Wave cannon

• US 5,833,393 A
• Filed: 03/30/1995
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard P. Carnahan, Wave Cannon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wave Cannon, Inc.
• Inventors: Kight, Troy W., Carnahan, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neuder, William P.
• Application Number:
  US08/376,343
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 405/52, 405/76, 405/79, 4/491
• US Class Current: 405/79
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/0006 Devices for producing waves in swimming pools generating current of water in swimming pools A63B69/125
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 35/00 Pumps producing waves in liquids, i.e. wave-producers for bath tubs A47K3/10

Abstract

A wave forming generator which can repeatedly produce and launch singular waves across the surface of a body of water. The wave generator includes an air compressor interconnected with are a large air pressure holding tank. A hydraulic actuated valve is fitted onto the air pressure tank. Piping is then connected to the valve and ran out and down to join and connect to several main water tubes, cannons, pipes, or anything that can take the form of a long round elongated chamber. The elongated chambers are submerged just under the surface of the water, being anchored on an angle with the opened ends of the water chambers pointing upwardly. The opened ends of the elongated chambers face towards the artificial reef, shoreline, or the opposite end of the pool. To generate waves the control valve herein is opened and closed in short intervals and sequences which create sets of waves by allowing bursts of pressurized air from the air tank to be released into the water chambers forcing the water out the opened ends of the water chambers and into the body of water in a single forceful motion. The air then escapes out the opened ends of the water chambers following the water it just shot out therefore water rapidly refills back into the water chambers inbetween the actuation of the valve, preparing the water chambers for another wave formation sequence. This sequence is rapidly repeated to produce an ocean movement simulation.

Claims

1. A wave generating device for generating wave motion in a body of water, said wave generating device comprising:

an elongated tubular chamber having a substantially a closed rear end and an open front end;

an anchor securing the entire tubular chamber below a surface of the body of water and for maintaining the tubular chamber substantially parallel to the surface of the body of water;

a supply of compressed air fluidly interconnected with the tubular chamber; and

a control valve in fluid communication with the supply of compressed air for operatively controlling the flow of compressed air into the tubular chamber,

wherein actuation of the control valve releases the compressed air into the rear end of the tubular chamber to forcibly expel the water out of the open front end and generate a wave in the body of water.

2. The wave generating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the supply of compressed air comprises a compressed air tank fluidly connected with an air compressor.

3. The wave generating device as recited in claim 2 wherein the compressed air tank has a volume at least equal to the volume of the tubular chamber.

4. The wave generating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the anchor comprises a plurality of anchors, each being driven into a bottom surface of the body of water and attached to the tubular chamber.

5. The wave generating device as recited in claim 1 wherein the anchor comprises an angled grade platform.

6. The wave generating device as recited in claim 5 wherein the tubular chamber is attached to the grade platform such that the front end is elevated relative to the rear end.

7. A pneumatic wave generating device for generating a wave having a wave crest height and a wavelength in a body of water having an exposed surface, said wave generating device comprising:

an elongated tubular chamber having between a closed rear end and an open front end;

an anchor attached to the elongated chamber and secured relative to the body of water for securing the elongated chamber and maintaining the elongated chamber below and substantially parallel to the surface of the body of water;

an air compressor;

a compressed air storage tank fluidly connected with the rear end of the elongated chamber and the air compressor; and

a control valve mounted between the compressed air storage tank and the elongated chamber for operatively controlling the flow of compressed air into the elongated chamber,

wherein actuation of the control valve releases compressed air into the rear end of the elongated chamber to forcibly expel the water out of the open front end and create a wave within the body of water.

8. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 7, and further comprising a plurality of elongated tubular chambers, each being interconnected with a control valve and a supply of compressed air.

9. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 8, and further comprising a plurality of piping members interconnecting the compressed air tank to the control valve and the control valve to each of the plurality of elongated chambers.

10. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 8 wherein the volume of the compressed air tank is less than volume of the plurality of elongated chambers.

11. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 7 wherein the distance between the rear end and the front end of the elongated chamber is substantially equal to the wavelength of the generated wave.

12. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 7 wherein the open front end comprises an opening height substantially equal to the generated wave crest height.

13. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 7, and further comprising a plurality of piping members interconnecting the compressed air tank to the control valve and the control valve to a nipple fluidly interconnected to the rear end of the elongated chamber.

14. The pneumatic wave generating device as recited in claim 7 wherein the elongated chamber comprises a metal pipe.

15. A method of generating a wave in a body of water, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a wave generating device including an elongated tubular chamber having a substantially closed rear end and an open front end, the closed rear end being fluidly interconnected with a supply of compressed air and a control valve;

anchoring the entire elongated chamber submerged below the surface of the body of water such that the open end is maintained slightly elevated relative to the closed rear end;

filling the elongated chamber with water; and

opening the control valve to release the compressed air into the rear end of the chamber and thereby force the filled water out of the elongated chamber and into the body of water to form a wave.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, and further comprising the step of closing the control valve to stop the flow of compressed air into the elongated chamber.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of filling the elongated chamber comprises allowing the elongated chamber to gravity fill with water.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the steps of filling the elongated chamber and opening and closing the control valve are repeated to form a plurality of waves in the body of water.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the steps of filling the elongated chamber and opening and closing the control valve are done in rapid succession to form a plurality of closely spaced waves in the body of water.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, and further comprising the step of providing an artificial reef within the body of water for shaping the generated wave.