MARITIME DRONE

Abstract

Maritime drone (1) comprising a hull (2) provided with an upper face (3) and a lower face (4), a centerboard (5) extending projecting from the lower face (4) of the hull (2) in order to give sailing/navigation stability to the maritime drone (1) and at least one wing sail (6). The wing sail (6) comprises a mast (7) connected to the hull (2) and a wing profile (8) connected to the mast (7) and it is suitable to intercept the wind in order to move the maritime drone (1). The centerboard (5) internally defines a containment volume (9) for the wing sail (6), which is movable between an operative position, in which it extends at least partially above the upper face (3) of the hull (2), and an inoperative position, in which it is at least partially housed in the containment volume (9) of the centerboard (5).

Description

Claims

1. A maritime drone, which comprises: a hull (2) provided with an upper face (3) and with a lower face (4);a centerboard (5) extending projecting from the lower face (4) of said hull (2) in order to give sailing/navigation stability to said maritime drone (1);at least one wing sail (6), which comprises a mast (7) connected to said hull (2) and a wing profile (8) connected to said mast (7) and it is suitable to intercept the wind in order to move said maritime drone (1); wherein said centerboard (5) is hollow and it internally defines a containment volume (9); said wing sail (6) being movable between an operative position (A), in which said wing sail (6) extends at least partially above the upper face (3) of said hull (2) in order to expose at least part of said wing sail (6) to the wind, and an inoperative position (B), in which said wing sail (6) is at least partially housed in the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5) in order to retract at least part of said wing sail (6) from the wind.

2. The maritime drone of claim 1, further comprising a first movement system (19) mechanically connected to said wing sail (6) in order to move said wing sail (6) between said operative position (A) and said inoperative position (B), and a second movement system (20) mechanically connected to said wing profile (8) in order to rotate said wing profile (8) around a rotation axis (Z) coaxial to said mast (7).

3. The maritime drone of claim 1, wherein said hull (2) comprises at least one through cavity (10) extending, at said centerboard (5), from said upper face (3) to said lower face (4) in order to allow the access of said wing sail (6) into the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5).

4. The maritime drone of claim 3, wherein the wing profile (8) of said wing sail (6) extends tapered from an attachment edge (11) at said mast to an outlet edge (12) opposite said attachment edge (11); said through cavity (10) delimiting a passage opening (13) on the upper face (3) of said hull (2) substantially counter-shaped with respect to the cross-section of said wing profile (8) according to a plane orthogonal to said mast (7).

5. The maritime drone of claim 4, further comprising two wing sails (6), each provided with a corresponding said mast (7) connected to said hull (2) and a corresponding said wing profile (8) connected to said mast (7); said hull (2) comprising two through cavities (10), one for each said wing sail (6), extending, at said centerboard (5), from said upper face (3) to said lower face (4) in order to allow the access of both said wing sails (6) in the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5).

6. The maritime drone of claim 2, wherein the wing profile (8) of said wing sail (6) comprises at least two modules (14, 15), including an upper module (14) and a lower module (15), which are rotatably movable with respect to said rotation axis (Z) and are rotatably movable with relative motion with respect to each other around said rotation axis (Z).

7. The maritime drone of claim 6, wherein the upper module (14) and the lower module (15) of the wing profile (8) of said wing sail (6) are actuatable to rotate one independently from the other around said rotation axis (Z).

8. The maritime drone of claim 7, wherein said wing sail (6) is movable into an intermediate position between said operative position and said inoperative position, in which the lower module (15) of said wing profile (8) is at least partially housed in the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5) in order to retract said lower module (15) from the wind and the upper module (14) of said wing profile (8) is placed outside the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5) above the upper face (3) of said hull (2) in order to expose said upper module (14) to the wind.

9. The maritime drone of claim 6, wherein one of said modules (14, 15) defines, therein, a housing volume (16) for the other of said modules (15, 14) and that the other of said modules (15, 14) is retractable in said housing volume (16).

10. The maritime drone of claim 9, wherein said housing volume (16) is obtained inside said lower module (15) and that said upper module (14) is slidably inserted into said housing volume (16) in a telescopic manner between an extended position, in which the upper module (14) projects from said housing volume (16) with respect to said lower module (15), and a retracted position, in which said upper module (14) is retracted into said housing volume (16); said wing sail (6) being movable between said operative position, in which said lower module (15) is placed outside the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5) above the upper face (3) of said hull (2) and said upper module (14) is in extended position with respect to said lower module (15), an inoperative position, in which said lower module (15) is housed in the containment volume (9) of said centerboard (5) and said upper module (14) is in retracted position in the housing volume (16) of said lower module (15), and an intermediate position between said operative position and said inoperative position, in which said lower module (15) is placed outside said containment volume (9) above said upper face (3) in order to expose said lower module (15) to the wind and said upper module (14) is in retracted position in the housing volume (16) of said lower module (15) in order to retract said upper module (14) from the wind.