinal direction, and performs adjustment of a swinging angle of the flap by expansion and contraction of the fluid actuator;
a power source which supplies the working fluid to the cylinder chamber;
a safety valve which communicates with the cylinder chamber, and opens when an internal pressure of the cylinder chamber becomes greater than a predetermined pressure to be able to discharge the working fluid in the cylinder chamber, wherein
the flap has a first flap supported by the vehicle body, and
a second flap supported by the first flap,
in a deployed state of the flap, an angle formed by the second flap with respect to the horizontal plane is equal to or larger than an angle formed by the first flap with respect to the horizontal plane,
the support column includes
a first support column which adjusts a swinging angle of the first flap with respect to the vehicle body, and
a second support column which adjusts a swinging angle of the second flap with respect to the first flap, and
the safety valve communicates with a cylinder chamber of the second support column.

2. An amphibious vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a flap supported at a lower portion in a traveling direction of the vehicle body to be capable of swing in a direction in which an upper edge portion approaches and separates from the vehicle body;
a support column which has a fluid actuator capable of expanding and contracting in accordance with a pressure of a working fluid supplied to a cylinder chamber, is connected to the flap in at least a first end portion in a longitudinal direction, and performs adjustment of a swinging angle of the flap by expansion and contraction of the fluid actuator;
a power source which supplies the working fluid to the cylinder chamber; and
a safety valve which communicates with the cylinder chamber, and opens when an internal pressure of the cylinder chamber becomes greater than a predetermined pressure to be able to discharge the working fluid in the cylinder chamber
wherein the flap has
a first flap supported by the vehicle body, and
a second flap supported by the first flap,
the support column includes
a first support column which adjusts a swinging angle of the first flap with respect to the vehicle body, and
a second support column which adjusts a swinging angle of the second flap with respect to the first flap, and
the safety valve includes
a first safety valve which communicates with a cylinder chamber of the first support column and opens when the internal pressure of the cylinder chamber of the first support column becomes larger than a predetermined pressure to be able to discharge the working fluid in the cylinder chamber of the first support column, and
a second safety valve which communicates with a cylinder chamber of the second support column and opens when the internal pressure of the cylinder chamber of the second support column becomes greater than a predetermined pressure to be able to discharge the working fluid in the cylinder chamber of the second support column.

3. The amphibious vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the support column comprises an elastic member which receives a load from the flap.

4. The amphibious vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is a compressible fluid.

5. The amphibious vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an orifice portion is provided in a flow path which discharges the working fluid from the cylinder chamber.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Azuma Seinosuke
• Monde Masatsugu
• Hirota Kazuo
• Matsunaga Takashi

Classifications

• B60F3/0007

  Arrangement of propulsion or steering means on amphibious vehicles · CPC title

• B60F3/0038 Primary

  Flotation, updrift or stability devices · CPC title

• B63B1/22

  with adjustable planing surfaces · CPC title

• B63B1/40

  by diminishing wave resistance · CPC title

• B63B39/061

  by using trimflaps, i.e. flaps mounted on the rear of a boat, e.g. speed boat · CPC title