Active suspension for a marine platform

• US 20050278094A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VSSI Commercial Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VSSI Commercial Incorporated
• Inventors: Napoletano, Francis M. Jr., Simon, David E., Swinbanks, Malcolm A., Holford, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/37
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 17/0081 Vibration isolation or damping elements or arrangements, e.g. elastic support of deck-houses mounting of propulsion plant or unit B63H21/30; vibration dampers, suppression of vibration in systems F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 39/005 Equipment to decrease ship's vibrations produced externally to the ship, e.g. wave-induced vibrations propulsion mountings for anti-vibration purposes B63H21/30; vibration dampers, suppression of vibration in systems F16F
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/02 Suppression of vibrations of non-rotating, e.g. reciprocating systems; Suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of members not moving with the rotating systems F16F15/005 takes precedence ; layered products B32B; suppression of vibration in ships B63; relieving load on bearings, using magnetic means F16C39/06

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.

Claims

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.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a passive suspension system connected to said support device, said passive suspension system limiting an inclined movement of said support device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said passive suspension system comprises a shock absorber.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said passive suspension system comprises a spring.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said passive suspension system comprises a damping mechanism.

6. The active support system of claim 1, wherein said at least one downward looking sensor is a pulsed ultrasonic sensor.

7. The active support system of claim 1, wherein said at least one downward looking sensor is a pulsed ultrasonic sensor located on a hull of the watercraft.

8. The active support system of claim 1, wherein said at least one downward looking sensor is selected from the group consisting of Doppler RADAR, Wideband Pulsed Radar, SONAR, LIDAR, infrared and laser-Doppler sensors.

9. The active support system of claim 1, wherein said at least one downward looking sensor comprises a capacitive proximity sensor.

10. The active support system of claim 9, wherein said at least one downward looking sensor comprises a capacitive proximity sensor located at a keel of the watercraft.

11. A shock mitigation system for a watercraft comprising:

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.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processing device further applies an end-stop process to ensure that said active suspension system does not move the seat beyond predetermined boundaries.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said end-stop process comprises a proactive end-stop process.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said end-stop process limits movement of the seat based on a velocity-displacement of the seat.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said end-stop process comprises a static end-stop process.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a passive suspension system.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said active suspension system is moved along a line of action based on the shock mitigation signals.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said active suspension system is moved along two axes of freedom based on the shock mitigation signals.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the axes of freedom comprise pitch and roll axes.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said active suspension system is self-powered based on energy absorbed by the seat.

21. A seat for a watercraft comprising:

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.

22. The seat of claim 21 further comprising a passive suspension element coupled between housing and said structure for limiting pivotal movement of said housing about said structure.

23. The seat of claim 22, wherein said passive suspension element is selected from the group consisting of a shock absorber, spring and a damping mechanism.

24. The seat of claim 21, wherein said at least one suspension system comprises an active suspension system controlled to move said seat portion along a predetermined line of action.

25. The seat of claim 24, wherein said at least one suspension system comprises a rack and pinion system.

26. The seat of claim 21, wherein said multi-arm support system comprises:

a first arm coupled between a first portion of said housing and a first portion of said seat portion; and

a second arm coupled between a second portion of said housing and a second portion of said seat portion.

27. The seat of claim 26, wherein said first and second arms are parallel with respect to each other.

28. The seat of claim 26, wherein said first and second arms maintain said seat at a predetermined angle.

29. The seat of claim 26, wherein said first and second arms maintain said seat at a 14 degree angle.

30. The seat of claim 21 further comprising a damping cushion provide over said seat portion.

31. The seat of claim 21, wherein said seat portion comprises carbon fiber.

32. A shock attenuation system for a watercraft comprising:

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.

33. A method for dampening forces that are applied to a watercraft, said method comprising:

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.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said predicting step comprises:

evaluating signals from a plurality of sensors that look down at the object; and

evaluating history data related to prior impacts.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of filtering the signals that do not fall within a predetermined frequency band.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of filtering the signals that do not fall within a frequency band comprising 3 Hz to 12 Hz.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein said determining step comprises:

calculating a relative velocity between the object and the watercraft; and

using the calculated velocity to estimate the time of impact.

38. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of stopping the counteracting mitigation force when the suspension system reaches a predetermined end-stop.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the predetermined end-stop is a static end-stop.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the predetermined end-stop is a proactive end-stop and said stopping step comprises:

determining whether the suspension system has gone beyond a velocity-displacement envelope; and

applying resistance to the suspension system when it is determined that the suspension system has gone beyond a velocity-displacement envelope.

45. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of filtering the signals that do not fall within a predetermined frequency band.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of filtering the signals that do not fall within a frequency band comprising 3 Hz to 12 Hz.

41. A method of mitigating forces applied to a support device in a watercraft, said method comprising:

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.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the line of action comprises two axes of freedom.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the line of action comprises pitch and heave axes of freedom.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein said predicting step comprises:

evaluating signals from a plurality of sensors that look down at the object; and

evaluating history data related to prior impacts.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein said determining step comprises:

calculating a relative velocity between the object and the watercraft; and

using the calculated velocity to estimate the time of impact.

48. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of applying resistance to the support device when the support device reaches a predetermined end-stop.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the predetermined end-stop is a static end-stop.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the predetermined end-stop is a proactive end-stop