Motile buoyancy device including non-Newtonian material

• US 10,457,355 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Sphere Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Renoun, LLC
• Inventors: Schenck, Cyrus King, Kessler, Lane Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hern, Brent T
• Application Number:
  US15/712,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20180086420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 428 57
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/00 Amphibious vehicles, i.e. vehicles capable of travelling both on land and on water; Land vehicles capable of travelling under water buoyant wheels B60B ; equipment forming part of, or attachable to vessels, facilitating transport over land B63C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 1/32 Other means for varying the inherent hydrodynamic characteristics of hulls
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2207/02 Variable ballast or buoyancy
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 3/38 Keels movable keels B63B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/57 Boards characterised by the material, e.g. laminated materials
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 32/60 Board appendages, e.g. fins, hydrofoils or centre boards
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 5/24 made predominantly of plastics surf boards B63B32/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/10 Measures concerning design or construction of watercraft hulls

Abstract

A motile buoyancy apparatus for use in a fluid. The motile buoyancy apparatus includes an outer layer, the outer layer having a performance surface. The motile buoyancy apparatus includes at least a portion including a first material. The first material is a non-Newtonian material. The at least a portion causes the performance surface to exhibit a shear rate-variable shear response.

Claims

1. A motile buoyancy apparatus for use in a fluid, the motile buoyancy apparatus comprising:

an outer layer, the outer layer comprising a performance surface; and

at least a portion including a first material, wherein;

the first material is a non-Newtonian material; and

the at least a portion causes the performance surface to exhibit a shear rate-variable shear response.

2. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motile buoyancy apparatus is passively buoyant.

3. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performance surface is watertight.

4. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the performance surface is hydrodynamic.

5. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first material further comprises a non-Newtonian foam.

6. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first material further comprises a polymer material exhibiting non-Newtonian properties.

7. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first material exhibits an increased shear resistance when exposed to an increased shear rate.

8. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least portion including the first material includes at least a portion of the performance surface.

9. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 8, wherein the performance surface includes at least a first portion including the first material, and at least a second portion including at least a second material.

10. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least a portion including the first material includes the entire performance surface.

11. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least an inner layer, wherein the at least a portion including the first material includes at least a portion of the at least an inner layer.

12. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inner layer includes at least a section including the first material and at least a section including at least a second material.

13. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least a second material includes an elastic material.

14. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 11, wherein the inner layer further includes at least a first sublayer including the first material and at least second sublayer including at least a second material.

15. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the motile buoyancy apparatus is bilaterally symmetrical about an axis of symmetry;

and the at least a portion including the first material is bilaterally symmetrical about the axis of symmetry.

16. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the performance surface is bilaterally symmetrical about an axis of symmetry; and

the at least a portion including the first material is bilaterally symmetrical about the axis of symmetry.

17. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least a portion including the first material includes a strip of first material running along the axis of symmetry.

18. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least a projection that projects into the water when the motile buoyancy apparatus is placed in the water, wherein the at least a portion including the first material further comprises at least a portion of the at least a projection.

19. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1 wherein the performance surface includes an edge, and the at least a portion including the first material includes at least a portion of the edge.

20. The motile buoyancy apparatus of claim 1 further comprising least a chamber having an exterior membrane, the at least a chamber containing a pressurized gas.