The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 28, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 03, 2006
James S. Gerber, St. Paul, MN (US);
James S. Gerber, St. Paul, MN (US);
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., Pennington, NJ (US);
Abstract
For protecting surface floating wave energy converters (WEC's) against surface turbulence, the WEC's are removed from the water surface. For reducing the force required, the WEC's include a hollow member having an apertured outer wall. In the case where the WEC is to be lifted out of the water, the hollow member is normally submerged and full of water, and, during its lifting, water drains through the wall apertures thereby reducing the weight of the member and reducing the force required to lift it. In the case where the WEC is to be submerged, the hollow member is normally empty of water but fills with water through the wall apertures as the member is pulled beneath the surface. The weight of the water reduces the force required to submerge the member.