Abstract: A subsurface mining vehicle and a method are used for collecting mineral deposits from a sea bed at great depths and transporting the deposits to a floating vessel. The vehicle has a load-bearing structure having an arrangement for advancing the vehicle on the sea bed, and a pick-up unit for the deposits. A lifting frame is also provided and at one end equipped with a connector to connect to a suspension cable provided between the floating vessel and the vehicle. The lifting frame is at another end connected to the load-bearing structure by a hinged connection, that is actuated by an actuator such that the angular position of the load-bearing structure can be fixed in a number of different angular positions relative to the lifting frame while the vehicle is suspended. The lifting frame allows to launch and position the submarine vehicle in a controlled manner.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 2, 2014
Date of Patent:
January 23, 2018
Assignee:
Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR) N.V.
Inventors:
Johan Heiler, Pieter Abraham Lucieer, Kris De Bruyne, Harmen Derk Stoffers