Air cushion vehicle conductive/semiconductive flexible skirt, and method

Abstract

A method for dissipating static electrical energy from air cushion vehicleshen operating more particularly in cold, low humidity environments, which method involves fabricating the skirt assembly from a flexible sheet material of at least semiconductive character which will provide a suitable dissipating grounding pathway to discharge potential static electrical energy generated during the aforesaid operation thereof. The method includes utilizing a coated flexible fabric material having at least one of its opposite surfaces coated with an elastomeric abrasion-resistant material, and embedding a plurality of electrically conductive flexible strands at least partially within said flexible fabric material, or alternatively embedding electrically conductive particles or fibers in a generally uniformly manner throughout a forming of its elastomeric composition. The invention also is directed specifically to an air cushion vehicle skirt component comprised of electrically conductive composite flexible sheet material having sufficient conductive characteristics to provide a near constant dissipation grounding pathway from said vehicle for any substantial build up of generated static electrical energy, more particularly when the air cushion vehicle is operating in cold, low humidity environments.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An air cushion vehicle composite flexible skirt member which forms at least a portion of peripheral sealing means for the vehicle's generated air cushion, said skirt member comprising a durable, flexible fabric material having at least one and preferably both of its opposite surfaces coated with an elastomeric abrasion-resistant material to constitute the basic composite flexible skirt member, and further including electrically conductive means integrated throughout at least a substantial part of said composite skirt member, so as to provide a dissipating electrical discharge grounding path for potential static electrical energy generated in and around said vehicle during operational use more particularly in cold, low humidity environments. 
     
     
       2. The air cushion skirt member of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive means includes a plurality of electrically conductive flexible strands embedded within said composite skirt member in a predetermined arrangement. 
     
     
       3. The air cushion skirt member of claim 1, wherein said fabric material is woven of synthetic fiber strands such as nylon, and said electrically conductive means includes a plurality of flexible metallic strands or wires interwoven with said synthetic fiber strands. 
     
     
       4. The air cushion skirt member of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive means includes a multiplicity of semiconductive type fibers such as carbon fibers embedded within said composite sheet material. 
     
     
       5. The air cushion skirt member of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive means includes electrically conductive particles embedded within at least one of said elastomeric layers in a predetermined generally uniform manner. 
     
     
       6. The air cushion skirt member of claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is a natural rubber composition having homogeneously formed electrically conductive particles embedded therein to constitute said electrically conductive means integrated therewith. 
     
     
       7. The air cushion skirt member of claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material is a synthetic rubber composition having homogeneously formed electrically conductive particles embedded therein to constitute said electrically conductive means integrated therewith.