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 ).

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.