Patents Examined by Stephen Avila
  • Patent number: 9598151
    Abstract: An improved flotation device using a molded casing including a concrete lower ballast core section and a foam upper buoyancy core section. A method of construction is taught including forming the casing, installing the core into the casing, transporting the device, and sealing the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: James Paul Hendren
  • Patent number: 9592892
    Abstract: An active heave compensation system comprises a motor generator to interact with a load so as to drive the load in a first part of a heave motion cycle and to regenerate at least part of energy with which the load has been driven in a second part of the heave motion cycle, and an electrical storage element for storing the regenerated energy. The active heave compensation system further comprises a power supply electrically connected to the motor generator and the electrical storage element for providing electrical power to at least the motor generator, and a control unit configured to control the power supply substantially in synchronism with the heave motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: ITREC B.V.
    Inventors: Joop Roodenburg, Cornelis Johannes Ekelaar
  • Patent number: 9592889
    Abstract: A submersible active support structure for turbine towers and substations or similar elements, in offshore facilities, which is made up of hollow concrete bodies joined together by means of segments or beams, through which water passes from one body to another, with a pumping system that regulates the inclination of the structure based on the overturning moment, equipped with means for regulating immersion, which regulate the amount of water in the hollow bodies such that, in its working position, the center of gravity of the structure is below the center of buoyancy thereof, and the area of the cross-section of the structure at the waterline is smaller than the sum of the submerged cross-sections of said hollow bodies. In addition, the assembly may operate with a traditional mooring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: ACS SERVICIOS, COMMUNICACIONES Y ENERGIA S.L.
    Inventors: Jose Alfonso Nebrera Garcia, Jaime Altolaguirre McCrumlish
  • Patent number: 9592885
    Abstract: A seagoing vessel having within its hull a plurality of longitudinally placed structural tubulars running the length of the tubeship. The tubulars are placed side by side and attached to each other and to the underside of the tubeship deck. According to one design, the tubeship hull is constructed upside down, layer by layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Inventor: James F. Harvey
  • Patent number: 9586658
    Abstract: An elevated seat for a kayak. A floor of the kayak generally defines a reference plane. The seat may include a first support bar configured to be releasably attached to the kayak at a first location and a second support bar configured to be releasably attached to the kayak at a second location spaced along a bow-stern direction of the kayak relative to the first location. The seat may also include a seating member extending from a distal end of the first support bar to a distal end of the second support bar. The seating member may be inclined at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the floor. When in use, the first and second support bars are configured to position the seating member above the floor by a sufficient distance to support a user substantially standing on the floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Confluence Outdoor, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Eric Nutz, Lee Patrick Ward
  • Patent number: 9586661
    Abstract: A device comprising a first plate disposed on top of a second plate where the first and second plates are parallel and separated by a fixed distance with a spacer, and wherein the spacer fits around the perimeter of the first and second plates creating a void space, and wherein the second plate has a plurality of pin-sized holes, and wherein a pump sits in the void space and is operably coupled to the plates, wherein the plates are operably coupled to the bottom, exterior hull of an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), and wherein the pump is configured to pump liquid into the void space between the parallel plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Daniel Joseph Braun, Wayne Po-wen Liu, Peter Thomas Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9580159
    Abstract: An outboard-motor closed-loop cooler system apparatus providing a retrofit substitute for the midsection and the lower unit of a standard outboard motor, having a substitute closed-loop cooling system with an exterior heat exchanger, a substitute oil reservoir, a substitute exhaust system, and a substitute propulsion system, allowing an existing standard outboard-motor powerhead to be used in conditions not conducive to standard open-loop water cooling, such as shallow-water, muddy-water, obstructed-water, seawater, or corrosive-water conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Inventor: Brian Provost
  • Patent number: 9581289
    Abstract: An attachment system for an offshore structure includes a porch configured to be affixed to the offshore structure, an adaptor configured to engage with one or more plates of the porch, and a latch to retain the adaptor into engagement with the one or more plates, in which the adaptor is configured to support an equipment device. A method of attaching equipment device to a structure includes affixing a porch of an attachment system to the structure, engaging an adaptor with one or more plates of the porch, and attaching an equipment device to the adaptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Exmar Offshore Company
    Inventors: M. Ed Nagel, Otto DaSilva, Harris Knecht
  • Patent number: 9573431
    Abstract: A power train for an amphibian operable in land and marine modes includes a prime mover, at least a first land propulsion unit, a first marine propulsion unit, a second marine propulsion unit, and at least one speed change transmission. The prime mover is arranged to drive the at least first land propulsion unit through/via the at least one speed change transmission in land mode, and the prime mover is arranged to drive the first marine propulsion unit and the second marine propulsion unit through/via the at least one, or another, or combinations of, speed change transmission in marine mode. In addition, the present invention provides an amphibian comprising the power train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Gibbs Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Alan Timothy Gibbs
  • Patent number: 9573669
    Abstract: A stand-up type personal watercraft comprises a body including a deck and a hull; a standing deck provided at the deck and located rearward relative to an engine room; a pair of deck fins located on right and left sides of the standing deck, respectively, and protruding upward; a muffler through which an exhaust gas from the engine flows; a first exhaust pipe which guides the exhaust gas from the engine to the muffler; and a second exhaust pipe which guides the exhaust gas outside from the muffler. The muffler is placed below the deck fin located on one side, and accommodated in the hull. The first exhaust pipe extends rearward on the one side from the engine and is connected to the muffler. A portion of the second exhaust pipe extends in a forward and rearward direction inside the deck fin located on the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshio Araki
  • Patent number: 9573661
    Abstract: A rope system adapted to be connected between first and second structures comprises a rope recoil system comprising first and second rope recoil assemblies. The first rope recoil assembly defines a first length and a first predetermined rope recoil maximum limit at which the first rope recoil assembly fails when under tension. The second rope recoil assembly defines a second length, where the second length is longer than the first length. The rope recoil assembly is arranged between the first and second structures such that the rope recoil system is in a first configuration. When at least one of the first and second structures moves away from another of the first and second structures, the first rope recoil assembly fails and the rope recoil system reconfigures into a second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Samson Rope Technologies
    Inventors: James R. Plaia, Chia-Te Chou, Kurt Newboles, Greg Zoltan Mozsgai
  • Patent number: 9567046
    Abstract: A boat includes: a pair of buoyancy units spaced from each other; a bottom plate structure connecting the bottoms of the pair of buoyancy units to each other; and a water storage defined by the pair of buoyancy units and the bottom plate structure, open rearward at the stern to take water from the outside, and keeping the water flowing therein. The boat can keep the balance more stable, is free from a common waterproof problem, and can improve a running ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventor: Dong-Jin Cho
  • Patent number: 9567050
    Abstract: A human-powered underwater propulsor for user's moving in water mainly has a power generating module provided within a receiving space inside a waterproof airbag, and the power generating module is coupled to a propulsion unit. The receiving space is formed with an opening end provided with a waterproof ring to be worn by user in such a manner that the receiving space is hermetically sealed to prevent water from entering the receiving space during diving. When user pedals by stepping on two pedals of the power generating module, the power generating module is actuated to cause the flapping of the propulsion unit. Hence, the human-powered underwater propulsor allows user to exercise his feet in the air to reduce drag in diving so that user can moves more easily in the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventor: Ting Fong Liu
  • Patent number: 9567054
    Abstract: A rudder mechanism for a marine vessel comprising of rudder that contains a first water flow surface essentially in planar form and an opposite second water flow surface essentially in planar form; a vertical rudder shaft that the rudder is linked by rotation around an axis that essentially extends perpendicular to the water flow surfaces of said rudder; and a drive mechanism for rotating the rudder around said axis. The rudder mechanism contains a rudder slot comprising the vertical rudder shaft and extending from the top section of the rudder towards the bottom section, wherein the rotatable link of the rudder and the vertical rudder shaft is essentially located close to the bottom of said rudder slot and is essentially linked to the vertical rudder shaft of said drive mechanism in such manner to exert force in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Inventor: Mehmet Nevres Ulgen
  • Patent number: 9561401
    Abstract: A monofin, for use in swimming, includes a fin shaped like a whale tail, wherein the fin further includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. At least one corrugation is formed in the fin, wherein the at least one corrugation is parallel to a portion of the leading edge. At least one foot pocket assembly may be removably coupled to the fin. The at least one foot pocket assembly includes a foot pocket cover formed to removably couple around a portion of the fin. At least one foot opening is formed in the foot pocket cover and at least one cuff surrounds the at least one foot opening. At least one foot pocket is in communication with the at least one foot opening. The at least one cuff stretches to encompass an ankle of users of many sizes and holds the monofin on the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Jessica Wiseman
  • Patent number: 9555679
    Abstract: A modular bicycle and board apparatus having a buoyant board, a front wheel, a rear wheel and handlebars mountable and usable in a first configuration as a bicycle in which the buoyant board is the bicycle's frame and in a second configuration as a surfboard by changing the orientation of the front wheel and handlebars with 90 degrees with respect to the buoyant board, the surfboard being steerable from the handlebars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Inventor: Leonard Pezza
  • Patent number: 9555678
    Abstract: The present invention provides, with reference to FIG. 1, an amphibian for use in land and marine modes comprising: a planing hull; three wheel stations, two of the three wheel stations being front wheel stations provided one on each side of and in the front half of the amphibian, and the third wheel station being a rear wheel station provided in a central region in the rear half of the amphibian; at least one wheel provided at each wheel station, each wheel being movable between a protracted land mode position and a retracted marine mode position; land propulsion means to propel the amphibian on land in the land mode, the land propulsion means comprising at least one of the wheels; and marine propulsion means to propel the amphibian on water in the marine mode, the marine propulsion means comprising at least two impellers or propellers provided one on each side of the rear wheel station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: GIBBS TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventor: Alan Timothy Gibbs
  • Patent number: 9550552
    Abstract: A cleaning head for cleaning a submerged surface includes a body portion, and a skirt portion extending around a periphery of the body portion, the skirt portion performing a sealing function between the body portion and a submerged surface desired to be cleaned when the cleaning head is disposed on the submerged surface during use. The cleaning head also includes at least one cleaning member for causing material on the submerged surface to separate from the submerged surface when the cleaning head is disposed on the submerged surface during use, and at least one suction aperture in fluid communication with a space defined between the body portion and the submerged surface during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: GRD FRANMARINE HOLDINGS PTY LTD
    Inventor: Roger Wayne Richard Dyhrberg
  • Patent number: 9545985
    Abstract: A method for providing an outboard-motor closed-loop cooler system as a retrofit substitute for the midsection and the lower unit of a standard outboard motor, having a substitute closed-loop cooling system with an exterior heat exchanger, a substitute oil reservoir, a substitute exhaust system, and a substitute propulsion system, allowing an existing standard outboard-motor powerhead to be used in conditions not conducive to standard open-loop water cooling, such as shallow-water, muddy-water, obstructed-water, seawater, or corrosive-water conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Inventor: Brian Provost
  • Patent number: 9540088
    Abstract: An outboard engine has a bracket. A drive unit mounted thereto is pivotable about a steering axis with respect thereto by a steering actuator. A motor operatively connected to the steering actuator is mounted to the bracket and rotationally fixed with respect thereto about the steering axis. A control module includes a motor drive electrically connected to the motor and configured to be connected to a power source. An electrically conductive thermal element is electrically connected to the motor. A temperature of the thermal element is indicative of a temperature of the motor. A controller is configured to obtain the temperature of the thermal element and to control power delivered to the motor via the motor drive based at least in part on the temperature of the thermal element. The controller and the thermal element are mounted to the drive unit and pivotable therewith about the steering axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: BRP US INC.
    Inventor: Michael French