BALLAST BLADDER AND BALLAST SYSTEM FOR A BOAT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to ballast systems for boats, particularly, recreational boats used for water sports.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Water sport boats are used to tow water-sports participants, such as water skiers, wakeboarders, and the like, using a towline. For water skiing and wakeboarding, the participant holds onto one end of the towline and the other end is attached to the boat. For tubing, the towline is attached to the tube, and the water-sports participant(s) holds onto the tube. A boat may also be used to generate a wake on which a water-sports participant, such as a wake surfer or foiler, may wake surf or foil, generally without holding onto a towline, once they get going. The desired wake for each of these water sports varies between these different activities and the preferences and skill level of the participant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention relates to a ballast system for a boat including a ballast tank, a ballast bladder, and a fluid coupling. The fluid coupling directly connects the ballast bladder to the ballast tank, such as, for example, without intervening hoses.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a ballast system for a boat including a ballast tank, a ballast bladder, and a fluid coupling. The ballast tank includes a large opening to permit inspection of the inside of the tank. In some aspects of the invention, the opening may allow a hand to be inserted therethrough. This large opening is a part of the fluid coupling between the ballast tank and the ballast bladder.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a ballast system for a boat including a ballast tank, a ballast bladder, and a fluid coupling. The ballast tank includes a plurality of walls defining a tank cavity for storing water therein. The ballast bladder includes one or more panels defining a bladder cavity for storing water therein. At least one of the panels is a flexible panel. The fluid coupling includes a receiver and a plug engageable with the receiver to fluidly connect the tank cavity with the bladder cavity. One of the receiver or the plug is a tank coupling component directly attached to one of the plurality of walls of the ballast tank and the other one of the receiver or the plug is a bladder coupling component directly attached to one of the panels of the ballast bladder.

These and other aspects of the invention are discussed further in the following disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a boat equipped with a ballast system according to a preferred embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the boat including a partial cutaway depicting aspects the ballast system.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the boat shown in FIG. 1, including a partial cutaway depicting aspects of the propulsion system.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2, of a stern of the boat shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a perspective views of the boat with the deck and transom removed to show features of the ballast system. FIG. 4A shows the ballast system with a port ballast bladder and a starboard ballast bladder attached to a port ballast tank and a starboard ballast tank, respectively. FIG. 4B shows the ballast system without the port ballast bladder and the starboard ballast bladder.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one of the ballast bladders connected to the ballast tank by a fluid coupling.

FIG. 6 is a detail view of the fluid coupling showing detail 6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the fluid coupling.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a receiver of the fluid coupling.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a plug the fluid coupling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure generally relates to recreational boats used for water sports, and particularly wake sports such as wake surfing and wakeboarding. Embodiments of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. Throughout the specification and accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or similar components or features.

As used herein, directional terms forward (fore), aft, inboard, and outboard have their commonly understood meaning in the art. Relative to the boat, forward is a direction toward the bow and aft is a direction toward the stern. Likewise, inboard is a lateral direction toward the longitudinal centerline of the boat and outboard is a lateral direction away from it.

The terms “coupled,” “fixed,” “attached,” “connected,” and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, attaching, or connecting, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, attaching, or connecting through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein.

As noted above, the desired wake produced by the boat differs depending upon the water sport for which the boat is being used. For example, wakeboarding, wake surfing, and foiling may require relatively large wakes. To make such wakes with recreational sport boats, large amounts of ballast often are loaded into the boat. This ballast may take various forms, including, for example, filling tanks (e.g., a hard-sided tank), bladders (also referred to as ballast bags or ballast sacs), or both with water, such as from the body of water in which the boat is located. When a boat uses both a ballast tank and a ballast bladder, the ballast bladder may be fluidly connected to the ballast tank by hoses with the appropriate fittings. The ballast tank may be first filled and then, when the tank reaches a desired fill level, the ballast bladder begins to fill through the hose. Such hoses may have standard hose diameters, such as ½-inch diameter or ¾-inch diameter, for example, and with such sizes, the ballast bladder may be slow to fill. In addition to the slow rate of fill, fittings may break or hoses may separate, causing the boat to flood. Hoses may also be susceptible to kinking, which can prevent the ballast bladder from filling or further slow the process.

Aquatic invasive species (“AIS”) also may be an issue for recreational boats, particularly those with ballast systems drawing water from the body of water in which the boat is located. An AIS is a freshwater or marine organism that has spread or been introduced beyond its native range and is either causing harm or has the potential to cause harm. Examples within the waterways, lakes, and other bodies of water in the United States include aquatic plants, such as Hydrilla, eurasian watermilfoil, giant Salvinia, and water hyacinth, and mussels, such as Quagga mussles and zebra mussels. To prevent the spread of these AIS, the ballast systems should be drained, rinsed, or otherwise cleaned.

To facilitate AIS mitigation actions, the ballast tanks discussed herein include a large opening, providing easy access to the ballast tanks. More specifically, this large opening may be sized to facilitate a person placing his or her hand and arm though the opening to pull out and wipe away material within the tank, such as plants or other matter. Accordingly, the opening is sized to permit at least a first to fit through the opening.

This opening also advantageously may be used to fill the ballast bladder. The large opening provides a relatively large fluid connection between the ballast tank and ballast bladder for rapid filling and draining. The fluid connection between the ballast tank and the ballast bladder is a coupling, and this fluid connection does not include hoses, simplifying the fluid connection and avoiding the issues with hoses discussed above.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a boat 100 equipped with the ballast system 300 (FIG. 4A) discussed herein. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the boat 100, and FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the boat 100. FIGS. 1 and 2 are partial cutaway views depicting aspects of the propulsion system 200 (FIG. 3) and the ballast system 300 (FIG. 4A). The boat 100 includes a hull 110 with a bow 112, a transom 114, a port side 116, a starboard side 118, and a hull bottom 119 (FIG. 3). The port side 116 and starboard side 118 of the hull 110 have a port gunwale 122 and a starboard gunwale 124, respectively. The boat 100 has a longitudinal centerline 102 running down the middle of the boat 100, halfway between the port and starboard sides 116, 118. Collectively, the bow 112, the transom 114, and the port and starboard sides 116, 118 define an interior 130 of the boat 100.

The boat 100 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a bowrider having both a bow seating area 132 positioned in the bow 112 of the boat 100 and a primary seating area 134 (sometimes also referred to as the cockpit) positioned aft of a windshield 104. The boat 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 also has a pair of aft-facing seats 136, such as those described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2022/0258835, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Also within the boat's interior 130 is a control console 126 for operating the boat 100. Here, the control console 126 is positioned on the starboard side of the boat 100 proximate to and aft of the windshield 104. Although described in reference to a bowrider, this invention may be used with any suitable boat including cuddies, center consoles, and cruisers, for example. The invention discussed herein may also be used with pontoon boats and multi-hull boats.

In this embodiment, the control console 126 is positioned in the forward half of the boat 100. The boat 100 can be divided into a forward half and an aft half. The forward half is the portion of the boat forward of what will be referred to herein as an amidships centerline 105, and the aft half is the portion of the boat aft of the amidships centerline 105. The amidships centerline 105 is perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline 102 of the boat 100 and located halfway between the forward-most portion of the hull 110 and the aft-most portion of the hull 110. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the amidships centerline 105 is located halfway between the forward-most portion of the bow 112 and the aft-most portion of the transom 114, and excludes any swim platform 106.

The boat 100 of this embodiment is used for recreational watersports and includes a horizontal swim platform 106 attached to the transom 114 to make it easier for people to get into the water from the boat 100 or into the boat 100 from the water. A top view of the swim platform 106 is shown in FIG. 2, but the swim platform is omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity. The swim platform 106 should be capable of supporting a human and is preferably capable of supporting at least 500 lbs., and even more preferably 1250 lbs. The swim platform 106 may be constructed from any suitable material that may be used in a marine environment including, for example, fiberglass or teak. In this embodiment, the swim platform 106 is attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100 using two brackets screwed to the transom 114; however, the swim platform 106 may be attached to the transom 114 by any suitable means. While the swim platform 106 is described as an attachable/detachable platform, it is not so limited. For example, the swim platform 106 may be integrally formed with the stern of the boat 100.

The boat 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a recreational boat and, more specifically, a recreational sport boat that may be used for water sports, such as water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, wake foiling, and tubing. The boat 100 thus may be equipped with water sport accessories or systems to facilitate the use of the boat 100 with such activities. These water-sport accessories and systems include, for example, devices that interact with the water and are capable of enhancing or otherwise adjusting the wake produced by the boat 100 and tow points for towing water-sports participants.

The boat 100 is equipped with an apparatus for towing a water sports participant. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the towing apparatus is a tower 140 that may be used for towing a wakeboarder or wake surfer. Any suitable tower 140 may be used including, for example, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,580,155 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0369134, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. The tower 140 includes two legs: a port leg 142 and a starboard leg 144. The port leg 142 is attached on the port side of the longitudinal centerline 102 of the boat 100, and the starboard leg 144 is attached on the starboard side of the longitudinal centerline 102 of the boat 100. Preferably, the port and starboard legs 142, 144 are attached to the port gunwale 122 and the starboard gunwale 124, respectively. The tower 140 also includes a header 146. The header 146 is connected to an upper portion of each of the two legs 142, 144 and spans the interior 130 of the boat 100 at a height suitable for passengers to pass underneath while standing. In addition, the tower 140 has a tow-line-attachment structure 148 at an upper portion of the tower 140 (the header 146 in this embodiment). This tow-line-attachment structure 148 may be used to connect a tow-line suitable for towing a water sports participant, such as a wakeboarder or wake surfer. Any suitable tow-line-attachment structure may be used, including but not limited to the integrated light and tow-line-attachment assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,886, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The boat 100 may be equipped with surf devices 152, 154, which may be used to shape the wake of the boat for wake surfing. Any suitable surf devices may be used, including, for example, the port and starboard wake-modifying devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,833,286, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Each of the port and starboard surf devices 152, 154 includes a plate-like member that is pivotably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The plate-like members pivot about pivot axes to move between a non-deployed position and a deployed position. In this embodiment, the pivot axes are hinges, specifically, piano hinges that are welded to a leading portion of each plate-like member and attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100 using screws. However, any suitable pivotable connection may be used and may be affixed to the transom 114 of the boat 100 and the port and starboard surf devices 152, 154 using any suitable means, including but not limited to bolts, screws, rivets, welding, and epoxy. Each of the port and starboard surf devices 152, 154 also may include one or more downturned and/or upturned surfaces, such as downturned surfaces at the trailing edge of the plate-like members that are angled at a downward angle relative to the plate-like member. However, as noted above, any suitable surf device may be used, and other suitable surf devices may include, for example, the port and starboard wake-modifying devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,802,684, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As shown in FIG. 1, the boat 100 is also equipped with a central trim device (center tab 156) positioned to span the longitudinal centerline 102 of the boat. Any suitable trim device may be used, but in this embodiment, the center tab 156 is a generally rectangular trim tab that is pivotably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The center tab 156 includes a plate-like member and pivots about a pivot axis to move between a non-deployed position and a deployed position. Like the pivot axes of the surf devices 152, 154, the pivot axis of the center tab 156 may be any suitable pivotable connection affixed to the transom 114 of the boat 100.

Each of the surf devices 152, 154 and the center tab 156 is movable between the deployed position and the non-deployed position by a drive mechanism 158. In the embodiment shown, one drive mechanism 158 is used for each surf device 152, 154 and the center tab 156, allowing them to be independently operated. Each of the drive mechanisms 158 shown in this embodiment is a linear actuator. The linear actuator may be an electric linear actuator or an electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA). A suitable electric linear actuator may be one from Lenco Marine of Stuart, Florida, and a suitable electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA) may be one available from Parker Hannifin of Marysville, Ohio. One end of the linear actuator is connected to the transom 114 of the boat 100, and the other end is connected to the surf device 152, 154 or center tab 156. Any suitable means may be used to move the surf devices 152, 154 and the center tab 156 between the deployed and non-deployed positions, including but not limited to hydraulic linear actuators, gas assist pneumatic actuators, and electrical motors.

The boat 100 has a deck 160 including a floor 162. Passenger seating, such as port and starboard bench seating in both the bow seating area 132 and primary seating area 134, may be constructed on elevated portions (seat support structures 164) of the deck 160. As used herein, these portions are elevated with respect to the level of the floor 162. Other seating locations within the boat's interior 130 include a captain's chair 172 at the control console 126 and a reversible bench seat 174. Although the invention is described with reference to a particular seating arrangement, different seating arrangements are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2, of a stern 108 of the boat 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a propulsion system 200 of the boat 100. The boat 100 of this embodiment is an inboard boat. However, this invention can be utilized with other types of boats and propulsion systems, including but not limited to outboard motors, sterndrives, jet drives, and the like. The propulsion system 200 includes a motor operatively coupled to a propulsor to drive the propulsor. In this embodiment, the motor is a combustion engine 210, but other suitable motors may be used, including electrical motors. The propulsor of this embodiment is a propeller 220, but other suitable propulsors may be used, such as, for example, impellers in jet drives. The engine 210 is configured to drive (rotate) the propeller 220, and in this embodiment, the engine 210 is connected to the propeller 220 by a drive shaft 222. The engine 210 is located within the interior 130 of the boat 100, and the drive shaft 222 extends through the hull bottom 119. The engine 210 is coupled to the drive shaft to rotate the drive shaft 222, and thus the propeller 220. The drive shaft 222 rotates about a rotation axis 221 of the drive shaft 222. A strut 224 extends from the hull bottom 119 to support the drive shaft 222 and the propeller 220. The drive shaft 222 extends through a bushing in the strut 224. The propeller 220 is positioned beneath the hull bottom 119 and forward of the transom 114.

The propulsion system 200 of this embodiment, specifically, the engine 210 and the drive shaft 222, is arranged in a V-drive arrangement, allowing the engine 210 to be located aft in the stern 108 of the boat 100 and further increasing the displacement of the stern 108 of the boat 100 for water sports, such as wake surfing or wake boarding. The propulsion system 200 may be arranged in other inboard arrangements, such as a direct drive arrangement, which may be preferred for water ski boats where increased displacement is not desired. As depicted in FIG. 2, the engine 210 may be centrally located within the boat 100 along the longitudinal centerline 102. On either side of the engine 210, a compartment 180 (FIG. 1) may be located between the engine 210 and the port side 116 and the and starboard side 118 of the hull 110, respectively (a port-side compartment and a starboard-side compartment). The compartments 180 may be located, at least in part, underneath each of the aft-facing seats 136, and each aft-facing seat 136 may be movable to allow access to the compartment 180, such as from the swim platform 106. As described in more detail in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2022/0258835, the aft-facing seat 136, or at least a portion thereof, may be movable between a first position, in which the seat is capable of supporting a person seated in the aft-facing seat 136, and a second position, in which the aft-facing seat 136, or portion thereof, allows access to the compartment 180. The aft-facing seat 136 may be pivotable, for example, and, in the second position, the aft-facing seat 136, or portion thereof, may be pivoted upwardly to allow access to the compartment 180.

A rudder 230 for turning the boat 100 is positioned behind (aft of) the propeller 220. A user may turn the boat 100 by rotating a steering wheel 232 (see FIG. 1) located at the control console 126. The steering wheel 232 is coupled to the rudder 230 such that turning the steering wheel 232 rotates the rudder 230. Any suitable steering system may be used, including mechanical rack-and-pinion systems connected to the rudder by mechanical linkages, hydraulic steering systems, electronic steering systems, or the rudder system shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,611,009, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In other embodiments, for example, the steering wheel 232 may rotate the marine drive for outboard or sterndrives, or the nozzle for jet drives.

In this embodiment, the engine 210 and the propeller 220 may be operated by a user at the control console 126. The control console 126 may include a control lever 212 that operates a throttle 214 of the engine 210 and engages the engine 210 with the drive shaft 222. The control lever 212 has a neutral position, and the user may move the control lever 212 forward from the neutral position to engage a running gear 216 with the drive shaft 222, accelerate the engine 210 using the throttle 214, and rotate the propeller 220 in a first direction, such as counterclockwise, to drive the boat 100 forward. To move the boat 100 in reverse, the user may move the control lever 212 back from the neutral position to engage a reverse gear 218 with the drive shaft 222, accelerate the engine 210 using the throttle 214, and rotate the propeller 220 in a second direction opposite the first direction, such as clockwise. Any suitable means may be used to operate the engine 210 and engage it with the drive shaft 222.

The boat 100 also includes a ballast system 300, which is used to increase the displacement of the boat 100 for water sports such as wakeboarding and wake surfing. FIGS. 4A and 4B are a perspective views of the boat 100 with the deck 160 and transom 114 removed to show the ballast system 300. The ballast system 300 of this embodiment includes a plurality of ballast tanks 310. Specifically, in the depicted embodiment, the boat 100 includes a port ballast tank 322, a starboard ballast tank 324, and a center ballast tank 326. Reference numeral 310 is used to refer generically to each of these ballast tanks and the description applies individually to each of the port ballast tank 322, the starboard ballast tank 324, and the center ballast tank 326 unless otherwise noted. The ballast tanks 310 are also shown in FIG. 2 with hidden lines, and FIG. 1 includes a partial cutaway view, showing the port ballast tank 322. Water from the body of water in which the boat 100 sits may be added to each of the ballast tanks 310 to increase the displacement of the boat 100.

The port ballast tank 322 is located on the port side of the longitudinal centerline 102, and the starboard ballast tank 324 is located on the starboard side of the longitudinal centerline 102. In this embodiment, the boat 100 has two longitudinal stringers (not shown) that divide the maximum beam width of the boat 100 into thirds. The port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 are located on the outboard side of the longitudinal stringers between one of the longitudinal stringers and the port side 116 and starboard side 118 of the hull 110, respectively. Thus, the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 are located on opposite outboard thirds of the boat. Each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 is located in a cavity formed between the deck 160 and the hull 110 and, in this embodiment, is located at a level lower than the floor 162 of the deck 160. Other suitable configurations may be used, including, for example, ballast tanks that extend upward above the level of the floor 162 in the sides of the hull beneath the gunwales 122, 124.

Preferably, the weight added by filling the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 is applied to an aft portion of the boat 100. By adding the weight to the aft portion of the boat 100, the water not only increases the displacement of the boat 100, but also changes the pitch of the boat 100. The combination of increased displacement and pitch change contribute to creating a larger wake than without the added ballast. The pitch of the boat 100 is more bow up with the additional ballast than without. The boat 100 has a longitudinal center of gravity (“LCG”). The LCG shown in FIG. 2 is with a full fuel tank and all three ballast tanks 310 full. Other fuel and ballast conditions (including the location of occupants) may shift the position of the LCG forward or aft from the location shown in FIG. 2. The resultant forces from the water in the ballast tanks 310 preferably are applied aft of the LCG to achieve the desired change in pitch. In this embodiment, the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 are located aft of the control console 126 and, in particular, in the aft half of the boat 100, with the aft end of each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 being located proximate to the transom 114.

The geometry of each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 is preferably constructed to have a generally symmetrical distribution of water about the longitudinal centerline 102 of the boat 100, and in particular that the moment about the centerline of the boat created by the port ballast tank 322 when filled is balanced by the moment in the opposite direction created by the starboard ballast tank 324 when filled. In this embodiment, each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 is located along the bottom of the hull 110 and the bottom surfaces of each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 has a shape that corresponds to the adjacent part of the hull. When viewed from above (as shown in FIG. 2), each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 has a generally rectangular shape and is oriented such that the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 extend in the longitudinal direction of the boat 100. Each of the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 has an overall length in the longitudinal direction of the boat 100 that is greater than the width in the athwartships direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the boat 100. The port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324 can have other shapes as well.

The center ballast tank 326 is located between the longitudinal stringers in the center third of the boat 100. Water may be added to the center ballast tank 326 to further increase the displacement of the boat 100 and thus create a larger wake behind the boat 100. In this embodiment, the center ballast tank 326 is located in the forward half of the boat 100, forward of the LCG. In this location, the weight added by water in the center ballast tank 326 offsets some of the change in pitch caused by added ballast in ballast tanks located in the aft half of the boat 100, such as from the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324. As with the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324, the center ballast tank 326 is located in a cavity formed between the deck 160 and the hull 110 and, in this embodiment, is located at a level lower than the floor 162 of the deck 160.

Each of the ballast tanks 310 may be filled with water from the body of water in which the boat 100 sits by using a ballast fill-and-drain system 330. In this embodiment, there is a through-hull penetration for each of the ballast tanks 310. A valve 332, such as a seacock, is located at the through-hull penetration and can be opened and closed to isolate each ballast tank and its associated fill-and-drain components. At least one fill/drain line 334 connects each ballast tank to a corresponding valve 332. The fill/drain lines 334 are connected to each ballast tank 310 at a lower portion of each ballast tank 310. A ballast pump 336 is located in in each fill/drain line 334 between the valve 332 and the corresponding ballast tank 310. Each of the ballast tanks 310 also includes a vent line 338 that connects to the top of each ballast tank 310 and allows the tank to be vented to the atmosphere. The vent line 338 also may serve as an overflow, and as depicted in FIG. 4A may extend to a through hull penetration on the upper portion of the port side 116 and starboard side 118 of the hull 110. When the ballast tank 310 is full and the ballast pump 336 is operated to add water to the ballast tank 310, water is pushed out of the ballast tank 310, through the vent line 338, and allowed to stream from the side of the hull 110. Using the self-priming, reversible impeller pumps of this embodiment enables the water to remain in the ballast tanks 310 without the use of a valve in the vent line 338.

The ballast pump 336 may be operated to pump water from the body of water in which the boat sits into its corresponding ballast tank 310 via the fill/drain line 334. The ballast pumps 336 used herein are preferably self-priming, reversible impeller pumps. This allows the ballast pump 336 to also be operated in a reverse direction to drain (discharge) water from the corresponding ballast tank 310, instead of, for example, using one pump to fill and another pump to drain. A benefit of using self-priming, reversible impeller pumps in this embodiment is that the ballast tanks 310 can be filled when the boat 100 is at any speed. Unlike scoops, for example, the ballast tanks 310 can be filled while the boat 100 is stationary, but using ballast pumps 336 also allows filling the ballast tanks 310 while the boat 100 is moving through the water. A suitable high-flow pump is made by SPX/Johnson of Orebro, Sweden. Although the ballast tanks 310 of this embodiment preferably are filled using a ballast pump 336, other suitable fill-and-drain systems may be used, including, for example, a water scoop in addition to or instead of the ballast pump 336 and through-hull penetration.

The fill-and-drain system 330 may be operated through a control system for the boat 100. The control system may include a controller 340. In this embodiment, the controller 340 is a microprocessor-based controller that includes a processor 341 for performing various functions, discussed further below, and a memory 343 for storing various data. The controller 340 may also be referred to as a CPU. The various methods discussed below may be implemented by way of a series of instructions stored in the memory 343 and executed by the processor 341.

The controller 340 is communicatively coupled to at least one display screen 345. The controller 340 is configured to display on the display screen 345 various operational parameters of the boat 100, including, for example, the fill level of the ballast tanks 310. As shown in FIG. 1, the display screen 345 may be located at the control console 126 for the boat 100. Additional details of the control system may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 11,048,469, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The controller 340 also is communicatively coupled to and responsive to input. In this embodiment, the display screen 345 is a touchscreen display and is an input device. The controller 340 is configured to display user-selectable options on the display screen 345. The user-selectable options are icons displayed on the display screen 345 that may be selected by a user pressing the icon. The terms icon, virtual button, and button may be used interchangeably herein to describe these and other user-selectable options displayed by the controller 340 on the display screen 345. Other input devices may include buttons or switches that are communicatively coupled to the controller 340. For example, the boat 100 may include ballast switches 347.

There are various options for adding water to and removing water from the ballast tanks 310 and ballast bladders 350. For example, a user may move a ballast switch 347 to a fill position. The ballast switch 347 sends a signal to the controller 340 to turn on the ballast pumps 336 for the corresponding ballast tank 310 and operate the ballast pumps 336 in a direction to fill the ballast tank 310. The controller 340 receives the signal (command) from the ballast switch 347 and sends a signal to a power distribution module (PDM) to provide power to the ballast pumps 336 in a direction that fills the ballast tank 310. In response, the PDM receives electrical power from a battery of the boat 100 and then transmits power to the ballast pumps 336 to fill the ballast tank 310. When the ballast switch 347 is moved to a neutral position, the controller 340 stops receiving a fill signal (or receives a different signal) from the ballast switch 347 and the controller 340 sends a signal to the PDM to stop providing power to the ballast pumps 336. To remove water from the ballast tank 310, a user may move the corresponding ballast switch 347 to an empty position. The controller 340 and corresponding components then respond similarly as they do in response to a fill signal, but operate the ballast pumps 336 in a direction to remove water from the ballast tank 310. Instead of being a physical switch, the ballast switches 347 may be implemented as a virtual button on the display screen 345. When used as a physical switch, the ballast switches 347 may operate the ballast pumps 336 without the controller 340 and the ballast switch 347 may be part of an electrical circuit to provide power to and operate the ballast pump 336.

Instead of using the ballast switches 347, a user may select a user-selectable option, such as fill all, a wakeboard setting, or a surf setting on the display screen 345. The display screen 345 then sends a corresponding command to the controller 340. Upon receipt of the command, the controller 340 then operates the ballast pumps 336 in the appropriate direction for a predetermined amount of time to fill or empty the ballast tanks 310 to a predetermined level saved in the memory 343 and corresponding to the user-selectable option selected. A user may also input a desired level for a particular ballast tank 310 into the display screen 345 and then the controller 340 operates the ballast pumps 336 for the appropriate time to adjust the water level in the ballast tank 310 to the desired level. The controller 340 monitors the operational time of the ballast pumps 336 in a particular direction and uses the time to display the level of the ballast tanks 310 on the display screen 345. Although this embodiment uses the time of ballast pump 336 operation to set and display the appropriate level of ballast in the ballast tanks 310, other suitable methods may be used, including sensors, such as floats, communicatively coupled to the controller 340.

The ballast tanks 310 are hard-sided tanks that maintain their shape regardless of whether the ballast tank 310 contains water. In addition to the ballast tanks 310, the boat 100 also includes one or more ballast bladders 350 holding additional ballast. The ballast bladders 350 are soft-sided, allowing the ballast bladders 350 to collapse when not containing water and expand when containing water.

The ballast system 300 of this embodiment includes a plurality of ballast bladders 350. Specifically, in the depicted embodiment, the boat 100 includes a port ballast bladder 362 and a starboard ballast bladder 364. Reference numeral 350 is used to refer generically to each of these ballast bladders and the description applies individually to each of the port ballast bladder 362 and the starboard ballast bladder 364 unless otherwise noted. The ballast bladders 350 are integrated into the ballast system 300 of the boat 100. More specifically, the port ballast bladder 362 is plumbed in series with the port ballast tank 322, and the starboard ballast bladder 364 is plumbed in series with the starboard ballast tank 324. As will be discussed in more detail below, the port ballast bladder 362 and the starboard ballast bladder 364 may be fluidly connected to the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324, respectively, such that, as the port and/or starboard ballast tanks 322, 324 near being filled, the port and/or starboard ballast bladders 362, 364 begin to fill. The ballast bladders 350 may have their own vent line (a bladder vent line 339) separate from the corresponding ballast tank 310, which functions and is configured similarly to the vent line 338 of the ballast tanks 310 discussed above.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4A, the port ballast bladder 362 is positioned above the port ballast tank 322 in the compartment 180 between the engine 210 and the port side 116 of the hull 110. The partial cutaway view in FIG. 1 illustrates this positioning. Similarly, the starboard ballast bladder 364 is positioned above the starboard ballast tank 324 in the compartment 180 between the engine 210 and the starboard side 118 of the hull 110. Advantageously, by configuring the port ballast bladder 362 and the starboard ballast bladder 364 to collapsible when not in use (i.e., when not filled with water), the compartments 180 can be used for storage.

The ballast bladders 350 are detachable from the corresponding ballast tanks 310. FIG. 4B shows the ballast system 300 with the port ballast bladder 362 and the starboard ballast bladder 364 detached from the port ballast tank 322 and the starboard ballast tank 324, respectively. As discussed further below, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, each of ballast tanks 310 has a plurality of walls 312 defining a tank cavity 314 for storing water therein. The plurality of walls 312 include an upper wall 316 formed in an upper portion of the ballast tank 310. More specifically, the upper wall 316 is a top wall having a top surface on which the ballast bladder 350 may rest when attached to the ballast tank 310. An opening 318 is formed in the upper wall 316. The opening 318 is sized to allow access to the tank cavity 314. More specifically, the opening 318 is preferably sized to allow a person to place his or her hand and arm though the opening 318 to pull out material within the tank, such as plants or other matter, or to wipe clean the inside of the tank. Accordingly, the opening 318 is sized to permit at least a first to fit through the opening. The opening 318 thus includes a hand insertion area, which is an area sized and shaped for a person to insert and withdraw his or her hand. The hand insertion area preferably has a minimum dimension of at least 3.5 inches to accommodate a fist, such as at least 4 inches or at least 5 inches. Preferably, the opening 318 also allows for the hand and arm to be moved within the ballast tank 310, and the hand insertion area preferably has a minimum dimension of at least 4 inches, such as at least 6 inches or at least 7 inches. In the depicted embodiment, the opening 318 is circular and preferably has a diameter from 3.5 inches to 10 inches and, more preferably, from 6 inches to 8 inches. The upper diameter may be limited by the structural integrity of the tank and, more specifically, the upper wall 316.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one of the ballast bladders 350 connected to the ballast tank 310, such as the port ballast bladder 362 connected to the port ballast tank 322, but this discussion applies equally to the starboard ballast bladder 364 and the starboard ballast tank 324 or other tank and bladder configurations. The ballast bladder 350 directly attaches to the opening 318 and is fluidly connected to the ballast tank 310 via the opening 318.

As noted above, the ballast tank 310 is formed from a plurality of walls 312. The ballast tank 310 may be a hard-sided ballast tank with each of the walls 312 being relatively rigid, such that the ballast tank 310 maintains its shape even when water is removed from the ballast tank 310. The ballast tank 310 may be, for example, a molded plastic tank with the walls formed from crosslinked polyethylene, for example. A rotational molding (rotomolding) process may be used to form the ballast tanks 310. The plurality of walls 312 include an upper wall 316 forming an upper portion of the ballast tank 310, and, more specifically, the upper wall 316 is a top wall having a top surface on which the ballast bladder 350 may rest when attached to the ballast tank 310, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The ballast bladder 350 includes at least one flexible panel 352 defining a bladder cavity 354 for storing water therein. A plurality of flexible panels 352 may be used to form the ballast bladder 350 and define the bladder cavity 354. Each flexible panel 352 may be formed from a flexible panel that is impermeable to water and puncture resistant. Suitable flexible materials include, for example, multi-layer panels formed from inner and outer layers of flexible polyvinylchloride (PVC) with a nylon layer sandwiched between the two PVC layers. When a plurality of panels are used, the panels may be joined at seams using any suitable joining method, such as welding, that is impermeable to water. The plurality of flexible panels 352 include a lower panel 356 formed on a lower portion of the ballast bladder 350. As depicted in FIG. 5, the lower panel 356 is an underside panel formed on the bottom of the ballast bladder 350. When the ballast bladder 350 is positioned on the ballast tank 310, the upper wall 316 and the lower panel 356 oppose each other. All of the panels of the ballast bladder 350 may be flexible, but alternatively, some of the panels may be hard or rigid with other panels being flexible to allow the ballast bladder 350 to expand and contract. The ballast bladder 350 thus may including one or more panels defining the bladder cavity 354 and at least one of the panels is a flexible panel.

The ballast tank 310 and the ballast bladder 350 are directly connected to each other by a fluid coupling 400. The fluid coupling 400 includes a receiver 410 and a plug 420 engageable with the receiver 410. One of the one of the receiver 410 or the plug 420 is a tank coupling component 402 that is attached to the ballast tank 310, and the other one of the receiver 410 or the plug 420 is a bladder coupling component 404 that is attached to the ballast bladder 350. More specifically, the tank coupling component 402 is directly attached to one of the walls 312 of the ballast tank 310, such as the upper wall 316, and the bladder coupling component 404 is directly attached to one of the flexible panels 352, such as the lower panel 356. In FIG. 5, the receiver 410 is the tank coupling component 402, and the plug 420 is the bladder coupling component 404. Alternatively, the plug 420 may be the tank coupling component 402 and the receiver 410 may be the bladder coupling component 404.

When the receiver 410 and the plug 420 are engaged with each other as depicted in FIG. 5, the fluid coupling 400 defines a flow path 406 to fluidly connect the tank cavity 314 with the bladder cavity 354. The flow path 406 may be used to provide the fill and drain connection between the ballast tank 310 and the ballast bladder 350 to fill and drain the ballast bladder 350 in the manner discussed above. The receiver 410 and the plug 420 are directly connected to each other. The fluid coupling 400 may provide this fluid connection and flow path 406 without hoses or other conduits as the fill and drain connection between the ballast tank 310 and the ballast bladder 350. The fluid coupling 400 thus avoids the issues associated with kinking of the hoses or the hoses becoming disengaged from fittings and flooding the boat 100, as discussed above.

FIG. 6 is a detail view of the fluid coupling 400 showing detail 6 in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the fluid coupling 400 is shown in an engaged configuration with the plug 420 engaged with the receiver 410. In FIG. 6, the fluid coupling 400 is shown in a disengaged configuration. FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the fluid coupling 400. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the receiver 410, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the plug 420.

The receiver 410 includes a receiver body 412 including an inner surface that defines a receiver opening 414. The receiver opening 414 forms the opening 318 of the ballast tank 310 and is sized as discussed above. The receiver 410 also includes a receiver flange 416 that extends from the receiver body 412 in an outward direction from the receiver opening 414. The receiver 410 and, more specifically, the receiver body 412 and the receiver flange 416, are directly attached to the upper wall 316 to form a watertight seal. The receiver flange 416 can be used to form a watertight seal with the tank 310. For example, a fastener (such as a bolt engaging with an insert nut formed in the tank) may be inserted though the flange to attach the receiver 410 to the upper wall 316 and a gasket or O-ring, forming a water-tight seal, may be located between the receiver flange 416 and the top surface of the upper wall 316.

The plug 420 also includes a plug body 422 having an interior surface that defines a plug opening 424. When the plug 420 is engaged with the receiver 410 (as shown in FIG. 5), the plug body 422 is inserted into the receiver opening 414 such that the plug opening 424 forms, at least in part, the flow path 406 of the fluid coupling 400. The receiver opening 414 may also form, at least in part, a portion of the flow path 406 in conjunction with the plug opening 424. When the plug is engaged with the receiver, the opening of the tank coupling component 402 (e.g., the receiver opening 414 of the receiver 410) is aligned with the opening of the bladder coupling component 404 (e.g., the plug opening 424 of the plug body 422) to form the flow path 406.

As discussed above, the receiver opening 414 has a large area to allow a hand to be inserted and removed. This large area can also advantageously be used to provide a large flow path 406 between the tank cavity 314 and the bladder cavity 354. The plug opening 424 may thus be sized similarly to the receiver opening 414, but smaller by the thickness of the plug body 422 (and appropriate tolerances). The plug opening 424 may thus have a minimum dimension of at least 3.5 inches, such as at least 4 inches, at least 5 inches, at least 6 inches, or at least 7 inches. In the depicted embodiment, the plug opening 424 is circular and preferably has a diameter from 3.5 inches to 10 inches and, more preferably, from 6 inches to 8 inches.

The plug 420 includes a plug flange 426 that extends from the plug opening 424 in an outward direction from the plug opening 424. The plug flange 426 may be positioned to contact the lower panel 356 of the ballast bladder 350 and form a watertight seal therebetween. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the plug flange 426 may be positioned within the bladder cavity 354 and an outward facing surface of the plug flange 426 contacts the inner surface of the bladder cavity 354. The plug 420 may be attached by applying an adhesive or by welding the plug 420 and, more specifically, the plug flange 426, to the lower panel 356.

The receiver 410 and the plug 420 can be engaged with each other using various suitable means. For example, the receiver 410 and the plug 420 can be engaged using a threaded connection. Advantageously, the plug 420 engages with the receiver 410 without the ballast bladder 350 rotating more than one full turn. For example, the plug 420 may engage with the receiver 410 by rotating at least one of the plug 420 and the receiver 410, with the relative rotation between the plug and receiver being less than a full turn, such as from 1/72 of a turn (5 degrees) to ½ of a turn (180 degrees).

One of the receiver 410 or the plug 420 may include a slot 432 and the other one of the receiver 410 or the plug 420 includes a locking projection 434 engageable with the slot 432. As depicted in FIGS. 7-9, the locking projection 434 is formed on the receiver 410 and the slot 432 is formed in the plug 420. Alternatively, the slot 432 may be formed in the receiver 410 and the locking projection 434 may be formed on the plug 420. The locking projection 434 may be formed on the receiver body 412, such as on the inner surface of the receiver body 412, to project into the receiver opening 414. A plurality of locking projections 434 and corresponding slots 432 (a plurality of slots 432) may be used, such as two locking projection 434 spaced 180 degrees apart or four locking projections 434 spaced around the inner surface of the receiver body 412. The slot 432 may be formed on the plug body 422, such as on an exterior surface of the plug body 422. Although depicted as only partially extending though the thickness of the plug body 422, the slot 432 may extend through the entire thickness of the plug body 422 such that the locking projection 434 also projects into the plug opening 424 when engaged with the slot 432.

The slot 432 may be shaped for the locking projection 434 to move from a disengaged position to an engaged position by relative rotation of less than a full turn. The plug 420 and, more specifically, the plug body 422, may be slid into the receiver opening 414 with a slot opening 436 aligned with the locking projection 434 so the locking projection 434 can be inserted into the slot 432 through the slot opening 436 (a disengaged position). Then the plug 420 is rotated allowing the locking projection 434 to travel within the slot 432 to an engaged position. The slot 432 may have a hook shape or a protruding portion 438 (forming the hook shape as depicted in FIGS. 7 and 9) to prevent rotation of the plug 420 from disengaging the locking projection 434 from the slot 432 without a force exerted in another direction (e.g., an axial direction of the plug opening 424).

To empty the ballast bladder 350, the ballast pumps 336 may be operated to create suction and draw water out of the ballast tank 310 and ballast bladder 350. As noted above, the panels 352 of the ballast bladder 350 are flexible, and as the bladder cavity 354 is emptied of water, the flexible panels 352 collapse. The fluid coupling 400 includes features, such as on or attached to the tank coupling component 402, that prevent one or more of the flexible panels 352 from being suctioned into the flow path 406 and creating a seal. Forming such a seal could result in a vacuum being formed in the ballast tank 310, leading to cracking of the ballast tank 310 or other damage within the ballast system 300.

The fluid coupling 400 thus includes at least one projection 408 projecting into the bladder cavity 354 proximate the plug opening 424. The projection 408 is preferably close enough to the plug opening 424 to maintain a gap between a collapsed flexible panel 352 and the plug opening 424, thereby preventing a seal from forming. The flexible panel 352 may have a minimum bending radius, and the projection 408 can be located proximate to the plug opening 424 by being closer to the plug opening 424 than the minimum bending radius. Various different projections 408 may be used, including projections extending from the plug flange 426 or an extension of the plug body 422 into the bladder cavity 354. The fluid coupling 400 includes a screen 440 as the projection 408. Although the screen 440 is depicted as a separate component of the fluid coupling 400, the screen 440 (and projection 408) may be formed integrally with the fluid coupling 400, such as integrally with the bladder coupling component 404.

The screen 440 includes a grating 442 located in the flow path 406 and, more specifically, in the plug opening 424. The grating 442 includes a framework of parallel or crossed bars that prevent the flexible panel 352 from being drawn into the plug opening 424 while allowing water to flow freely through the grating 442. Although the grating 442 may be flat or have other shapes, the screen 440 and, more specifically, the grating 442, preferably projects into the bladder cavity 354, as discussed above. The grating 442 may have a curved shape to help maintain the gap to prevent suction and, as depicted in FIGS. 6-8, the grating 442 has a dome shape. As noted above, other projections 408 may be used and these projections 408 also may preferably have curved shape.

Although this invention has been described with respect to certain specific exemplary embodiments, many additional modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure. It is, therefore, to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supportable by this application and the equivalents thereof, rather than by the foregoing description.

BALLAST BLADDER AND BALLAST SYSTEM FOR A BOAT

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Provisional Applications (1)