Amphibious vehicle

Abstract

An improved amphibious vehicle comprising: a drive train; a plurality of ground engaging wheels; a cooling system; a water propulsion system; and a hull which defines a passenger compartment, wherein the form/shape of the hull below the waterline is substantially defined by a plurality of buoyancy modules that are demountably mountable to the amphibious vehicle.

1 . An amphibious vehicle comprising:
 a drive train;   a plurality of ground engaging wheels;   a cooling system;   a water propulsion system;   a primary hull which defines a passenger compartment, the primary hull having a waterline; and   a secondary hull disposed outside the primary hull, the secondary hull having a form/shape below the waterline which is substantially defined by a plurality of buoyancy modules, and wherein the buoyancy modules are releasably fixed to the primary hull of the amphibious vehicle by a releasable fixing.   
     
     
         2 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the secondary hull includes at least one of a bow, a stern, and at least one wheel arch for at least one of the plurality of ground-engaging wheels, and wherein the at least one of the bow, stern and wheel arch comprises one or more of the plurality of buoyancy modules. 
     
     
         3 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in any  claim 1 , wherein the secondary hull includes a duct, and wherein one or more buoyancy modules are shaped to form the duct which accommodates propellers associated with the water propulsion system of the amphibious vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein one or more buoyancy modules define steps for access to the passenger compartment. 
     
     
         5 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the primary hull comprises side edges, and wherein the buoyancy modules do not protrude outwardly beyond the side edges of the primary hull. 
     
     
         6 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising one or more deployable sponsons, wherein the or each sponson is an automatically deployable and retractable sponson being located proximate a roof of the amphibious vehicle when in a retracted configuration, and being movable in a deployed configuration to a location(s) adjacent the respective sides of the amphibious vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the water propulsion system comprises dual hydraulically powered pods located externally of the primary hull, each pod comprising a hydraulic motor coupled to a propeller via a shaft, wherein hydraulic power is provided to each pod by a dedicated hydraulic pump. 
     
     
         8 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each hydraulic pod is in hydraulic communication with the or each respective hydraulic pump via hydraulic lines located substantially externally of the primary hull of the amphibious vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the hydraulic lines are located outside the primary hull. 
     
     
         10 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the primary hull has an outer surface which is submerged when the vehicle is in water, and wherein at least some of the buoyancy modules are attached to the outer surface of the primary hull below the waterline. 
     
     
         11 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cooling system comprises at least one radiator in fluid communication with the engine, wherein the at least one radiator is located externally of the primary hull of the amphibious vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the at least one radiator is mounted below the waterline on the primary hull. 
     
     
         13 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein at least one radiator is located within a rear wheel well of the amphibious vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the primary hull comprises a chassis having a pair of spaced apart beams fixed to a flat lower surface of the primary hull, wherein the ground engaging wheels are mounted on the spaced apart beams, and wherein at least some of the buoyancy modules are fixed to a lower face of the flat lower surface below the waterline. 
     
     
         15 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the flat lower face comprises one or more formations which extend perpendicularly from the flat lower face of the primary hull to engage a complementary formation on one of the plurality of buoyancy modules. 
     
     
         16 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the complementary formation on the said one of the buoyancy modules comprises a V-shaped groove. 
     
     
         17 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the primary hull comprises side edges, and wherein the buoyancy modules do not protrude outwardly beyond the side edges of the primary hull. 
     
     
         18 . An amphibious vehicle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the releasable fixing comprises a bolt. 
     
     
         19 . An amphibious vehicle comprising:
 a drive train;   a plurality of ground engaging wheels;   a cooling system;   a water propulsion system;   a primary hull which defines a passenger compartment, the primary hull having a waterline; and   a secondary hull disposed outside the primary hull, the secondary hull having a form/shape below the waterline which is substantially defined by a plurality of buoyancy modules, and wherein the buoyancy modules are releasably fixed to the primary hull of the amphibious vehicle by releasable fixings, wherein the primary hull comprises side edges, and wherein the buoyancy modules do not protrude outwardly beyond the side edges of the primary hull.   
     
     
         20 . An amphibious vehicle comprising:
 a drive train;   a plurality of ground engaging wheels;   a cooling system;   a water propulsion system;   a primary hull which defines a passenger compartment, the primary hull having a waterline; and   
       a secondary hull disposed outside the primary hull, the secondary hull having a form/shape below the waterline which is substantially defined by a plurality of buoyancy modules, and wherein the buoyancy modules are releasably fixed to the primary hull of the amphibious vehicle by releasably fixings, wherein the inner hull comprises a chassis having a pair of spaced apart beams fixed to a flat lower surface of the inner hull, wherein the ground engaging wheels are mounted on the spaced apart beams, and wherein at least some of the buoyancy modules are fixed to a lower face of the flat lower surface below the waterline.