US 11,873,065 B2
Gyroscopic boat roll stabilizer
Grady F. Smith, Greenville, NC (US); David Holden, Davidson, NC (US); and Jeffrey Peterson, Mooresville, NC (US)
Assigned to WAVETAMER LLC, Greenville, NC (US)
Filed by WaveTamer LLC, Greenville, NC (US)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/128,796.
Application 18/128,796 is a continuation of application No. 16/428,259, filed on May 31, 2019, granted, now 11,649,017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/768,356, filed on Nov. 16, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/678,422, filed on May 31, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0234683 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B63B 39/04 (2006.01); F16F 15/30 (2006.01); H02K 7/02 (2006.01); H02K 9/22 (2006.01); G05D 1/08 (2006.01); G01C 21/18 (2006.01); F16C 37/00 (2006.01); F16F 15/315 (2006.01); H05K 7/20 (2006.01); F16C 19/52 (2006.01)
CPC B63B 39/04 (2013.01) [F16F 15/3153 (2013.01); F16F 15/3156 (2013.01); H02K 7/02 (2013.01); H02K 9/227 (2021.01); F16C 19/525 (2013.01); F16C 37/007 (2013.01); F16F 2222/025 (2013.01); G01C 21/18 (2013.01); G05D 1/0875 (2013.01); H05K 7/20854 (2013.01); H05K 7/20872 (2013.01); Y10T 74/12 (2015.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gyroscopic roll stabilizer for a boat, said gyroscopic stabilizer comprising:
an enclosure mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure;
a flywheel assembly including a flywheel and flywheel shaft, the flywheel assembly configured to precess relative to the gimbal axis, when unlocked, in response to roll of the boat;
one or more bearings for rotatably mounting the flywheel assembly inside the enclosure;
a motor for rotating the flywheel assembly, said motor configured to accelerate the flywheel assembly at an acceleration rate of at least 5.0 rpm/s to a normal operating speed of at least 6000 rpm; and
a bearing cooling system effective to cool the one or more bearings at the acceleration rate;
wherein the gyroscopic roll stabilizer is configured to lock the flywheel assembly at the start of acceleration and to unlock the flywheel assembly when the speed of the flywheel assembly reaches 75% of its normal operating speed.