Deep-drawn marine hull having a sandwich structure and watercraft utilizing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873488-B2
Application number	US-201313762879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A deep-drawn, marine hull having a sandwich structure and watercraft utilizing same are provided. The hull includes an outer skin having a waterproof outer surface, an inner skin having a compartment-defining outer surface and a shock absorbing, cellular core positioned between the skins. The skins are bonded to the core by press molding. The cellular core has a 2-D array of cells, each of the cells having an axis substantially perpendicular to the outer surfaces. Thickness of side walls of the hull is substantially uniform to maximize stiffness of the hull. The cells absorb energy of an impact at the outer surface of the outer skin by deformably crushing. Air trapped within cells which are not completely crushed or punctured by the impact provide the hull with buoyancy to allow the hull to float at the surface of a body of water.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deep-drawn, marine hull having side walls and a bottom wall comprising:
an outer skin having a waterproof outer surface;
an inner skin having a compartment-defining outer surface; and
a shock absorbing, cellular core positioned between the skins wherein the skins are bonded to the core by press molding, wherein the cellular core has a 2-D array of cells, each of the cells having an axis substantially perpendicular to the outer surfaces, wherein thickness of deep-drawn side walls of the hull is substantially uniform to maximize stiffness of the hull, and the thickness of the cellular core is locally reduced where the side walls transition into the bottom wall of the hull so that the transition has a substantially continuous radius, the cells absorbing energy of an impact at the outer surface of the outer skin by deformably crushing, wherein air trapped within cells which are not completely crushed or punctured by the impact provide the hull with buoyancy to allow the hull to float at the surface of a body of water.

2. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hull forms at least part of a watercraft.

3. The hull as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the watercraft is a kayak.

4. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one fastener mounted to the inner skin and capable of fastening or securing one or more objects in the compartment of the hull.

5. The hull as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each fastener includes a fastener part having a length and a width and a mounting part mounting the fastener part to the inner skin, the mounting part having a pair of holding faces that oppose each other and define a space therebetween, a portion of the inner skin being positioned in the space in engagement with the faces to prevent the fastener part from moving along its length relative to the inner skin.

6. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellular core is a honeycomb core.

7. The hull as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the honeycomb core is a thermoplastic honeycomb core.

8. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cellular core has an open cell structure of the tubular or honeycomb cell type.

9. The hull as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the open cells have a diameter in a range of 2 mm to 10 mm.

10. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the skins are reinforced skins.

11. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hull has a thickness in a range of 5 mm to 30 mm.

12. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the skins are thermoplastic skins and the core is a thermoplastic core.

13. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the skins is a fiber-reinforced skin.

14. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the skins is a woven skin.

15. The hull as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transition has a substantially constant radius.

16. A watercraft comprising:
a deep-drawn hull section having side walls and a bottom wall including:
an outer skin having a waterproof outer surface;
an inner skin having a compartment-defining outer surface; and
a shock absorbing, cellular core positioned between the skins, wherein the skins are bonded to the core by press molding, wherein the cellular core has a 2-D array of cells, each of the cells having an axis substantially perpendicular to the outer surfaces, wherein thickness of deep-drawn side walls of the hull section is substantially uniform to maximize stiffness of the hull section, and the thickness of the cellular core is locally reduced where the side walls transition into the bottom wall of the hull section so that the transition has a substantially continuous radius, the cells absorbing energy of an impact at the outer surface of the outer skin by deformably crushing, wherein air trapped within cells which are not completely crushed or punctured by the impact provide the hull section with buoyancy to allow the watercraft to float at the surface of a body of water; and

a deck section bonded or joined to the hull section to form a water-resistant seal between the sections.

17. The watercraft as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the watercraft is a kayak.

18. The watercraft as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the deck section includes an outer skin, an inner skin and a core positioned between the skins and having a large number of cavities wherein the skins of the deck section are bonded to the core of the deck section by press molding.

19. The watercraft as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising at least one fastener mounted to the outer skin of the deck section and capable of fastening or securing one or more objects on the deck section.

20. The watercraft as claimed in claim 19 , wherein each fastener includes a fastener part having a length and a width and a mounting part mounting the fastener part to the outer skin of the deck section; the mounting part having a pair of holding faces that oppose each other and define a space therebetween, a portion of the outer skin being positioned in the space in engagement with the faces to prevent the fastener part from moving along its length relative to the outer skin of the deck section.

21. The watercraft as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the transition has a substantially constant radius.

Assignees

• Global Ip Holdings Llc
• Global Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Preisler Darius J
• Heikkila Christopher A

Classifications

• B63B73/46

  Gluing; Taping; Cold-bonding · CPC title

• B63B3/20

  of double type · CPC title

• B63B43/18

  preventing collision {or grounding}; reducing collision damage {(reducing pollution by collision B63B25/082)} · CPC title

• F16B5/01

  by means of fastening elements specially adapted for honeycomb panels · CPC title

• B63B5/24

  made predominantly of plastics {(surf boards B63B32/57)} · CPC title