Ships – Steering mechanism – Speed retarders
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-21
2004-02-17
Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)
Ships
Steering mechanism
Speed retarders
Reexamination Certificate
active
06691634
ABSTRACT:
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a braking and steering device, specifically to provide braking and more particularly improved control capabilities for a personal watercraft such as a Waverunner®, Jet Ski®, SeaDoo®, or other such vessel.
2. Description of Prior Art
Currently more than one million personal watercraft, (PWC), are in use by individuals for recreation and boating enjoyment, resort and marina rental facilities, lifeguard and rescue organizations, and racing and entertainment entities. PWC employ a pump that receives water from an intake, pressurizes the water with rapidly spinning impeller blades, and expels the pressurized water through a nozzle or “jet”. PWC are generally manufactured without braking or auxiliary control mechanisms, rely on propulsion for control (steering), and reduction of propulsion for slowing.
Inventors created several devices designed to improve control or braking characteristics of personal watercraft in such a way as to have minimal effect on slowing the vessel or significantly improving control. U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,260 to Mardikian (1992) discloses movable and fixed plate and drive shaft braking mechanisms; however movable/fixed plate devices may interfere with vessel trim, and operation of the hand lever may be exceedingly difficult. Drive shaft braking mechanisms are inherently ineffective due to the fact that once throttle is reduced, the pump intake water flow is significantly reduced, rendering drive shaft spin negligible for braking purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,478 also to Mardikian (1993) describes a trimming, steering and braking assembly that uses plates or flaps to independently or dependently slow or turn the watercraft. This particular design lacks effective angular position of the flaps relative to water-flow impedance, as well as not offering the advantageous mechanical advantage mechanism of present invention necessary to facilitate deployment of flaps. Another invention designed improve performance of PWC, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,396 to Sasagawa (1990), proposes a trim plate adjusting device to optimize performance of the PWC under varying rider weight conditions. The trim plate application is unsuitable for improved control such as steering or slowing the forward momentum of a PWC.
Another invention designed for jet propelled watercraft, U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,954 to Schott et al. (1999), proposes a gate device that requires a volume of water to be flowing through the jet nozzle, potentially propelling the watercraft in forward motion, before the gate device will be effective.
A similar invention using a nozzle gate device to stop the watercraft, U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,601 to Jones (1998) utilizes an electronic controller and servo mechanism to actuate the cable mechanism and operate the gate. This invention again fails meet the need of applying a stopping or steering force to a watercraft minus the positive water flow through the jet nozzle.
Another invention based on the bucket or nozzle gate, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,332 to Kobayashi et al. (1997), adds a foot pedal operation of the existing art nozzle gate concept Although the foot pedal design provides for a novel method of actuating a reverse bucket mechanism, it fails to address the problems inherent to the gate or bucket mechanisms, namely they require a volume of water to be propelled through the nozzle to have any effect.
Yet another invention designed for improved watercraft control, U.S. Patent Application 20010018300 to Spade (2001) relies on propulsion or jet flow, for control or braking, This device, while functional does not allow for any improved control or braking without positive water flow through the propulsion mechanism. This device also contains a multitude of claims and components, likely increasing the cost of installation and ownership over more straight-forward designs. What this invention also fails to address are the riders who require control and braking without the application of throttle, or increasing power output through the jet nozzle.
These devices, as all braking devices heretofore, do not provide significant braking capabilities or noticeably improved control or turning without applied throttle, and suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) Movable/fixed plate devices are expensive to manufacture, require replacement of original manufacture equipment, have limited effect on slowing or stopping, and can potentially interfere with, or counteract the existing nozzle trim mechanisms available subsequent to 1992;
(b) Rigid assemblies are fixed and therefore difficult to adjust to varying conditions;
(c) Rigid, plate devices suffer from lack of independent side (left/right) control by the rider, preventing effective adjustment and control under normal and extreme riding conditions;
(d) Because of the nature of existing art in water intake and output in PWC, braking devices designed for drive shaft application do not noticeably improve braking capabilities, specifically when braking or steering is required without the application of throttle;
(e) Trim plate-type devices, although providing a level of improved hydrodynamics relating to angle of plane, are designed to facilitate water flow under the ride plate. Braking requires impedance of water flow to reduce speed, therefore reducing the effectiveness of these devices, and creating an increased level of difficulty pulling or operating the hand lever, while the plate device attempts to work against the flow of water.
(f) Control mechanisms which rely on any volume of water flowing from the jet nozzle for actuation of braking or steering, do not account for riders in the coasting (no water volume through jet) attitude, or riders who instinctively let off the throttle to dock or otherwise stop forward motion.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENITON
Primarily, present invention provides substantial improvement in rider and bystander safety by impeding the flow of water under the PWC ride plate thereby effectively slowing and braking of the PWC. Additionally, present invention provides steering capabilities to PWC with or without propulsion. It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a PWC rider/operator ability to significantly decrease stopping distance between another boat, person, object, other PWC, dock or other obstruction as well as to provide steering capability to avoid such objects and improve PWC performance.
It is another object of the present invention to allow steering, maneuvering and increased vessel control without jet propulsion or throttle engaged.
It is another object of the present invention to provide augmented steering control beyond existing art of jet nozzle control by actuating water-impeding paddles individually.
It is another object of the present invention to provide steering and braking capabilities when no throttle is applied to provide decreased risk of injury or death to rider or bystander;
Such a device provides a mechanism that is easy to use and actuate by means of hand levers and integrated steering control.
Advantageously, the present invention provides a device with increased reliability and resistance to elements.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a device that can be actuated by riders/operators of all (legal) ages, by a variety of means including hand levers and steering.
It is another object of the present invention to allow for individual deployment of each braking control surface, facilitating steering with the throttle off.
It is another object of this invention to utilize many existing materials and assemblies familiar to those with knowledge of the art, thereby reducing the cost to manufacture, install, or purchase this invention over inventions of prior art.
Advantageously, each said braking control paddle surface can be deployed with the throttle engaged, thereby effectively enhancing maneuverability and steering performance characteristics of the watercraft while under power.
Additionally, each said
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