Lateral thruster for a vessel

• US 8,939,104 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sleipner-Marinno GmbH (Sleipner Motor AS)
• Original Assignee: Sleipner-Marinno GmbH (Sleipner Motor AS)
• Inventors: Holesz, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Vasudeva, Ajay
• Application Number:
  US13/129,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20120251353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 114/144.R, 114/146, 114/148, 114/150, 114/151, 114/322, 114/330, 114/331, 114/337, 114/338, 440/6, 602/21, 602/22
• US Class Current: 114/151
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2005/1254 Podded azimuthing thrusters, i.e. podded thruster units arranged inboard for rotation about vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2005/1258 with electric power transmission to propellers, i.e. with integrated electric propeller motors
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/125 movably mounted with respect to hull, e.g. adjustable in direction , e.g. podded azimuthing thrustersoutboard units or Z-drives B63H20/00; movably mounted for steering purposes only, rudders carrying propellers B63H25/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 5/14 characterised by being mounted in non-rotating ducts or rings, e.g. adjustable for steering purpose shrouding ring attached to blades B63H1/16; jet propulsion B63H11/00

Abstract

A lateral thruster for a vessel with a housing (1), at least one electric motor (2, 2′) fitted in the housing (1) and at least one transverse propeller (13) acting transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis (3) of the vessel (5) is additionally provided with at least one longitudinal propeller (21) acting in a direction of the longitudinal axis (3) of the vessel (5).

Claims

1. A lateral thruster for a vessel comprising a housing, at least one electric motor mounted in the housing, and at least one transverse propeller acting transverse to a longitudinal axis of the vessel, the lateral thruster also includes at least one longitudinal propeller acting in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and the longitudinal propeller is driven by the same electric motor as the transverse propeller, wherein the transverse and the longitudinal propellers are each connected to the electric motor and arranged to be separated from the electric motor by a respective coupling.

2. The lateral thruster according to claim 1, wherein there are at least two of the electric motors and the transverse propeller and the longitudinal propeller are each driven by separate ones of the electric motors, respectively, wherein both the electric motor for driving the transverse propeller and also the electric motor for driving the longitudinal propeller are arranged in the housing.

3. The lateral thruster according to claim 1, wherein the transverse propeller is supported by the housing.

4. The lateral thruster according to claim 1, wherein the transverse propeller is arranged in a passage channel extending through the housing and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.

5. The lateral thruster according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal propeller is supported by the housing.

6. The lateral thruster according to claim 5, wherein a shaft on which the longitudinal propeller is arranged is supported so that the shaft can rotate in the housing or in a part connected rigidly to the housing.

7. The lateral thruster according to claim 1, wherein a ring-shaped casing surrounding the longitudinal propeller is mounted on the housing.

8. The lateral thruster according to claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted on a hull in a stationary arrangement external to the vessel.