Retractable keel apparatus

• US 9,302,741 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralf Hinkel
• Original Assignee: Ralf Hinkel
• Inventors: Hinkel, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Avila, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/984,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 114/141
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2221/24 by means that allow one or more degrees of translational freedom, e.g. telescopic joints, not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 3/38 Keels movable keels B63B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 41/00 Drop keels, e.g. centre boards or side boards ; Collapsible keels, or the like, e.g. telescopically; Longitudinally split hinged keels keels integral with hull B63B3/38; foils or keels on surf-boards B63B32/50; stabilising foils B63B39/06
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 43/18 preventing collision or grounding; reducing collision damage reducing pollution by collision B63B25/082

Abstract

A retractable keel apparatus for a ship, in particular for a sailboat, including a lift device for a lowerable and retractable fin device having a fin (4) and a fin head plate (20) disposed thereon, the fin head plate making contact with a keel receptacle (5) provided for permanently attaching to a hull when the fin is lowered, the receptacle further having a locking device by which releasable locking can be produced between the fin head plate (20) and the keel receptacle (5). The invention should be designed such that, despite greater stability, including in the event of a crash, the device can be produced and integrated in ships as simply and cost-effectively as possible. For this purpose, the locking device has at least one, preferably a plurality of, preferably driven, longitudinally displaceable locking bolts (15) that can be displaced along a diagonally running displacement path.

Claims

1. A retractable keel apparatus for a ship, in particular for a sailboat which has a lift device for a lowerable and retractable fin device, which is equipped with a fin and a fin head plate which is arranged on the fin such that, when the fin is lowered, the fin head plate comes to rest against a keel receptacle which is provided for permanent connection to a hull of the ship, said keel receptacle being provided with a locking mechanism with which a releasable lock can be created between the fin head plate and the keel receptacle, the retractable keep apparatus, comprising:

a form-fitting connection between the fin device and the keel receptacle in an extracted state of the fin device as well as by the locking device with which the fin head plate is held in a form-fitting arrangement, said locking device comprising at least one locking bar which can be brought into contact with a top side of the fin device to exert a hold down force on the fin device, which is provided with at least one vertical component.

2. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises a means for pressing the fin device into an ideal position for locking when said fin device has been extracted too far in a downward direction.

3. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the locking device is provided in the extracted state of the fin device for releasable operative connection of the fin device with a bottom group of the hull of the ship, said at least one locking bar comprising a bearing means for holding the fin device in a locked position.

4. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a releasable form-fitting pegging or screw connection between the locking device and the fin device in the extracted state, said at least one locking bar comprising an equalizing means for compensating play between the at least one locking bar and the fin device with the fin device in a locked position.

5. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one locking bar is pivotable between a release position and a locking position via a hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic cylinder being located at a spaced location from a pivot axis of said at least one locking bar, wherein the locking bar grips the fin head plate with a recess in the locking position, said at least one locking bar comprising an ejection means for releasing the fin device from the locked position by lifting the fin device.

20. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises a recess, said recess being defined by at least three partial surfaces of said at least one locking bar, said at least three partial surfaces being arranged one after another, said at least three partial surfaces comprising an equalizing surface, a bearing surface and a collecting surface, said equalizing surface extending from a base of a groove toward an open side of the recess, said collecting surface being inclined upward such that a width of the opening of the recess increases from the bearing surface outward to the opening, said equalizing surface being inclined downward starting from the bearing surface such that a height of the recess is smaller toward the base of the groove, said at least one locking bar further comprising an ejector surface, said ejector surface defining at least a portion of said recess, said ejector surface engaging an underside of said fin head plate when said at least one locking bar moves to a release position.

6. The retractable keel apparatus for a ship, comprising:

a lift device for a lowerable and retractable fin device, which is equipped with a fin and a fin head plate arranged thereon, the fin head plate coming to rest against a keel receptacle which is provided for a permanent connection to a hull of the ship when the fin is lowered, the keel receptacle comprising a locking device with which a releasable lock is created between the fin head plate and the keel receptacle, said locking device comprising at least one locking bar which can be brought into contact with a top side of the fin device to thereby exert a hold-down force on the fin device, which is provided with at least one vertical component.

7. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a device for detecting and removing water that penetrates into an area of a crank of the keel receptacle, said at least one locking bar comprising a means for pressing the fin device into an ideal position for locking when said fin device has been extracted too far in a downward direction.

8. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fin head plate has one or more pegs or bolts which in an extracted state of the retractable keel apparatus engage in holes in the keel receptacle, so that the fin head plate and the keel receptacle are pegged to one another, said at least one locking bar comprising a bearing means for holding the fin device in a locked position.

9. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the keel receptacle is provided with a crank having a cross-sectional shape which at least proximately matches that of the fin, said at least one locking bar comprising an equalizing means for compensating play between the at least one locking bar and the fin device with the fin device in the locked position.

10. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the fin is secured in a retracted state by means of a manually operated threaded spindle, wherein the at least one locking bar is pivotable between a release position and a locking position via a hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic cylinder being located at a spaced location from a pivot axis of said at least one locking bar, said at least one locking bar comprising an ejection means for releasing the fin device from the locked position by lifting the fin device.

11. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the lift device is connected to the fin using a loose bearing.

19. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises a recess, said recess being defined by at least three partial surfaces of said at least one locking bar, said at least three partial surfaces being arranged one after another, said at least three partial surfaces comprising an equalizing surface, a bearing surface and a collecting surface, said equalizing surface extending from a base of a groove toward an open side of the recess, said collecting surface being inclined upward such that a width of the opening of the recess increases from the bearing surface outward to the opening, said equalizing surface being inclined downward starting from the bearing surface such that a height of the recess is smaller toward the base of the groove, said at least one locking bar further comprising an ejector surface, said ejector surface defining at least a portion of said recess, said ejector surface engaging an underside of said fin head plate when said at least one locking bar moves to a release position.

12. A retractable keel apparatus for a ship, comprising:

a lift device for a lowerable and retractable fin device, which is equipped with a fin and a fin head plate which is arranged on the fin such that, when the fin is lowered, the fin head plate comes to rest against a keel receptacle which is provided for permanent connection to a ship'"'"'s hull, said keel receptacle comprising a locking mechanism with which a releasable lock can be created between the fin head plate and the keel receptacle, said locking device comprising at least one locking bar which can be brought into contact with a top side of the fin device to thereby exert a hold-down force on the fin device, which is provided with at least one vertical component.

13. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one locking bar is designed to be pivotable about a pivot axis, such that a pivoting movement of the at least one locking bar is executable as a movement that is not manually driven.

14. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises a recess, said recess being defined by at least three partial surfaces of said at least one locking bar, said at least three partial surfaces being arranged one after another, said at least three partial surfaces comprising an equalizing surface, a bearing surface and a collecting surface, said equalizing surface extending from a base of a groove toward an open side of the recess, said collecting surface being inclined upward such that a width of the opening of the recess increases from the bearing surface outward to the opening, said equalizing surface being inclined downward starting from the bearing surface such that a height of the recess is smaller toward the base of the groove, said at least one locking bar further comprising an ejector surface, said ejector surface defining at least a portion of said recess, said ejector surface engaging an underside of said fin head plate when said at least one locking bar moves to a release position.

15. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises a means for pressing the fin device into an ideal position for locking when said fin device has been extracted too far in a downward direction.

16. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises a bearing means for holding the fin device in a locked position.

17. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said at least one locking bar comprises an equalizing means for compensating play between the at least one locking bar and the fin device with the fin device in the locked position.

18. The retractable keel apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the at least one locking bar is movable between a release position and a locking position via a hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic cylinder being located at a spaced location from a pivot axis of said at least one locking bar, said at least one locking bar comprising a recess, the at least locking bar gripping the fin head plate in the locking position, wherein at least a portion of said fin head plate is arranged in said recess in the locking position, said at least one locking bar comprising an ejection means for releasing the fin device from the locked position by lifting the fin device.