Drive module for a boat-like buoyancy body, and buoyancy body equipped therewith

Abstract

The drive module buoyancy body is either made as a solid material, inflatable or as a hollow body with inflatable air chambers inside, which includes a seat and a shaft mounted in a front portion and extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the buoyancy body. Paddle wheels are mounted at the ends of the shaft. A profile is articulated to the shaft in its center so as to be able to pivot about its lower end region, which profile extends upwards from the shaft and in which a crankshaft with a drive wheel is mounted at the upper end region of the profile. The cranks of the crankshaft can be optionally equipped with pedals for a foot drive or crank handles for a hand drive. By driving the cranks, the paddle wheels are driven by a roller chain or a toothed belt, the profile ( 7 ) being able to be engaged in a pivoted position for foot drive and being able to be engaged in a position different therefrom for manual drive.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A drive module for a buoyancy body, comprising:
 a body having air chambers inflatable therein, said body including a seat and a shaft extending in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of said buoyancy body;   lateral paddle wheels mounted on end portions of said shaft;   a profile pivotably articulated on said shaft and extending upwards from said shaft;   blade wheels;   an output wheel;   two paddle wheels;   a crankshaft mounted in an upper end region of said profile with cranks able to be driven for driving said blade wheels via a secondary drive, wherein said profile is able to be locked in a pivoted position for being foot driven, and is lockable in a position deviating therefrom for manual drive; and,   a drive module includes a rail run along the buoyancy body with said seat being arranged on said rail so as to be longitudinally displaceable and engageable in a plurality of positions, said shaft extending transversely to a longitudinal direction of said buoyancy body and mounted directly or indirectly on the rail via a bearing block and projecting beyond said rail, and said shaft having one paddle wheel of said two paddle wheels on each of two sides of said output wheel at its end portions.   
     
     
         16 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said cranks for pedals are arranged on said crankshaft and with handgrips and spacer rods being offset thereto on a periphery of said crankshaft, said pedals and said handgrips with said spacer rods being foldable and resting against said cranks via a hinge element, thereby allowing for either pedal operation or manual operation of said drive module. 
     
     
         17 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 16 , wherein said profile is a square hollow profile, or a U-shaped profile open at its bottom, and being pivotable in a plurality of positions about one end region and is able to be secured in each pivotable position of said plurality of positions via a longitudinally adjustable support braced against said rail in a first position in which a person sitting on said seat is able to drive said pedals of said cranks with the person's fee and in a second position in which the person is sitting on said seat and is able to drive said crank via handles with the person's hands. 
     
     
         18 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said secondary drive includes a roller chain or a toothed belt inside said profile, which is guided via a drive wheel on said crankshaft and via a driven wheel on said shaft and thereby drives said shaft and said blade wheels. 
     
     
         19 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said secondary drive includes a first cardan drive with a first spur gear on said crankshaft, which drives a second cardan shaft inside said profile, and which in turn drives a second spur gear on said shaft and thereby drives said shaft and said blade wheels. 
     
     
         20 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said body includes an inflatable buoyancy body with said rail running along said inflatable buoyancy body, which is seated on a longitudinal strut of a support chassis or is formed by said longitudinal strut itself, said longitudinal strut being supported laterally on said buoyancy body via a transverse strut, and on said longitudinal strut at each of its ends is a holding fork forming two tongues running parallel to said longitudinal strut and pointing towards said longitudinal strut, wherein said two tongues are mounted in leg pockets on two mutually opposite holding pockets that are able to be inserted on an upper side of said buoyancy body, wherein a connection of said support chassis, and thus of said drive module on said buoyancy body, is able to be produced when said buoyancy body is inflated. 
     
     
         21 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said rail is mounted on a base plate that is fixed on said body by fitting said base plate onto an upper side of said body and is able to be secured via slides or screws. 
     
     
         22 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , further comprising impellers having center metal bushes with ribs or profiles extending axially in said center metal bushes that are able to be fitted over end portions of said shaft that is provided with complementary ribs or profiles and are able to be secured at the end portions of said shaft. 
     
     
         23 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said blade wheels comprise two wheel discs with blades projecting in an axial direction formed with outwardly bulging projections in a central region, said outwardly bulging projections lying one on top of the other when said two wheel discs are placed one on top of the other, said two wheel discs having rubber tires and bushings for receiving said shaft being able to be clamped in a sealing manner to flat outer discs so that transmission of torque of said shaft to said lateral paddle wheels is ensured and a cavity formed by said outwardly budging projections being sealed off for providing buoyancy. 
     
     
         24 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 23 , further comprising paddle wheel discs having axial bores into which rotary discs are inserted, with one said blade on each side, said blades having an adjustable pivot position. 
     
     
         25 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , wherein said seat is mounted on said rail to be displaceable along said rail with said seat able to be secured in a plurality of displacement positions and adjustable in inclination about a transverse axis in each displaceable position of said plurality of displaceable positions. 
     
     
         26 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , further comprising a wheel hub motor integrated into a bearing block on said shaft with control of said wheel hub motor being either a pedaled control or an electrically powered control able to be independently regulated by hand. 
     
     
         27 . The drive module for a buoyancy body according to  claim 15 , further comprising a rudder fixable to a stern or bow of said body, said rubber able to be pivoted from said seat. 
     
     
         28 . A buoyancy body, comprising:
 a drive module having a base platform is connected to an upper side of said buoyancy body in a front half and a rear half of said buoyancy body and having holding pockets on an upper side of said buoyancy body in said front half and said rear half, wherein said holding pockets are U-shaped and having openings in said front half and said rear half for receiving tongues able to fit into the openings; and,   a support chassis on said on said drive module forming two intersecting struts connected to one another with an intersection and holding fork attached to one another at two ends of a longitudinal strut forming two tongues at each end of the two ends, wherein in a non-inflated state of said buoyancy body said two tongues are able to be inserted into said holding pockets and are able to be clamped to said buoyancy body via inflation for fastening of said support chassis and said drive module mounted thereon to said buoyancy body.