Bizarre Patents
A helium-filled sun shade for protecting individuals engaged in outdoor activities.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7428939 | Waterjet drive hovercraft with adjustable trim system A flexible skirt-cell system is provided for a hovercraft having a propulsion system mounted to interface with water and a flexible skirt having an upper flexible panel section and a lower flexible finger section. The panel section extends around the bow, stern and ... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7334756 | Ground-effect craft and method for the cruising flight thereof The invention relates to flying vehicles. A centre wing is provided with aerodynamic profiles on the longitudinal sections thereof. A cigar-shaped fuselage is arranged on the central wing. A crew cabin and a cargo-passenger cabin are arranged inside the fuselage. Ho... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7311057 | Surface effect craft The present invention relates to a surface effect craft comprising a supporting deck structure having two pontoons mounted thereto in catamaran like fashion. A propulsion mechanism is mounted to a rear portion of the deck structure. A lift control member is disposed... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7306066 | Air cushion vehicle and game The present invention is an air cushion vehicle and a control mechanism for steering and turning the vehicle. The air cushion vehicle includes a frame having a skirt body extending around the perimeter. An air flow generator may be positioned on the frame for provid... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7290631 | Wrapped-cone fingers for skirt systems Wrapped-cone fingers for use in an air-cushion vehicle (ACV) skirt system are described. Wrapped-cone fingers may include an inner cone that is “wrapped” or generally enclosed by an outer finger. The inner cone may include an inner cone opening through which air... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7210549 | Air board An air board including a platform upon which an operator of the vehicle can be supported; and a support arrangement for providing an air flow for supporting the platform above a surface, wherein the direction of movement of the air board is at least partially contro... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7207285 | Variable hybrid catamaran air cushion ship A vessel (10) designed to operate efficiently as both a catamaran and air cushion vessel can travel at low speed (e.g. Froude number (Fn)=0–0.3) in a catamaran or displacement mode and at high speed (e.g. Froude numbers (Fn)=0.3 or more) in an air cushion o... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7174982 | Displaceable support stand A displaceable support stand (1) includes a support stand base (5) with a support surface (6) which is adapted to rest on the ground, a lifting device for lifting the support stand base (5) and therewith the support stand (1) above... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7090549 | System to propel an air powered boat Air propulsion system for a boat comprises an internal combustion engine for powering a propeller in a single rotational direction. A pivoting mechanism pivots the propulsion system through a 360 degree arc about a transverse horizontal axis from a first position in... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7069432 | System and method for providing security in a telecommunication network A method is provided for establishing a telephone call between a trusted Internet Protocol (IP) telephone and an untrusted device. The method includes receiving a call initiation request from the untrusted device that indicates a desired communication with the trust... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7055638 | Virtual airdam and method for a vehicle An air curtain (jet flow) replaces the conventional air-diverting baffle on the underside of a vehicle's front engine compartment to reduce drag and increase volumetric air flow for cooling. ... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7051826 | Surface effect skimmer A surface effects skimmer vehicle generates a downward air flow into a tunnel under a main hull to lift the main hull off an adjacent surface, and rearward air flows for thrust. The air flows are generated by ducted fans or jet engines, and directed to the rear and/... | 05/30/2006 |
| 7032698 | Hovercraft A hovercraft is capable of operation on either a solid surface or a liquid surface. The hovercraft includes a hull on which is mounted at least one thrust-lift fan assembly for providing an air cushion under the hovercraft and for propelling the hovercraft in a forw... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7013826 | Hybrid catamaran air cushion ship A vessel (10) designed to operate efficiently as both a catamaran and air cushion vessel can travel at low speed (e.g. Froude number (Fn)=0-0.3) in a catamaran or displacement mode and at high speed (e.g. Froude numbers (Fn)=0.3 or more) in an air cushion or ... | 03/21/2006 |
| 6912967 | Hybrid watercraft A watercraft steered under power by water-jet propulsion utilizes a water intake ramp in its hull to create a nozzle-like effect to accelerate water loading to the jet pump through a ventral water inlet when under power. The hull has a pair of longitudinal stabilize... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6783158 | Vehicle A vehicle including a body frame (20) commonly used on a two-wheeled automotive vehicle (10), a three-wheeled automotive vehicle (140), and a four-wheeled automotive vehicle (200). A head pipe (23) is formed on a front frame (22... | 08/31/2004 |
| 6648270 | Vehicle A vehicle is disclosed having a hull with a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis, the hull further having front end and rear ends and first and second sides. A turbofan engine mounted in said hull, said engine having an exhaust duct. First and second f... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6520449 | Lifting platform with positive horizontal stability A novel means of stability for a lifting platform utilizing toroidal vortex airflow through air guide means. A toroidal vortex created by the airflow means efficiently maintains a raised air pressure zone beneath the lifting platform or body. Airflow is d... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6082478 | Lift augmented ground effect platform The lift augmented ground effect platform of the present invention is characterized by two pair of annular concentric air curtain nozzles and supercharge nozzles which direct respective jet streams downward and inward beneath the downwardly facing lifting... | 07/04/2000 |
| 5941331 | Air cushion vehicle control system Control of air cushion vehicles is obtained by controlling the translation of the vehicle independently from control of the rotation (yaw). Lateral translation of the vehicle is controlled by creating side-directed thrusts the direction of which passes th... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5836413 | Hovercraft capable of storing energy and air-cushion producing method therefor A hovercraft includes a plurality of energy storing containers for storing a low-temperature, high-pressure gas therein, a heat exchange device for performing heat exchange between the gas from the containers and a high-temperature exhaust from a gas turb... | 11/17/1998 |
| 5803199 | Lift augmented ground effect platform The lift augmented ground effect platform of the present invention is characterized by two pair of annular concentric air curtain nozzles and supercharge nozzles which direct respective jet streams downward and inward beneath the downwardly facing lifting... | 09/08/1998 |
| 5636702 | Aerodynamic and ground effect craft A craft for ground effect and aerodynamic flight has, in addition to the usual vertical and horizontal stabilizer(s), a primary, upper airfoil, a lower secondary airfoil and a pivotable flap. The upper surface of the primary airfoil forms the primary lift... | 06/10/1997 |
| 5566775 | Skirted surface effect vehicle A surface effect vehicle for traversing a water or ground surface is provided. The surface effect vehicle comprises an elongate body and forward and rear scoops, preferably having a large angle of attack inducing stall conditions on the scoops. Each scoop... | 10/22/1996 |
| 5314035 | Surface effect vehicle A surface effect vehicle having a pair of lifting scoops, or air foils, mounted on a vehicle body, one in front and the other in the rear. Each lifting scoop has an arched leading edge to collect air under the scoop to lift the vehicle on a cushion of air... | 05/24/1994 |
| 5307893 | Air cushion vehicle having volute side thrusters An air cushion vehicle having improved maneuverability is produced by providing air discharge vents for diverting at least a portion of the pressurizing cushion air from the side of the volute housing opposite that to which the vehicle is being turned, an... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5273128 | Hovercraft control system An air-cushion vehicle is provided with an intermediate plenum which provides air to the air-cushion cavity. Propulsion and steering is effected by means of two parallel double-ended ducts that are supplied air from the plenum. Complementary controlled fl... | 12/28/1993 |
| 5267626 | Near surface vehicle A near surface vehicle including a vehicle body including a nose section having a canard with lift and pitch control. The vehicle body including a cockpit or cabin with a main wing mounted adjacent or above the cabin and including ailerons for lift and ro... | 12/07/1993 |
| 5158033 | Air cushion vehicles An elongated vehicle body has a forward bow portion, a stern, and a lower portion with the floor and sides runners defining a longitudinal rearwardly opening air channel in the underside thereof. The bow portion has a duct with a driven impeller therein c... | 10/27/1992 |
| 5125470 | Hovercraft A hovercraft is described having a fan mounted to rotate about a vertical axis. The airflow from the fan is directed to the skirt to create lift and to horizontally aligned outlets to positively propel the craft in both forward and reverse directions and,... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5096012 | Direction and lift control for hovercraft A hovercraft includes a hull having a plurality of diffusion apertures and air skirt for providing a supporting air cushion. An engine drives a propeller which produces an airflow. A movable elevator dynamically divides the propeller airflow between lift ... | 03/17/1992 |
| 4862984 | Amphibious air cushion vehicle An amphibious air cushion vehicle includes a body defining an air containment wall, and an inflatable tube is attached to the body and defines a rearward opening. A fan is positioned within the body to force pressurized air into the compartment, and a gat... | 09/05/1989 |
| 4848501 | Air cushion vehicle A small sized air cushion vehicle includes a hull having a planar bottom surface with an upstanding lower flange disposed and extending upwardly at an angle of between 24° and 30° with respect to the planar bottom surface of the hull. A hollow plenum ex... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4836121 | Surface effect ship A surface effect ship and a system of cushion pressurization by forcing into the cushion chamber a homogeneous mixture of air and gas. The surface effect ship is provided with a hull, having propulsion device, associated with rudders, and a skirt to confi... | 06/06/1989 |
| 4828058 | Hovercraft with improved maneuverability Disclosed is a hovercraft having a pair of air cushions, associated with each air cushion is a rotatable fan which partly produces lifting force and partly propels and maneuvers the craft. The fans are mounted perpendicular to the direction of travel, per... | 05/09/1989 |
| 4747459 | Hovercraft A hovercraft includes a rigid body and a flexible skirt pending from a lower periphery thereof. A main engine and propeller are coupled to the rigid body and provide a main propeller thrust. A plurality of thrust control vanes are located downstream of th... | 05/31/1988 |
| 4718513 | Wheel driven air cushion vehicle An air cushion vehicle comprises a main engine connected to drive, firstly, a fan device for generating an air cushion for the support of the vehicle, and secondly, a traction wheel device for propulsion of the vehicle. Operating power is simultaneously t... | 01/12/1988 |
| 4714443 | Flexible exhaust duct A novel exhaust system for both conducting engine exhaust gases away from and aft of the personnel occupied portion of a marine vessel and protecting the sides of the hull of the vessel from damages thereto during docking or other "working" maneuvers of t... | 12/22/1987 |
| 4534434 | Propulsion plant for air-cushioned vehicles An air-cushioned vehicle wherein the air pressure differential between the plenum chamber and the atmosphere is used to charge a jet engine; thus allowing the use of pulse-jet or ram-jet power plants which require precharging and improving the performance... | 08/13/1985 |
| 4529054 | Fluid flow control systems A fluid flow control system for connecting a source of pressurized fluid with a region of varying pressure, comprises a fluid supply duct having an inlet end connectable to the pressure source end and an outlet end connectable to the region of varying pre... | 07/16/1985 |
