Transport box for setting down a watercraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486004-B2
Application number	US-202118012415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2021
Priority date	Jul 2, 2020
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A transport box may be utilized to set down a watercraft into water with a traction mechanism, with a support for securing the traction mechanism for lowering the transport box, and with a frame that is designed to receive the watercraft in the transport box. The transport box is configured to receive an upper side of the watercraft and to set the watercraft down on a lower side into the water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A transport box for setting down a watercraft into water by way of a traction means, comprising:
a bracket for fastening the traction means for lowering the transport box; and a frame that is configured to receive the watercraft in the transport box, wherein the transport box is configured to receive the watercraft in an upper part and set the watercraft down into the water in a lower part, wherein the transport box is configured to receive the watercraft in a first orientation and to set the watercraft down into the water in a second orientation.

2 . The transport box of claim 1 wherein the frame is movable relative to the bracket to receive the watercraft in the upper part and deliver the watercraft into the water in the lower part.

3 . The transport box of claim 1 wherein the frame is connected to the bracket with a hinge such that the frame is rotatable about an axis of rotation of the hinge to receive the watercraft in the upper part and deliver the watercraft into the water in the lower part.

4 . The transport box of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a buoyancy element that has a lower density than the water such that the frame assumes a first position relative to the bracket in air and assumes a second position relative to the bracket in the water to receive the watercraft in the upper part and deliver the watercraft into the water in the lower part.

5 . The transport box of claim 1 is free of an electrical connection by a cable to an operating unit when the transport box is lowered into the water.

6 . The transport box of claim 1 wherein the watercraft comprises an underwater vehicle, wherein the transport box comprises:
direction-finding equipment that is configured to determine a current position of the underwater vehicle; and
a computing unit that is configured to steer the underwater vehicle to a target position based on a current position of the underwater vehicle.

7 . The transport box of claim 1 wherein the watercraft comprises an underwater vehicle, wherein the transport box comprises direction-finding equipment configured to determine a current position of the underwater vehicle, wherein the direction-finding equipment is arranged in the transport box such that a sensor head of the direction-finding equipment is arranged between the frame and the bracket during lowering of the transport box into the water and such that the sensor head of the direction-finding equipment is arranged in the water below the frame and the bracket.

8 . The transport box of claim 1 comprising a holder for a dispenser of a signal line of the watercraft, wherein the holder is configured to interact with the dispenser such that the dispenser is arranged between the frame and the bracket while the transport box is being lowered into the water, wherein an outlet of the dispenser projects deeper into the water than all other parts of the transport box after the watercraft has been set down into the water.

9 . The transport box of claim 1 comprising a float that has an antenna that is configured to receive a signal from an operating unit and relay the signal to a computing unit of the transport box or to send a signal from the computing unit to the operating unit, wherein the float is configured to be arranged movably on the traction means.

10 . A system comprising the transport box of claim 1 and a loading device for loading the transport box with the watercraft, wherein the loading device is configured to receive the watercraft such that a retaining device, by way of which the watercraft can be fixed in place in the frame of the transport box, is exposed, wherein the loading device includes a tipping mechanism that is configured to tip the watercraft into the transport box such that the retaining device of the watercraft enters a fixing area of a fixing element and can be fixed in place in the frame by the fixing element.

11 . A method for setting down a watercraft into water with a transport box, comprising:
introducing the watercraft into an upper part of the transport box; receiving the watercraft in the transport box; fastening a traction means on the transport box; lowering the transport box into the water; and setting down the watercraft into the water from a lower part of the transport box.

Assignees

• Atlas Elektronik Gmbh
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Ruehle Christian
• Sackmann Malte

Classifications

• B63B2027/165

  Deployment or recovery of underwater vehicles using lifts or hoists · CPC title

• B63B27/36

  Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment} for floating cargo {(deployment or recovery of underwater vehicles using lifts of hoists B63B27/16) · CPC title

• B63G8/00

  Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; {Equipment specially adapted therefor}(submarine hulls B63B3/13; diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base B63C11/34; divers' sleds B63C11/46; torpedoes F42B19/00) · CPC title

• B63C3/12

  using cradles (vehicles in general for transporting boats or the like B60P) · CPC title

• B63B27/16 Primary

  of lifts or hoists {(pilot lifts B63B27/146)} · CPC title