Patent Application
20240417043
The present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous chassis for a pontoon boat. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous chassis for a pontoon boat having two outer tubes and a center tube. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous tube configuration for a tritoon boat having two outer tubes and a center tube, the outer tubes having lifting strakes and the center tube having chines.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Pontoon boats comprise a wide, flat deck supported by a plurality of tubes, or toons. For clarity, when the term “tube” is used herein, it is used interchangeably with “toon” and no particular geometry is intended to be conveyed. Pontoons are typically available in two-tube and three-tube designs.
The configuration of the tubes beneath the boat is often determined based on a compromise of speed, maneuverability, and ride quality. Ride quality refers to the ability to hit waves with minimal bouncing and minimal acceleration or slamming felt by the boat passengers. With specific reference to tritoons, there is an advantage for much of the boats performance to be driven by the design and shape of the center tube. With increased lift from the center tube comes increased speed and efficiency, the boat glides more on the center tube with the outboard tubes providing stability, and when the boat enters a turn it is encouraged to lean into the turn. The characteristic of leaning into a turn, commonly called banking angle or heel angle, is highly desirable as it improves the boats ability to make sharper turns, increases its ability to maintain speed in turns, and also makes it much more comfortable for the boat passengers during turning maneuvers. The center tube design that can provide more lift but also improve turning and reduce slamming makes the boat more comfortable, easier to maneuver, and more capable in rougher water. A pontoon with triple tubes will have a higher horsepower rating than a model with two tubes, and thus is capable of higher speed. The center tube increases the boat's capacity so it can be physically larger, can carry more weight including gear, amenities, passengers, and fuel.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a tube configuration for a pontoon boat that maximizes turning capabilities and maneuverability, provides the most comfortable ride quality and delivers high efficiency to achieve high speeds and great fuel economy.
The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments.
A chassis for a tritoon boat is provided. The chassis includes two outer tubes and a center tube. The outer tubes and center tube may be provided below, and may support, a platform/deck. The center tube may include a length and a nose cone. Chines extend along a bottom surface of the center tube, proximate side walls of the center tube, and meet at a forward tip of the nose conc. The nose cone may taper upwardly to the tip. The outer tubes may be round. The outer tubes may each include a front nose cone, a lifting strake along a surface facing the center tube, and a spray deflector generally opposite each the lifting strake. The spray deflector deflects spray away from the boat and facilitates the boat achieving faster speeds. Spray shields may be provided at or near the nose cone. In the embodiment shown, the spray shields are formed into the top of the nose cone. Alternatively, other types of spray shields may be used or the spray shield may be omitted.
The center tube may have a top surface, a bottom surface, and two side walls, with the two side walls. In some embodiments, the side walls may be provided at approximately 90 degree angles to the top surface. In other embodiments, the side walls may taper (be angled) from the top surface.
In some embodiments, The bottom surface may have a soft taper to a wide point. On each side of the point, the bottom surface may include a first angled portion (extending from the tip) and one or more chines. A second angled portion, referred to as a riding surface, (extending to the side wall) may be provided between the outermost chines and the side walls. Alternatively, no riding surfaces may be provided.
In other embodiments, the bottom surface may include a generally central flat surface. The generally central flat surface may lead to a one or more chines on each side thereof. A riding surface may be provided between the outermost chines and the side walls. Alternative, no riding surfaces may be provided.
In some embodiments, a tritoon chassis is provided comprising two outer tubes and a center tube. The center tube may comprise a nose cone at a forward end of the center tube and chines extending along a bottom surface of the center tube, proximate side walls of the center tube. The chines of the center tube may be integrated along a shape of the center tube, extend along a bottom surface of the center tube, and extend along the nose cone of the center tube. The center tube may have a V-shaped bottom surface or a flat bottom surface. The center tube may comprise a nose cone, which may be upwardly tapered.
Each outer tube may comprise a lifting strake along a surface facing the center tune. Each outer tube may further comprise a spray deflector opposite the surface on which the lifting strake is positioned.
The center tube may comprises a nose cone and a body. The body may include a compartment and a fuel shelf. In some embodiments, the nose cone, compartment, and fuel shelf may be modular.
While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures, in which:
The present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous chassis for a pontoon boat. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a chassis for a pontoon boat having a novel and advantageous tube configuration. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous tube configuration for a tritoon boat.
A novel tritoon boat chassis is disclosed. The tritoon chassis includes a platform or deck and three tubes running longitudinally along a bottom surface of the platform. The three tubes comprise a center tube and two outer tubes. The outer tubes may be provided with lifting strakes. The center tube has two side walls and a bottom surface. One or more chines may be provided along the bottom surface proximate each side wall.
The center tube may be provided with a generally rectangular cross section and a principally flat bottom surface tapering to wide central point, forming a V-shaped bottom surface. This design provides excellent speed and efficiency along with excellent ride quality and sea keeping combined with enhanced maneuverability. The disclosed tritoon boat has efficiency benefits over existing pontoon boats that improve fuel economy, make for a smoother ride at lower planing speeds, and help to reduce sound by requiring less power and lower motor rpm to maintain planing speed. In alternative embodiments, the bottom surface may be flat.
In some embodiments, the center tube design combines benefits of a V-hull design, a flat plane design, and/or a chine design. In further embodiments, the center tube may include riding surfaces and/or tapered side walls for various performance benefits. The V-shaped hull of the center tube comprises a large principally flat plane and with a V-shaped point, providing significant lifting. More specifically, the shape of the bottom surface takes advantage of the benefits of a relatively flat bottom surface (a performance planing surface) while adding the water deflection and lifting benefits of a chine. The relatively flat bottom surface with a V-point and chines provides maneuverability and ride quality benefits of a performance planing surface as well as the speed benefits and water deflection benefits of a chine.
Chine and reverse chine are used interchangeably herein. The chines provided along the bottom surface of the center tube may have a downward angle to deflect water downwardly, thereby generating lift. Chines may be provided along the bottom surface, with at least one chine proximate each of the side walls of the center tube to deflect displaced water downwardly as the water travels up the V-shape. The size of the chines may be designed to be large enough to fully deflect the water (not letting it roll over and spray upwardly into the outer tubes). The chines may be placed at an outboard location where water is displaced and travels up the V to maximize lift and reduce drag. In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the center tube may not be V-shaped.
The chassis includes two outer tubes 102, and a center tube 101. The outer tubes 102 and center tube 101 are provided below, and generally support, a deck or platform 103.
In the embodiment shown, each of the outer tubes 102 have a body 110 with generally circular cross section and a forwardly extending cone, also referred to as a nose cone, 112 at the front, or bow, of the outer tube 102. It is to be appreciated that other shapes could alternatively be used. As shown, each of the outer tubes 102 may include a lifting strake 106 along a surface facing the center tube 101, and a spray deflector 104, also referred to as a flow separator, generally opposite each the lifting strake 106. The spray deflector 104 deflects spray away from the boat and facilitates the boat achieving faster speeds. The spray deflector 104 may comprise a strake. In the embodiment shown, the spray deflector 104 is a relatively small strake. In other embodiments, the spray deflector may comprise a larger strake such as those provided on the outer tubes 102. Spray shields 114 may be provided at or near the nose conc. In the embodiment shown, the spray shields are formed into the top of the nose cone. Alternatively, other types of spray shields may be used or the spray shield may be omitted. The spray shields 114 reduce spray and are shaped and positioned to deflect water downwardly, thereby generating lift. The spray shields assist in generating lift near the bow, which assists with a faster holeshot and getting on plane quicker and more efficiently. The incident water helps pull the front of the boat out of the water and on plane.
The lifting strakes 106 may comprise elongated triangular structures affixed, for example via welding, to the outer tubes 102. The lifting strakes 106 extend along the length of the body 110 of the outer tubes 102 or some portion thereof. For example, the lifting strakes 106 may run the length of the outer tube, truncating at the nose cone seam. In some embodiments, the lifting strake may be curved upwardly at the nose cone scam to act as spray deflectors. The lifting strakes 106 raise the angle of the outer tubes 102 to improve hydrodynamics by reducing drag. When the engine is running, water pushes against the lifting strakes 106, which raises the angle of the outer tubes 102, which in turn causes the pontoon boat to ride higher in the water, thus decreasing drag and bringing a lot of benefits. The lifting strakes 106 effectively facilitate a faster boat speed by lifting the boat to the surface of the water and enhance ride quality, or the boat's performance in rough waters. In general, the location and size of lifting strakes 106 can a trade-off between effective turning/maneuverability and increased lift (i.e. speed and efficiency).
If a large strake is placed on the outside (facing away from the center tube) of the outer tube (such as in the same location/configuration as the strake on the inner side of the outer tube), it will provide speed and efficiency benefits for the boat when running in a straight line. However, when the boat turns, the outside strake is pushed into the water and generates lift on that side of the boat only which opposes the desired banking/maneuverability of the boat. If strakes are only mounted on the inner side (facing towards the center tube) of the outer tubes, a larger strake will provide more lift in a straight line, but when the boat turns, this larger inside strake is driven into the water and generates opposing lift to the desired banking of the boat. The impact of these opposing turn strake lift forces becomes more detrimental as you move outboard of the longitudinal center of gravity of the boat.
In various embodiments, the outer tubes may be made of aluminum sheets to be lightweight and strong. The tubes may have any suitable diameter, such as 25″ or 27″ diameter. The tubes may have any suitable length, such as from 16 ft (plus a 4 ft long nose cone) to 29 ft (plus a 4 ft long nose cone). The strakes may be aluminum to facilitate welding to the outer tubes. In one embodiment, the outer spray deflector comprises 0.75″ triangle to limit generation of lift opposing a turn but providing an advantage in lift/efficiency. The outer spray deflector may be located on the outer tube at a location that the boat rarely banks enough to oppose the turn). The strakes may be approximately 5″ long and mounted on the inner surface (towards the center tube) may slightly curved like a hydro foil on the bottom surface. In other embodiments, the strakes may have any suitable length.
The center tube 101 has a body 128 and a forwardly extending tip 126 (also referred to as a nose cone) at the front, or bow, of the center tube 101. The body 128 has a generally rectangular cross section with two side walls 120, and a bottom surface 122, and a top surface. In some embodiments, the top surface may be at least partially open. The two side walls 120 are provided at approximately 90 degree angles, or perpendicular, to the top surface. In other embodiments, discussed more fully below, the side walls may be angled or tapered and may not be perpendicular to the top surface. The bottom surface 122 is principally planar with a soft taper to a wide bottom point 124. The bottom point 124 extends longitudinally along the bottom surface. This is referred to as a V-shaped hull.
The center tube 101 may be provided with chines 105 running along a length thereof. The chines 105 extend along the bottom surface of the center tube, proximate the side walls, and meet at a forward tip of the center tube.
On each side of the bottom point 124, the bottom surface 122 includes a first angled portion 132 (extending from the bottom point), a chine 130, and a second angled portion 134 (extending to the side wall). The second angled portion 134 may be referred to as a riding surface that provides planing and lift benefits when banking through a turn, thereby assisting in maneuverability of the boat. The chine is generally pressed flat. Water moves along the first angled portions 132 of the bottom surface. The water is then pushed downwardly by the chines 130. More specifically, the chines 130 deflect water downwardly, reduce drag, and add lift.
The lifting strakes 106 on the outer tubes 102 and the chines 105 on the center tube 101 cooperate to lift the pontoon higher in the water. This combination of features assists in allowing the pontoon to achieve a higher speed while maintaining maneuverability and high ride quality. The outer lifting strake size and location may be selected based on the heeling capabilities of the boat such that in a sharp turn; the lifting strake is not generating lift that opposes the intended turning direction of the boat. The lower (the closer to the bottom of the tube) the strake is mounted, the sooner it will oppose the turning of the boat. The larger the strake, the more lifting force it has to force the boat back out of the water (opposing the turn). Thus, for example, for a boat able to bank at 15 degrees, the spray deflector 104 (the smaller outside strake) may be placed in a position such that when the boat is at the bank angle of 15 degrees, the strake is straight up and down (like the keel on the bottom of the outer tubes).
As discussed, the center tube 101 includes a body 122 and a tip (or nose cone) 126 at a forward end of the body. The body may comprise a compartment 140, a shelf 142, and a transom 144. A compartment door 146 is provided for accessing an interior of the compartment 140. The compartment 140 may be designed as a ski locker. The shelf 142 may comprise a fuel shelf.
The nose cone 126 tapers upwardly to the tip. The nose cone 126 is the portion of the tube that cuts through water and may be configured to be hydrodynamically upwardly tapered to assist the boat in getting on plane faster and cut through the waves, providing ride quality and efficiency benefits. In various embodiments, the nose cone may be made of 0.1″ or 0.125″ thick (depending on horsepower rating) aluminum material and reinforced with a bracket to prevent damage from waves. The transom 144 is a vertical reinforcement that reinforces the rear, or stern, of the center tube. The motor is mounted on the transom.
The chines on center tube may vary in size depending on the width of the center tube.
The center tube 101 has a body having a generally rectangular cross section with two side walls 120, a bottom surface 122, and a top surface. The two side walls 120 are angled at more than 90 degrees relative the top surface. The top surface may be partially or fully open and is used for mounting the platform or deck. The angled side walls maximize buoyancy and capacity while allowing for more space between the most inner point of the strake (attached to the outer tube) and the bottom surface of the center tube 101. Increasing this spacing allows waterflow be ventilated between the tubes and reduces drag-allowing for a more efficient ride.
The bottom surface 122 is principally planar with a soft taper to a wide bottom point 124. The bottom point 124 extends longitudinally along the bottom surface. On each side of the bottom point 124, the bottom surface 122 includes a first angled portion 132 (extending from the bottom point), a chine 130, and a second angled portion 134 (extending to the side wall). The chine is generally pressed flat.
In various embodiments, the bottom surface (flat or V-shaped), the angle of the chines, and the number of chines may be varied.
The center tube may be provided with a V-shaped bottom, as described above, or a flat bottom. A V-shaped bottom provides less lift than a flat bottom, but provides better seakeeping and maneuverability (acts like a tracking element). A flat bottom provides more lift and efficiency at the expense of seakeeping and maneuverability.
The center tube may be single chine (with a single chine provided along the bottom surface near each side wall) or multi-chine (with multiple chines provided along the bottom surface approaching each side wall). Chines turn down water and generate lift, and also separate water from the hull to reduce drag. Increased lift and decreased drag both contribute to efficiency of the hull. A larger chine generates more lift with less turning benefits and increasing the number of chines while decreasing the size of the chines is a method to circumnavigate this trade off.
As the size of a chine increases, ride/maneuverability decrease while speed/efficiency increase (due to increased lift). Adding more chines has a similar effect. However, replacing one large chine located in one location with two smaller chines located in different locations retains lift benefits without sacrificing as much of the ride/maneuverability.
Increasing both the size of the chines and the number of large chines will decrease maneuverability/ride, but a trade off can be found by decreasing the chine size and varying the location for different operation modes of the boat.
The benefit of more than one chine is that benefits are provided at different speeds as the boat changes pitch and gets to planing speeds. For example, a double chine might have one chine to increase efficiency while getting up to speed, but once on plane it is out of the water and the other chine provides benefits. There is an extra benefit in increasing the number of chines from one to two, while decreasing their size in that it allows generation of similar lift to a single large chine without giving up as much maneuverability/ride.
Accordingly, one option is to maintain or only slightly increase the total chine size (the cumulative size of all chines contributing to lift) while increasing the number of chines. For example, if one chine is X centimeters wide in a single chine embodiment, two chines in a double chine embodiment would each be X/2 centimeters wide. This keeps the projected lifting surfaces the same to provide an advantage where the same amount of lift can be generated, but provides additional stability and maneuverability benefits. As the number of chines increase and the size of the chines decreases, lifting forces are kept approximately the same to maintain efficiency, but the shape of the hull is increasingly circular and allows the boat to “roll and bank” in turns without degradation of maneuverability, whereas less/larger chines are more prone to catching in a turn.
The riding surface (the bend in the bottom surface just outside the outermost chine) acts as a flat surface when the boat is turning to generate more lift and allows the boat to maintain speed through a turn. Eliminating this riding surface helps to deflect more water down when in a straight line to achieve more top end speed at the expense of efficiency in turns.
As shown, the chassis includes two outer tubes and a center tube. The center tube has a tip (not shown), a body, and an end portion. The body has a bottom surface and two side walls. The bottom surface 122 that principally planar with a soft taper to a wide bottom point 124. Reverse chines are provided along the bottom surface near the side walls. It is to be appreciated that in alternative embodiments the bottom surface may be alternatively configured. Similarly, more than single chines may be provided. The end portion has a bottom surface and two side walls. The bottom surface is flat. A bulkhead may be provided to seal the section between the body and the end portion. The end portion provides better planing and additional lift when the boat is pitched up and on-plane, providing an efficiency benefit. More specifically, when the boat is pitched, the water pressure rides on the flat surface of the end portion, which generates more lift.
The aspects described herein are intended to combine benefits of various constructions to maximize maneuverability, ride quality, and speed. An intent is to improve efficiency and speed while minimally impacting ride quality and seakeeping capabilities.
With regards to turning and banking, adding an outward strake may reduce banking angle and increase turning radius. Increasing outer hull deadrise may counteract this impact. A hard chine center tube may have similar impacts. With regards to seakeeping and wave slamming, adding an outboard strake and chines on the center rube may increase potential slamming forces. Increasing deadrise and reducing strake down angle can decrease the slamming forces.
In some embodiments, the center tube 1 may have a modular construction.
The modular build approach increases speed of manufacturing. Boats are sold at specific lengths, so by intelligently selecting the size of the fuel shelf and ski locker, the previously unused empty space can be used as value (larger fuel tanks and/or larger ski lockers). Almost all center tubes in the industry are built as a single unit all at one time. The modular design and manufacturing approach enables more expertise to be developed on the specific “modules” and allows for smaller modules to be built and then assembled.
As used herein, the terms “substantially” or “generally” refer to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” or “generally” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, the nearness of completion will be so as to have generally the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” or “generally” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an element, combination, embodiment, or composition that is “substantially free of” or “generally free of” an element may still actually contain such element as long as there is generally no significant effect thereof.
To aid the Patent Office and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wish to note that they do not intend any of the appended claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.
Additionally, as used herein, the phrase “at least one of [X] and [Y],” where X and Y are different components that may be included in an embodiment of the present disclosure, means that the embodiment could include component X without component Y, the embodiment could include the component Y without component X, or the embodiment could include both components X and Y. Similarly, when used with respect to three or more components, such as “at least one of [X], [Y], and [Z],” the phrase means that the embodiment could include any one of the three or more components, any combination or sub-combination of any of the components, or all of the components.
In the foregoing description various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The various embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principals of the disclosure and their practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
The present disclosure claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/472,812, entitled Chassis for a Pontoon Boat, filed 13 Jun. 2023, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/472,809, entitled Chassis for a Pontoon Boat, filed 13 Jun. 2023, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63472809 | Jun 2023 | US | |
| 63472812 | Jun 2023 | US |
