Patents by Inventor Sébastien GRALL

Sébastien GRALL has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240116611
    Abstract: Disclosed is a subsea automotive system including a unit for moving coaxially along a pipeline, an elongated body, at least three bearing members each bearing in a mobile, rolling or sliding manner on the pipeline to roll/slide in a stable manner at least parallel to the pipeline, an articulated side arm supporting a bearing member, enabling the bearing member to move transversely to the body between an open position for installing the system on the pipeline and uninstalling the system, and also an operating position in which the bearing member supported by the articulated arm is folded back to bear against the pipeline to form, with the other bearing members, a movable connection between the body and pipeline, at least three of the bearing members applied, in the operating position, to the pipeline in radial directions angularly offset about the axis of the pipe and separate from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Publication number: 20240092463
    Abstract: Disclosed is a motorised wave-piercing ship with hull with a deck, the ship including a conning tower and, under the hull, a weighted keel, the keel being removable and being able to be placed in a low position and a high or extracted position. According to the invention, the ship can sail as a monohull or as a trimaran, the hull including a device for removable attachment of an anti-roll stabilisation system including an elongated connection arm terminated at its two lateral ends by two floats, the connection arm including an attachment member, the attachment member being configured to be removably attached on the attachment device in order to transform the ship into a trimaran, and the ship is monohull in the absence of the anti-roll stabilisation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Publication number: 20240083553
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and a method for deploying and recovering an autonomous underwater craft by a ship-towed recovery vehicle. The craft is stored in the recovery vehicle's housing. The deployment is carried out in a first stage submerging the recovery vehicle with the craft stored therein, and a second stage releasing the craft. The ship includes a tilting launch ramp where the recovery vehicle is stored. The launch ramp takes at least a raised position with the recovery vehicle out of the water and an inclined position with the launch ramp rear end immersed. A translational device enables, in the launch ramp inclined position, the recovery vehicle to move along the launch ramp to be submerged and move from the ship while in tow during deployment and to be raised along the launch ramp during recovery. The system and the craft form an underwater exploration assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Patent number: 11697478
    Abstract: A system for deploying and recovering an autonomous underwater device (AUD) using a surface carrier ship, includes, in addition to the carrier ship, a subaquatic vehicle (SV) guided by a connection wire connected to the carrier ship, the SV able to be positioned in a storage configuration wherein the SV is fixedly but removably joined to the carrier ship in a storage zone, or in a configuration for use, in which the SV, separated from the carrier ship, is in the water and at a distance from the carrier ship while remaining connected by the connection wire, the SV including propulsion, guiding and stabilizing systems and a station for receiving the AUD allowing it to be removably attached to the SV, the receiving station and the AUD including a complementary automated docking unit allowing the AUD to automatically dock with the receiving station during recovery and attach itself thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: EXAIL
    Inventor: Sébastien Grall
  • Patent number: 11673637
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for underwater exploration using a submerged device towed by a surface vessel, the submerged device being connected to the vessel by a towing line and including equipment supplied by the electricity, characterized in that the submerged device includes at least one device for the local production of electrical energy, the device being an electric hydrogenerator and in that the towing line has no electrical supply cable connecting the vessel to the submerged device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: EXAIL
    Inventor: Sébastien Grall
  • Publication number: 20230174204
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for recovering, in a support and storage structure, an autonomous aquatic vehicle, the structure including an access opening through which the autonomous vehicle can pass to enter into a housing of the structure or leave the housing in a main access direction, at least one drive member of the autonomous vehicle being arranged in the access opening, the drive member including at least one movable motorised drive element, which can be engaged with the shell of the autonomous vehicle and which enables the autonomous vehicle to be driven into or out of the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Sébastien GRALL, Lionel SECCO
  • Publication number: 20230135453
    Abstract: Disclosed is a base ship that can receive, in a removable and interchangeable manner, a particular module among various modules, the module being adapted to a functional specialization of the ship. The base ship is similar to a catamaran in its rear portion because it includes two parallel rear lateral volumes that are substantially symmetric with respect to a vertical longitudinal sagittal plane of the base ship, and the removable module is inserted and secured between the two rear lateral volumes of the base ship in order to form a functionalized ship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Publication number: 20230139862
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system (1, 2) (1, 4) for handling marine (3) or underwater (5) drones, the system (1, 2) (1, 4) comprising a drone interface module (2, 4) and a floating pontoon (1) with two hulls (11) and an arch (10), the pontoon (1) is catamaran-shaped and delimits a downflooded reception space (17), the arch (10) comprises at least one device (12) for attachment to a winch cable, the pontoon (1) comprises devices (13) for detachable attachment to a drone interface module (2, 4) detachably and interchangeably installed in the receiving space (17), the drone interface modules (2, 4) forming an at least partially flooded docking area (23, 42) for the drone (3, 5), the drone interface modules (2, 4) have a lower portion (22, 43) configured to rest stably on a flat surface after the drone interface module (2, 4) has been removed from the pontoon (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Publication number: 20230062865
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for connecting two parts of a ship hull, including: a first frame intended to be integral with a first part of the hull; a second frame intended to be integral with a second part of the hull; a tenon integral with the first frame; a mortise arranged in the second frame and able to receive the tenon as a result of a relative translation of the two frames towards each other in a longitudinal direction of insertion; and a pin which is able to be engaged, on the one hand, into a transverse housing provided in the second frame and opening into the mortise and, on the other hand, into a transverse through-hole provided in the tenon, so as to hold the tenon in the mortise. Also disclosed is a hull of a ship including such a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Publication number: 20230042371
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for the sealed passage of at least one longitudinal element through a through-hole provided in a partition, including - a frame capable of being permanently fastened in a sealed manner on the partition in order to delimit the hole, - a removable insert, of which at least a central portion is produced by moulding on the longitudinal element in order to produce a sealed connection with the latter, the removable insert being configured to be inserted in a removable and sealed manner in the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Sébastien GRALL, Pierre LALLEMAND, Frédéric MURIER, Lionel SECCO
  • Publication number: 20220371692
    Abstract: A cleat for mooring a watercraft at a thrown end of a line has a base surmounted by a body, the base being fastenable to a watercraft deck, the line having a rope and stopper formed by a transverse protuberance, the cleat having an engagement part adjoining the base and a funnel-shaped through-opening to an elongate slot in the body, the slot having a height allowing the longitudinal progression and transverse passage of the rope from the opening towards the interior of the body, the slot leading into a chamber having a minimum dimension greater than the minimum slot height, the maximum dimension of the chamber being less than the dimension of the protuberance forming the stopper so the stopper of a line passing transversely through the body can be blocked against a the body side face both with the rope in the slot and in the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Patent number: 11489303
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes an electrically conductive contact element (122) and a support (70). The contact element (122) is supported by an intermediate element (120) made of an elastically deformable material and connected to the support (70). An electrical connection assembly including a connector of the type is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventors: Carole Chaize, Gildas Touin, Frédéric Mosca, Eric Delort, Jonathan Laporte, Hervé Arditty, Sébastien Grall, Christian Giroussens
  • Patent number: 11349253
    Abstract: A method for connecting a movable connector part to a stationary connector part, the movable part being initially placed on a support and the stationary part being covered by a cap. The method includes gripping the cap by element of a lifting tool (10); depositing the cap (6) on the movable part by element of the lifting tool; and transporting the assembly of the cap and movable part onto the stationary part, by element of the lifting tool, in order to connect the stationary part and the movable part (4) to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventors: Hervé Arditty, Sébastien Grall, Jonathan Laporte, Christian Giroussens, Gildas Touin, Frédéric Mosca, Eric Delort, Carole Chaize
  • Patent number: 11319037
    Abstract: The invention relates to a floating maritime vessel including at least one hull beneath a deck, the hull extending between a bow and a stern in a longitudinal direction of the vessel, the vessel including, on its lower part, a removable keel and, on its upper part, a conning tower erected above the deck, the keel being able to be descended below the hull and raised back through the hull, the keel including a lower end and an upper end, the upper end of the keel connecting to the hull when the keel is in its lowered position. According to the invention, the conning tower contains a keel-storage space and the keel and the keel-storage space of the conning tower are aligned such that the keel can be raised by upward translation at least partly into the keel-storage space of the conning tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventor: Sébastien Grall
  • Patent number: 11192613
    Abstract: Disclosed is a floating structure for an autonomous watercraft with a keel deployed and recovered on a vessel. The longitudinally elongate structure includes a floating port-side and starboard lateral edges and a submersible bottom submerged when the structure is in the water, the lateral edges and the bottom defining an interior space at least partly submerged when the floating structure is in the water, the lateral edges defining a prow at the front and, at the rear, an opening towards the rear of the floating structure, which opening is downwardly limited by the submersible bottom with at least one longitudinally elongate slot open towards the rear for the passage of the keel, and the floating structure is configured in order that at least the front portion of the autonomous watercraft including the keel can engage by floating inside the interior space, with the keel engaging in the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventor: Sébastien Grall
  • Publication number: 20210309333
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system for underwater exploration using a submerged device towed by a surface vessel, the submerged device being connected to the vessel by a towing line and including equipment supplied by the electricity, characterized in that the submerged device includes at least one device for the local production of electrical energy, the device being an electric hydrogenerator and in that the towing line has no electrical supply cable connecting the vessel to the submerged device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Patent number: 11110995
    Abstract: Disclosed is a surface vessel with motorised mechanical propulsion including a fusiform hull and a keel in the bottom part of the hull, the hull having an elongate shape in a longitudinal direction of the vessel, the keel including, at the bottom end of same, a bulb linked to the hull by a linking part of the keel, the maximum width of the linking part being smaller than the maximum width of the bulb, the maximum length of the linking part being smaller than the maximum length of the bulb, the lengths and widths being considered respectively in the longitudinal direction of the vessel and a horizontal transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The hull has a total width to total length ratio of less than 0.2 and a maximum length of less than 20 metres.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventor: Sébastien Grall
  • Publication number: 20210237838
    Abstract: A system for deploying and recovering an autonomous underwater device (AUD) using a surface carrier ship, includes, in addition to the carrier ship, a subaquatic vehicle (SV) guided by a connection wire connected to the carrier ship, the SV able to be positioned in a storage configuration wherein the SV is fixedly but removably joined to the carrier ship in a storage zone, or in a configuration for use, in which the SV, separated from the carrier ship, is in the water and at a distance from the carrier ship while remaining connected by the connection wire, the SV including propulsion, guiding and stabilizing systems and a station for receiving the AUD allowing it to be removably attached to the SV, the receiving station and the AUD including a complementary automated docking unit allowing the AUD to automatically dock with the receiving station during recovery and attach itself thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventor: Sébastien GRALL
  • Patent number: 11079552
    Abstract: An optical connector (20) includes a plurality of collimation elements (23a, 23b) which are associated with a plurality of optical fibres (21a, 21b), respectively, and which are carried by a support (24). The support is mounted for rotation in a bearing (27) about a rotation axis (z), the collimation elements (23a) are arranged in the support so as to be equidistant from this rotation axis, and the support has at least one member for angular positioning (28) about the axis. The invention also relates to an optical connection assembly (10) including a first such optical connector and a second optical connector (20?) which is configured to be nested coaxially with the first one. An electrical connector may be provided with such an optical connector, and a connection system may be provided with such an electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: IXBLUE
    Inventors: Hervé Arditty, Sébastien Grall, Jonathan Laporte, Christian Giroussens, Gildas Touin, Frédéric Mosca, Eric Delort, Carole Chaize
  • Publication number: 20210175675
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes an electrically conductive contact element (122) and a support (70). The contact element (122) is supported by an intermediate element (120) made of an elastically deformable material and connected to the support (70). An electrical connection assembly including a connector of the type is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Carole CHAIZE, Gildas TOUIN, Frédéric MOSCA, Eric DELORT, Jonathan LAPORTE, Hervé ARDITTY, Sébastien GRALL, Christian GIROUSSENS