Active suspension for a marine platform
First Claim
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1. An active support system for a watercraft comprising:
- at least one downward looking sensor attached to the watercraft, said at least one sensor generating output signals based on a sensed distance between said sensor and an object;
a support device for supporting a passenger;
an active suspension system connected to said support device; and
a control device coupled to said active suspension system and said at least one downward looking sensor, said control device controls said suspension system to move said support device in response to said output signals generated by said at least one downward looking sensor.
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Abstract
A look-ahead detection system (LADS) that actively controls the suspension of at least some of the seats in a watercraft to drastically reduce the shock and/or vibrations experienced by passengers within the seats caused by waves, other water conditions and/or the bending of the craft as it travels through the water. The look-ahead detection system utilizes downward-looking sensors to help the system predict when the craft will strike the water and how strong the impact will be. That is, the look-ahead detection system uses the sensors to look forward in time and down in space.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. An active support system for a watercraft comprising:
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at least one downward looking sensor attached to the watercraft, said at least one sensor generating output signals based on a sensed distance between said sensor and an object;
a support device for supporting a passenger;
an active suspension system connected to said support device; and
a control device coupled to said active suspension system and said at least one downward looking sensor, said control device controls said suspension system to move said support device in response to said output signals generated by said at least one downward looking sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A shock mitigation system for a watercraft comprising:
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a plurality of downward looking sensors attached to the watercraft;
a processing device, said processing device connected to said plurality of sensors; and
an active suspension system coupled to said processing device and a seat of the watercraft, said processing device applies a look ahead detection process to signals transmitted from said plurality of sensors and transmits shock mitigation signals to said active suspension system to dampen a predetermined range of shock forces on the seat. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A seat for a watercraft comprising:
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a support frame;
a housing pivotally connected to said frame, said housing comprising at least one suspension system; and
a seat portion connected to said housing by said at least one suspension system and a multi-arm support system. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A shock attenuation system for a watercraft comprising:
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means for predicting a force of an impending impact between the watercraft and an obstacle;
means for determining a time of the impact;
means for calculating a shock mitigation force based at least on the predicted force; and
means for applying a counteracting shock mitigating force prior to the determined time of impact.
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33. A method for dampening forces that are applied to a watercraft, said method comprising:
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predicting a force of an impending impact between the watercraft and an obstacle;
determining a time of the impact;
calculating a shock mitigation force based at least on the predicted force; and
applying a counteracting shock mitigating force to a suspension system prior to the determined time of impact. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 45, 46)
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41. A method of mitigating forces applied to a support device in a watercraft, said method comprising:
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predicting a force of an impending impact between the watercraft and an obstacle;
determining a time of the impact;
calculating a shock mitigation force based at least on the predicted force; and
moving the support device along a line of action based on the shock mitigating force at a time prior to the determined time of impact. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification