SYSTEM FOR HANDLING MARINE OR UNDERWATER DRONES BY FLOATING PONTOON WITH REMOVABLE DRONE INTERFACE MODULE, ADAPTED SHIP

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).

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A system (1, 2) (1, 4) for handling marine (3) or underwater (5) drones for the launching or recovery of said marine (3) or underwater (5) drones, wherein the system (1, 2) (1, 4) is able to float on water and includes a floating pontoon (1) and a drone interface module (2, 4) from a number of interchangeable drone interface modules (2, 4), wherein the pontoon (1) is consisted, in lower portion, of two shells (11), and in upper part, of an arch (10) bridging the two shells (11), each shell (11) including towards the bottom a hull topped with an out-of-water area, the arch (10) being secured to the out-of-water area of the two shells (11), wherein the pontoon (1) is a catamaran-shaped structure longitudinally elongated between a front end and a rear end, the two shells (11) being longitudinally elongated and parallel to each other, delimiting between them and with the arch (10) located above a reception space (17) that is open on the front and on the rear, said reception space (17) being longitudinally elongated and submerged at the bottom, each shell (11) having an inner face located on the side of the reception space (17), an outer face, an upper face, a lower edge, a front end (15) and a rear end, the pontoon (1) being symmetric with respect to a sagittal plane, and wherein the arch (10) includes at least one attachment device (12) for attachment to a winch cable for raising up the pontoon (1) out of water or, conversely, lowering down the pontoon (1) for launching, wherein the pontoon (1) includes devices (13) for removable fastening to each one of the drone interface modules (2, 4) installed in a removable and interchangeable manner in the reception space (17), the drone interface modules (2, 4) being open for the passage of a drone (3, 5) at least at one of their two ends and being hollow and forming a longitudinally extended and at least partially submerged docking area (23, 42) for a drone (3, 5), wherein a marine drone (3) floating at the surface or an underwater drone (5) diving near the surface can enter the docking area (23, 42) of the drone interface module (2, 4) installed in the reception space (17), or, conversely, exit therefrom when the pontoon (1) and its drone interface module (2, 4) are at water and wherein the drone interface modules (2, 4) have a lower portion (22, 43) and are configured to rest stably with their lower portion on a flat surface once the drone interface module (2, 4) disassembled from the pontoon (1), wherein one of the drone interface modules (4) of the system (1, 4) is open towards the rear and is closed towards the bottom, towards the top and towards the front, said drone interface module (4) being a longitudinally elongated cage (40) able to be inserted into the reception space (17) of the pontoon (1), said cage (40) being consisted of an assembly of metal rods delimiting a substantially tubular inner housing forming the docking area (42) and in which inner housing an underwater drone (5) can be inserted and retained, said cage (40) comprising a stowing shield (44) arranged on the rear of the cage (40) in the absence of drone (5) in the cage (40), the stowing shield (44) being able to slide in the inner housing from the rear to the front, and conversely, the front of the drone (5) being able to be removably secured to the stowing shield (44), the drone (5) secured to the stowing shield (44) and said stowing shield (44) moving together within the inner housing.

14. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the total waterline area, Sfl, for both shells of the pontoon, in m.sup.2, is equal to or lower than four times the square root of the submerged volume in m.sup.3, Vim, i.e.: Sfl=<4*√Vim, when the system (1, 2) (1, 4) consisted of the pontoon (1) with its drone interface module (2, 4), with or without a drone (3, 5) in the docking area (23, 42) of the drone interface module (2, 4), floats freely.

15. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the pontoon (1) has a pontoon (1) gravity centre, the drone interface module (2, 4) has a module gravity centre, the drone (3, 5) has a drone gravity centre, and the pontoon (1), drone and drone interface module (2, 4) gravity centres are longitudinally aligned and are, preferably, located in the sagittal plane of the pontoon (1).

16. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the removable fastening devices (13) of the pontoon (1) are pinned or bolted, the pontoon (1) including rings coming opposite rings (21, 41) of the drone interface module (2, 4) and through which rings pins or bolts are inserted.

17. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the removable fastening devices (13) of the pontoon (1) are cam-locked.

18. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the front end (15) of each shell (11) has the shape of a wave piercer, and wherein the inner face of each shell (11) is flat, the two inner faces of the two shells (11) being parallel to each other.

19. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the lower edge of each shell (11) includes at least one flat portion (14) intended to be laid on a flat surface once the pontoon (1) out of water.

20. The system (1, 2) according to claim 13, wherein another of the drone interface modules (2) of the system (1, 2) is open towards the rear, towards the front and towards the top and closed towards the bottom, said drone interface module (2) forming a docking area (23) of U-shaped cross-section.

21. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the hulls of the two shells (11) of the pontoon (1) comprise orientable bearing planes.

22. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the pontoon (1) further comprises a winch.

23. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13, wherein the stowing shield (44) and the front of the underwater drone (5) comprise complementary removable connection means for at least electrical connections.

24. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 14, wherein the pontoon (1) has a pontoon (1) gravity centre, the drone interface module (2, 4) has a module gravity centre, the drone (3, 5) has a drone gravity centre, and the pontoon (1), drone and drone interface module (2, 4) gravity centres are longitudinally aligned and are, preferably, located in the sagittal plane of the pontoon (1).

25. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 14, wherein the removable fastening devices (13) of the pontoon (1) are pinned or bolted, the pontoon (1) including rings coming opposite rings (21, 41) of the drone interface module (2, 4) and through which rings pins or bolts are inserted.

26. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 14, wherein the removable fastening devices (13) of the pontoon (1) are cam-locked.

27. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 14, wherein the front end (15) of each shell (11) has the shape of a wave piercer, and wherein the inner face of each shell (11) is flat, the two inner faces of the two shells (11) being parallel to each other.

28. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 15, wherein the front end (15) of each shell (11) has the shape of a wave piercer, and wherein the inner face of each shell (11) is flat, the two inner faces of the two shells (11) being parallel to each other.

29. The system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 14, wherein the lower edge of each shell (11) includes at least one flat portion (14) intended to be laid on a flat surface once the pontoon (1) out of water.

30. The system (1, 2) according to claim 14, wherein another of the drone interface modules (2) of the system (1, 2) is open towards the rear, towards the front and towards the top and closed towards the bottom, said drone interface module (2) forming a docking area (23) of U-shaped cross-section.

31. The system (1, 2) according to claim 15, wherein another of the drone interface modules (2) of the system (1, 2) is open towards the rear, towards the front and towards the top and closed towards the bottom, said drone interface module (2) forming a docking area (23) of U-shaped cross-section.

32. A ship (6) comprising at least one system (1, 2) (1, 4) according to claim 13 and at least one drone (3, 5), the ship (6) further comprising a crane and/or a davit and/or a gantry crane (61) for lowering the system (1, 2) (1, 4) down to sea and raising the system (1, 2) (1, 4) up aboard the ship (6).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0122] FIG. 1 is a front lateral perspective view of an example of pontoon according to the invention,

[0123] FIG. 2 is a rear lateral perspective view of a first example of drone interface module according to the invention,

[0124] FIG. 3 is a front lateral perspective view of the drone interface module of FIG. 2 including, in its docking area, a marine drone with a keel and a wheelhouse,

[0125] FIG. 4 is a rear lateral perspective view of the pontoon of FIG. 1 with, installed in the reception space, the drone interface module and its marine drone of FIG. 3,

[0126] FIG. 5 is a front view of the pontoon with a drone interface module and a marine drone of FIG. 4,

[0127] FIG. 6 is a rear lateral perspective view of a second example of drone interface module according to the invention,

[0128] FIG. 7 is a rear lateral perspective view of the second example of drone interface module of FIG. 6 with an underwater drone ready to enter the docking area of said drone interface module,

[0129] FIG. 8 is a rear lateral perspective view of the second example of drone interface module of FIG. 6 with an underwater drone entered and stored in the docking area of said drone interface module,

[0130] FIG. 9 is a rear lateral perspective view of a pontoon in which is installed the drone interface module and its underwater drone of FIG. 8,

[0131] FIG. 10 is a front view of the pontoon with the drone interface module and its underwater drone of FIG. 9,

[0132] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a ship having launched to water the pontoon with a drone interface module and a marine drone of FIG. 4 or 5 for launching the marine drone, the drone interface module with an underwater drone of FIG. 8 being meanwhile stored on the deck of the ship, and

[0133] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a ship after the launching of the marine drone that has moved away and the release and storage of the first example of drone interface module of FIG. 2 on the deck, the pontoon so released from its module having then been attached to the second example of drone interface module with an underwater drone of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0134] The following description in relation with the appended drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, will allow a good understanding of what the invention consists of and of how it can be implemented.

[0135] FIG. 1 shows a pontoon 1 alone. The pontoon 1 can float on water once launched to water. The pontoon 1 is similar to a catamaran and it has two shells 11 parallel to each other and linked to each other, on the top, by an out-of-water arch 10, that forms a vault above the reception space 17 defined between the two shells 11. The pontoon 1 is longitudinally elongated between the front and the rear and is symmetric with respect to a sagittal plane or, which is equivalent, to a median vertical antero-posterior plane, separating the pontoon into two symmetric lateral portions.

[0136] The reception space 17 is open towards the front and towards the rear of the pontoon. The front of the pontoon 1 corresponds to the tapered front ends 15 of the two shells, the rear of the two shells being wider, the pontoon of the example being not structurally symmetric with respect to a median vertical transverse plane. The reception space 17 is in this example open towards the bottom but, in other embodiments of the pontoon, a submerged/underwater bottom wall can link the two shells 11 towards the bottom and close the reception space at least in part towards the bottom.

[0137] The arch 10 comprises an attachment device 12 intended to allow attachment to a winch cable 62 for raising up the pontoon out of water or, conversely, to lower down the pontoon for launching it to water from a ship 6 equipped with a crane 61 (FIG. 11).

[0138] The pontoon 1 alone or with a drone interface module 2, 4 with or without a drone 3, 5, floats once launched to water and is relatively stable thanks to the shape of the two shells 11. The shells of the pontoon are designed in such a way to have a very small waterline area. The submerged volume is privileged in depth rather than in width and, that way, the sensitivity to waves is considerably reduced, the sinking variation causing a small variation in submerged volume.

[0139] Moreover, the pontoon 1 with a drone interface module 2 and a drone 3, 5, does not need to have increased buoyancy with respect to that which allows it to float alone, without the drone interface module and without a drone, because, on the one hand, the weight of the drone interface module is far lower than the weight of the pontoon alone and, on the other hand, when the pontoon is on water, the drone that is in the reception space floats by itself in the case of a marine drone or is in hydrostatic equilibrium in the case of an underwater drone, as the drone does not add weight to the pontoon.

[0140] In order to increase the stability of the system, at the time of design of the pontoons, drone interface modules and drones, the respective longitudinal positions of these elements within the system with its drone are adapted. In particular, these elements are configured in such a way that the pontoon, drone and drone interface module gravity centres are longitudinally aligned and are located in the sagittal plane of the pontoon and the closest possible to each other. Ballasts can be used within these elements to modify the position of the gravity centre of these elements. The advantage of using ballasts is that it is possible to adjust the position of the gravity centre after the design and, in particular, during operation on site.

[0141] The shells 11 are longitudinally elongated and relatively narrow. Each shell 11 has an inner face located on the side of the reception space 17, an outer or lateral face of the pontoon, an upper face being connected to the arch 10, a lower edge, a front end 15 and a rear end. The inner face of the shell 11 is flat, preferably vertical. The external face of the shell 11 is substantially convex towards the outside and the shell is wholly wider towards its apex, where it is out of water, than towards its lower end, where it is submerged and forms the hull of the shell 11. The lower edge of each shell 11 comprises a flat portion 14 intended to be put on a plane, in particular a ship deck 60 or a dock, once the pontoon 1 out of water. The pontoon 1 can be made by assembly of metal panels and/or moulded or fabricated parts made of glass or carbon fibre composite, for example. The pontoon 1 can also be made by complete moulding of glass or carbon fibre, for example.

[0142] The arch 10 of the pontoon 1 comprises towards the rear of the pontoon, a sagittal groove 16 for the passage and insertion of a wheelhouse 31 (FIG. 4) of a drone 3 with a wheelhouse 31 when said drone 3 docks into the drone interface module 2 installed in the pontoon (FIG. 4). The pontoon comprises devices 13 for attachment to a drone interface module 2, 4. These attachment devices 13 are here of the ring type and use bolts or pins to removably fasten/secure a drone interface module 2, 4 in the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1.

[0143] The drone interface module 2 of FIG. 2 is adapted to a marine drone 3 floating at the surface and having a keel 32. The keel 32 can, as here, be ended at the bottom by a bulb 33. The marine drone 3 further comprises a wheelhouse 31. The drone interface module 2 is longitudinally elongated and forms a cradle that has, in cross section, a U-shape with a continuous bottom in the front part of said cradle, the rear part having an open bottom for the passage of the keel 32 of the marine drone 2 when the marine drone 2 is installed in the docking area 23.

[0144] The drone interface module 2 can be essentially consisted of a contoured sheet that can be made by assembly of metal panels and/or moulded or fabricated panels made of glass or carbon fibre composite, for example. The drone interface module 2 can also be made by complete moulding of glass or carbon fibre, for example.

[0145] Like the pontoon 1, the drone interface module 2 is intended to be laid flat on a plane, in particular a ship deck 60 or a dock, whether individually/alone, with or without a drone, or installed in the pontoon 1. For that purpose, the drone interface module 2 comprises fins 22, a sagittal one on the front and two lateral ones, inclined and on the rear, the fins 22 forming together a tripod. These fins 22 are ended at the bottom in a same plane.

[0146] The drone interface module 2 has an inner shape adapted to the shape of the drone 3 that must be received. This inner shape to which the drone docks corresponds to the docking area 23 of the drone interface module. The drone interface module 2 is also adapted to the shape of the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1 where it has to be installed. The drone interface module 2 comprises rings 21 intended to come into correspondence with those of the attachment devices 13 of the pontoon 1 when the drone interface module 2 is installed in the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1. Bolts or pins are passed through the rings of the pontoon and of the drone interface module so as to removably fasten the two together.

[0147] In FIG. 3, a marine drone 3 is in the docking area 23 of the drone interface module 2. This marine drone 3 comprises a shell 30 on which a wheelhouse 31 is erected and under which the keel 32 and the bulb 33 thereof are inserted. Preferably, the marine drone 3 is a marine drone with a raisable keel comprising an internal keel raising system, the keel 32 being able to be raised up and lowered down. The marine drone comprises a propeller propulsion means 35 and orientation and stabilization means 34.

[0148] In FIG. 4, the drone interface module 2 with the marine drone 3 installed in the docking area 23 has been secured in the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1. The lower portion of the drone interface module 2 is submerged when the system is in water. The marine drone 2 enters and exits from the docking area 23 by floating through the rear of the drone interface module 2 and hence the rear of the ponton 1.

[0149] FIG. 5 allows a better visualization of the relations between the pontoon 1, the drone interface module 2 and the marine drone 3, as well as the corresponding structures. In particular, it can be seen that the lower ends of the fins 22 and the flat portions 14 of the lower edges of the shells 11 are substantially in a same plane, so as to distribute the load when the system is stored out of water on a deck 60 of a ship 6 (FIG. 12) or a dock.

[0150] The pontoon 1 with its drone interface module 2, 4 forms the marine or underwater drone handling system and this system allows a simple launching or recovery of the marine or underwater drones. The drone interface modules 2, 4 do not include proper buoyancy means and, if they are launched to water alone/individually, they sink. That is the pontoon that ensures the system buoyancy.

[0151] The drone interface modules are specialized, adapted to the drones they have to receive and store in their docking areas. Therefore, in the reception space of the pontoon is installed the drone interface module that suits to the drone launching or recovery operation that is planned. It is provided a single universal pontoon or even a small number of pontoons that are more specialized but capable of receiving several types of drone interface modules, and several types of drone interface modules if several marine and/or underwater drones have to be launched or recovered. Moreover, the drone interface modules may be stored individually (independently of the pontoon), with or without a drone in their docking area on a ship deck or a dock. For the storage on a ship deck or a dock, means 14, 22, 43 are thus provided, which allow both the pontoon and the drone interface module alone/individually or assembled together (thus forming the drone handling system) to lay on a plane.

[0152] In FIG. 6, another type of drone interface module 4 is shown, which is this time intended to store in its docking area 42 an underwater drone 5. The drone interface module 4 comprises, as the preceding one, rings 41 intended to come into correspondence with those of the attachment devices 13 of the pontoon 1 when the drone interface module 4 is installed in the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1.

[0153] This drone interface module 4 is consisted of an assembly of metal profiles or rods and forms a cage 40 inside which is located the docking area 42. As for the preceding one, the drone interface module 4 comprises means allowing it to rest on a plane, in particular a deck 60 of a ship 6 or a dock, and which are here feet 43. The rear of the drone interface module 4 comprises a stowing shield 44 on which the underwater drone 5 can be removably secured as can be seen in FIG. 7. This stowing shield 44 is able to slide inside the drone interface module 4 to give the underwater drone 5 access to the docking area 42.

[0154] In FIG. 8, the stowing shield is offset towards the front of the cage 40 and the underwater drone is now stored in the docking area 42.

[0155] FIGS. 9 and 10 allow a better visualization within the system of the relations between the pontoon 1, the drone interface module 4 and the underwater drone 5 contained in the module 4.

[0156] In order to be able to lay flat the system of FIGS. 9 and 10, the flat portions 14 of the lower edges of the shells 11 and the feet 43 are substantially in a same plane, so as to distribute the load when the system is stored out of water on a deck 60 of a ship 6 (FIG. 12) or a dock.

[0157] It is understood that the cage 40 forming the drone interface module 4, once installed in the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1 is totally submerged when the system is on water, and preferably the cage 40 is configured for that purpose if the pontoon buoyancy remains constant. In an alternative embodiment, different pontoons are provided for marine drones and for underwater drones, the buoyancy for these latter being lower for them to sink deeper in water. In another alternative embodiment, it is provided a single type of pontoon but comprising in the shells ballasts that can be filled with water or drained in order to adjust the buoyancy as a function of the type of drone, marine or underwater, that the system has to handle. In still another alternative embodiment, the drone interface module installed in the reception space of the pontoon can slide vertically in order to be lowered down and raised up according to a command. It is also contemplated to place attachment devices 13 at different levels of the pontoon 1 and those which are at a suitable height for the planed operation are used.

[0158] Preferably, removable holding means are implemented between the drone interface module and the drone it transports or stores in its docking area. These holding means may be inflatable cushions, movable tabs allowing the drone interface module to tighten or clamp the drone to hold it in place in the docking area as long as no launching operation is in progress.

[0159] In one embodiment (not shown), the pontoon comprises bearing planes of the little keel or keel type, forming adjustable flaps that allow adjusting the position of the whole when towed along a ship. These flaps may be active (servo-controlled or not) or passive (in this case, they are pre-adjusted at a defined position). The pontoon and possibly the drone interface modules preferably comprise an electric network and actuators, in particular a winch for towing the drone in order to make it enter the docking area of the drone interface module and/or for raising up the keel of a marine drone with a raisable keel, in the case where the internal raising system of the marine drone with a raisable keel would be defective. In FIGS. 11 and 12, a ship 6 equipped with a crane 61 can perform drone launching and recovery operations in a simple manner thanks to the system of the invention. The ship 6 comprises in this example one pontoon 1 and two types of drone interface modules, a module 2 for a marine drone 3 and another module 4 for an underwater drone 5, the drones 3, 5 being stored in the respective docking areas of the two drone interface modules 2, 4. The pontoon, the drone interface module 2 with its marine drone 3, and the drone interface module 4 with its marine drone 5 can be stored on the deck 60 of the ship 6 at three different places. As an alternative, one of the two modules 2, 4 can be pre-installed in the reception space of the pontoon 1 to save space on the deck, two storage places being then sufficient.

[0160] In FIG. 11, the ship 6, for launching a marine drone 3, has just launched to water the system 1, 2 consisted of the pontoon 1 and the drone interface module 2, the latter 2 having the marine drone 3 in its docking area 23. The drone interface module 2 will have been previously installed and secured in the reception space 17 of the pontoon 1 with these elements 1, 2 still on the deck 60 of the ship 6. The system 1, 2 has been moved thanks to a winch cable 62 of the crane 61, the winch cable 62 being attached to the attachment device 12 of the arch 10 of the pontoon 1. The ship 6 may be a fixed point or move and, in the latter case, the system 1, 2 or 1, 4 is therefore towed, in this example laterally to the ship 6. Once the system 1, 2 on water and, given that the lower portion of the docking area is submerged, the marine drone 3 can float and can exit from the system 1, 2 through the rear.

[0161] Once the drone 3, 4 released, the system 1, 2 or 1, 4 can be raised for being stored on the deck or the pontoon 1 and the drone interface module 2 or 4 can be separated to use the pontoon 1 for another operation, the drone interface module released/disassembled from the pontoon being stored on the deck. That is what is shown in FIG. 12 in where the drone interface module 2 is stored on the deck and where another type of drone interface module 4, with a cage 40, has been installed in the reception space of the pontoon 1 thanks to the operations of the crane 61. This time, it will hence be possible to later launch to water the underwater drone 5 stored in the docking area of the cage 40 of the system 1, 4. It is understood that the principle of the invention, which is to implement a standard pontoon in which can be installed an interface module adapted to a particular drone among several types of drone interface modules, wherein these latter are adapted to particular drones, can be implemented with other structures and functional arrangements than those which are exemplified.

[0162] For example, it is possible to use a semi-universal drone interface module whose docking area walls can adapt to the drone, the walls being inflatable with water or air. It is possible to make a drone interface module with several distinct docking areas for a same type of drone or drones of different types.