Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6192817
-
Patent Number
6,192,817
-
Date Filed
Thursday, July 8, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, February 27, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Morano; S. Joseph
- Wright; Andrew
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 114 555
- 114 5551
- 114 5554
- 114 5556
- 114 5557
- 114 5558
- 114 270
- 440 38
- 440 46
- 441 65
- 441 74
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A powered surfboard includes a board defining a stem and a stern. An internal combustion engine is housed within the board closer to the stern than the stem. The exhaust system extends fore of the internal combustion before it bends back on itself and terminates at a position aft of the bend. This configuration acts as a valve in that, under typical operating conditions, water will not pass through the exhaust system to reach the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine is connected to a pump which receives the force produced by the internal combustion engine to force water to pass therethrough propelling the powered surfboard forward. The pump and the internal combustion engine are connected to the same interior surface of the hull of the board to reduce the amount of misalignment therebetween.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to watercraft. More specifically, the invention relates to powered surfboards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal watercraft have given much pleasure to people who enjoy recreation and sports on navigable bodies of water. It has only been recent in the history of personal watercraft that motorized personal watercraft have made great strides in providing pleasure at a reasonable cost. These motorized personal watercrafts, the most common of which are wave runners and jet skis, have several disadvantages to their design. First, wave runners and jet skis are operated in a fashion such that they do not assimilate surfing, either wave surfing or wind surfing. This prevents the user of either of these watercrafts from working or using body balance as a primary source of direction. Essentially, the users of these craft steer the water jet propelling stream of water to move in a desired direction. Second, the weight of these watercraft are extreme. Typically, such watercraft require at least two people to move the watercraft when out of the water and require trailers for transport and/or launch. This restricts the use of these watercraft to only being used when two people are present to put the watercraft into and out of the water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,529, issued to Montgomery on Dec. 10, 1996, discloses a personal watercraft. This watercraft is singular in construction in that there are no secondary structures extending out from a primary structure. A deck is used by the operator to lay on or stand on as is desired by the operator. An internal combustion engine is housed in the center of this watercraft fore of the deck upon which the operator is positioned. Output and exhaust fumes are transmitted out of the internal combustion engine toward the stern of the watercraft. While this design more approximates surfing, it is not an optimal design. First, the internal combustion engine is housed in front of the deck for the operator and prevents the operator from guiding the watercraft with agility due to the displaced center of gravity of the watercraft and the operator to a position in front of the operator. While sharp edges protruding from the bottom of the hull (183A, 183B) were introduced into this watercraft to overcome this displaced center of gravity, these edges do little to overcome the displaced center of gravity to the position in front of the operator. Second, the watercraft is of a weight which requires at least two people to move the watercraft to and from the water. As stated above, this is a disadvantage especially in light of the fact that this watercraft is designed only to have a single operator on the deck thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
A watercraft for movement in water includes a board having a stem and a stern. An interior compartment is defined therebetween. A longitudinal axis extends through the board between the stem and the stern. The watercraft includes an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine is housed within the interior compartment of the board. The internal combustion engine generates an output force and exhaust fumes as a result of its consumption of fuel. The watercraft includes a pump which is connected to the internal combustion engine. The pump receives the force from the internal combustion engine to force a portion of the water therethrough. The watercraft includes an exhaust assembly which extends out from the internal combustion engine fore of the internal combustion engine toward the stem of the board.
One advantage associated with the invention includes the ability to operate a watercraft similar to that of a wave surfing watercraft or a wind surfing watercraft. Another advantage associated with the invention is the ability to generate a force to move the watercraft absent waves and/or wind. Still another advantage associated with the invention is a watercraft of reduced weight such that a single person may move the watercraft into and out of water. Yet another advantage associated with the invention is a watercraft having a center of gravity substantially in line with the center of gravity of the operator of the watercraft as the operator operates the watercraft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention as it is operated;
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3
is a top view of one embodiment of the invention with the top of the board removed therefrom; and
FIG. 4
is a side view partially cut away of one embodiment of a pump to be used with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
Referring to the Figures, a watercraft is generally indicated at
10
. The watercraft
10
is a powered surfboard. The powered surfboard
10
is driven by an operator
12
who, as is shown in
FIG. 1
, may stand on the powered surfboard
10
. The operator
12
will have a center of gravity which will extend over the back half of the powered surfboard
10
. This center of gravity will be discussed in greater detail subsequently.
The operator
12
controls the speed of the powered surfboard via a throttle cable
14
. The throttle cable
14
includes a handle
16
which will have a throttle control device
18
(best shown in FIG.
3
). An automatic disengagement switch
20
is remotely controlled by a disengagement cable
22
which is attached to the operator
12
during operation. If the operator
12
should fall off the powered surfboard
10
, the disengagement cable
22
, attached to the operator
12
, will throw the automatic disengagement switch
20
to turn an internal combustion engine
24
off. The internal combustion engine
24
powers the powered surfboard
10
and will be discussed in greater detail subsequently. It may be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in an alternative embodiment, the disengagement switch
20
may be a pressure button located on the throttle handle
16
.
The powered surfboard
10
includes a board generally shown at
26
. The board
26
defines a stem
28
and a stern
30
. It may be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the stem
28
is often referred to as the bow and the stern
30
is often referred to as the tail. The board
26
defines an interior compartment
32
which is substantially enclosed by the board
26
. The board
26
includes a deck
34
and a hull
36
. The deck
34
will include an access door
38
to allow access to the interior compartment
32
. The stem
28
and stern
30
define a longitudinal axis
40
which extends through the interior compartment
32
of the board
26
.
The internal combustion engine
24
is housed within the interior compartment
32
of the board
26
. The internal combustion engine
24
is mounted to an interior surface
42
of a bottom shell
44
of the hull
36
. The bottom shell
44
also includes an exterior surface
46
upon which the board
26
rests on water
48
.
More specifically, the internal combustion engine
24
rests on engine mounts
50
which extends out from the interior surface
42
. The engine mounts
50
act as a platform and includes an angled surface
52
which is designed to provide an optimal output of the internal combustion engine
24
as it rests on the water
48
.
The internal combustion engine
24
includes a flywheel
54
and an exhaust port
56
. The flywheel
54
, attached to a crank shaft (not shown), rotates when the internal combustion engine
24
is on.
A pump
58
is connected to the internal combustion engine
24
and receives the output force created by the internal combustion engine
24
. The pump
58
is designed to push a portion of the water
48
upon which the board
26
rests therethrough in order that it may propel the powered surfboard
10
through the water
48
in a direction desired by the operator
12
. The pump
58
is connected to the internal combustion engine
24
via a shaft
60
which may be fixedly secured to the flywheel
54
of the internal combustion engine
24
. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the shaft
60
may be connected to another portion of the internal combustion engine
24
other than the flywheel
54
. The shaft
60
is connected to the flywheel
54
via a coupling
61
as a means to expediently connect the internal combustion engine
24
to the pump
58
.
The pump
58
includes an inlet port
62
and an outlet port
64
. Water
48
passes into the pump
58
through the inlet port
62
and out therefrom through the outlet port
64
. An impeller
66
having a plurality of blades
67
is fixedly secured to the shaft
60
. The rotation of the impeller
66
provides the necessary flow of the water
48
through an internal chamber
68
of the pump
58
which extends between the inlet
62
and outlet
64
ports. A nozzle
70
is disposed adjacent the outlet port
64
to control the direction of water
48
flowing through the pump
58
.
The pump
58
is also secured to the interior surface
42
of the bottom shell
44
. More specifically, because the pump
58
and the internal combustion engine
24
are fixedly secured to the same surface, i.e., the interior surface
42
of the bottom shell
44
, the coupling
61
required to couple the impeller
66
and its impeller shaft
60
to the flywheel
54
is small and light-weight.
An inlet grate
82
covers the inlet port
62
of the pump
58
. The inlet grate
82
protects the impeller
66
by preventing anything other than the water
48
from passing therethrough. The inlet grate
82
prevents objects from passing through the internal chamber
68
. The inlet grate
82
is secured to the pump
58
by fasteners
84
(one shown). The inlet grate
82
and the pump
58
are designed such that the inlet grate
82
is flush with the external surface
46
and the bottom of the pump
58
.
An exhaust assembly, generally shown at
86
, is connected to the exhaust port
56
of the internal combustion engine
24
. The exhaust assembly
86
extends out from the internal combustion engine
24
fore of the internal combustion engine
24
toward the stem
28
of the powered surfboard
10
. More specifically, the exhaust assembly
86
includes a forward portion
86
a
which extends out from the exhaust port
56
toward the front of the powered surfboard
10
. A return portion
86
b
extends back toward the stern
30
. The exhaust assembly
86
, including an exhaust pipe
87
which is connected to the exhaust port
56
, extends in front of a plane
88
which represents a front face
90
of the internal combustion engine
24
. The exhaust port
56
is located on the front face
90
. Exhausting the exhaust fumes created by the internal combustion engine
24
fore of the internal combustion engine
24
results in the exhaust fumes traveling, at least at some point, in a direction that of the powered surfboard
10
. More specifically, the exhaust fumes travel toward the stem
28
of the powered surfboard
10
before it exits the exhaust assembly
86
and the powered surfboard
10
.
In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the forward portion
86
a
would not be the first portion of the exhaust assembly
86
as shown in the Figures. In this alternative embodiment, the forward portion
86
a
extends both fore and aft the internal combustion engine
24
and/or the plane
88
thereof.
The exhaust assembly
86
includes an exhaust pipe extension
92
. The exhaust pipe extension
92
is fixedly secured to the exhaust pipe
87
. The exhaust pipe extension
92
is a tube including a first portion
94
which is fixedly secured to the exhaust pipe
87
, a second portion
96
which extends out to a distal end
98
and an extension bend
100
disposed therebetween. Because the first portion
94
is extending upwardly toward the deck
34
due to the angle of the engine mounts
50
, the bend
100
forces the second portion
96
to extend downwardly toward the bottom shell
44
of the board
26
. The bend
100
allows the exhaust pipe extension
92
to be of a desired length without contacting the deck
34
. In addition, the bend
100
acts as a trap requiring water
48
found inside the exhaust assembly
86
to increase a level greater than that of the bend
100
before the water
48
will enter the exhaust port
56
and damage the internal combustion engine
24
. More specifically, the bend
100
acts as a valve preventing water
48
which may enter the exhaust assembly
86
from entering the internal combustion engine
24
.
The exhaust assembly
86
also includes an expansion chamber
102
. The expansion chamber
102
acts as a muffler deadening the noise generated by the internal combustion engine
24
when it combusts its fuel. The positioning of the distal end
98
of the exhaust pipe extension
92
up and away from the bottom wall of the expansion tube further magnifies the affect of a valve created by the bend
100
in the exhaust pipe extension
92
by being available to collect any water which may make it through the exhaust assembly
86
.
The exhaust assembly
86
also includes an exhaust pipe
104
which extends even further toward the stem
28
of the board
26
. The exhaust pipe
104
then bends back at an exhaust pipe bend
106
whereafter the exhaust pipe
104
traverses back past the internal combustion engine
24
toward the stern
30
of the board
26
. The exhaust pipe bend
106
is closer to the stem
28
of the board
26
than the internal combustion engine
24
. The exhaust pipe
104
extends to a location
108
aft of the internal combustion engine
24
. In the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1 through 3
, the exhaust pipe
104
ends at the stern
30
of the board
26
. In a second embodiment shown in
FIG. 4
, the exhaust pipe
104
extends down through a first fin
144
, discussed subsequently. The location
108
of the termination end
110
of the exhaust pipe
104
is located a distance from the longitudinal axis
40
of the board
26
. This design allows for the exhaust pipe
104
to drain itself of any water which may have accumulated in the exhaust pipe
104
after the engine
24
stops when the board
26
is lifted and turned on its side utilizing the slope of the exhaust pipe
104
between the exhaust pipe bend
106
and the termination end
110
.
The exhaust pipe bend
106
which is disposed adjacent the stem
28
also acts as a trap for any water
48
which may enter the termination end
110
of the exhaust pipe
104
. More specifically, if the stern
30
is weighted down in the water
48
such that the stern
30
is below water
48
, the stem
28
of the powered surfboard
10
is extending up into the air. This location of the stem
28
prevents water
48
from traveling up the exhaust pipe
104
, past the exhaust pipe bend
106
and back down into the internal combustion engine
24
. Likewise, if the stem
28
is weighted down such that the stem
28
is under water
48
, the termination end
110
of the exhaust pipe
104
will be above the water
48
preventing water
48
from entering the exhaust pipe
104
. The design of this exhaust assembly
86
eliminates any need for check valves which will reduce horse power and add weight, cost and complexity to the design of a powered surfboard
10
.
A secondary pipe
112
extends between the exhaust pipe
104
at a location immediately adjacent the expansion tube
102
and the pump
58
. The secondary pipe
112
injects water
48
from the pump
58
to further cool exhaust gases to reduce the noise level of the exhaust gases upon their discharge from the exhaust assembly
86
.
A drainage assembly, generally shown at
114
, removes any water
48
which may enter the interior compartment
32
of the board
26
. The drainage assembly
114
drains water
48
out from the hull
36
. The drainage assembly
114
is also connected to the pump
58
at a drain termination end
116
. A filter
118
is disposed at a drain open end
120
. A drain conduit
122
extends between the drain open end
120
and the drain termination end
116
. The pump
58
applies the negative pressure it creates to the drainage assembly
114
such that the drainage assembly
114
collects all water
48
collecting inside the hull
36
and removes the water
48
through the pump
58
.
A starting switch
130
is located between the stem
28
and the internal combustion engine
24
. Conduit
132
extends between the starting switch
130
and a battery
134
. Conduit
136
then extends the wires from the battery
134
to the internal combustion engine
24
.
A fuel tank
138
stores the fuel to be combusted by the internal combustion engine
24
. A fuel line
140
transports fuel from the fuel tank
138
to the internal combustion engine
24
.
As is shown in
FIG. 4
, a second embodiment of the exhaust assembly
86
is shown wherein the termination end
110
thereof extends down through the first fin
144
. The first fin
144
extends down below the exterior surface
46
of the bottom shell
44
at a position directly below the pump
58
. The first fin
144
extends out past the stern
30
of the board
26
. When exhaust fumes are exiting the termination end
110
in this embodiment, the first fin
144
must extend past the stern
30
to prevent the exhaust fumes from entering the inlet port
62
of the pump
58
. Gases entering the inlet port
62
reduce the output of the pump
58
. Therefore, the first fin
144
must extend down and sufficiently past the stern
30
to ensure the exhaust fumes are not received by the pump
58
. By placing the termination end
110
in the first fin
144
, the noise generated by the powered surfboard
10
is drastically reduced enhancing the environment for all those using the powered surfboard
10
.
A second fin
146
extends out from the bottom of the hull
36
. The second fin
146
extends down below the exterior surface
46
of the bottom shell
44
and aids the operator
12
in directing the powered surfboard
10
as it traverses through the water
48
.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.
Claims
- 1. A watercraft for movement in water comprising:a board having a stem and a stem and defining an interior compartment extending therebetween and a longitudinal axis therethrough; an internal combustion engine housed within said interior compartment, said internal combustion engine generating an output force and exhaust fumes; a pump connected to said internal combustion engine for receiving said output force to pump a portion of the water therethrough; and an exhaust assembly including an exhaust pipe extension having an extension bend and a expansion chamber to cool and muffle the exhaust fumes, said expansion chamber defining a top and a bottom, said expansion chamber having an inlet disposed adjacent said top of said expansion chamber and an outlet disposed adjacent said bottom of said expansion chamber wherein said exhaust pipe extension extends through said inlet of said expansion chamber in a manner such that said exhaust pipe extension is directed toward said outlet at said bottom of said expansion chamber due to said extension bend in said exhaust pipe extension.
- 2. A watercraft as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exhaust assembly further includes an exhaust pipe connected to said expansion chamber at said outlet and extending fore of said expansion chamber toward said stem.
- 3. A watercraft as set forth in claim 2 wherein said exhaust pipe includes an exhaust pipe bend disposed between said expansion chamber and said stem.
- 4. A watercraft as set forth in claim 3 wherein said exhaust pipe bend is closer to said stem than said internal combustion engine.
- 5. A watercraft as set forth in claim 4 wherein said exhaust pipe extends from said bend to a location aft of said exhaust pipe bend.
- 6. A watercraft as set forth in claim 5 wherein said location is spaced from said longitudinal axis of said board.
- 7. A watercraft as set forth in claim 6 wherein said board includes a hull having a bottom shell defining an exterior surface and an interior surface.
- 8. A watercraft as set forth in claim 7 wherein said internal combustion engine and said pump are fixedly secured to said interior surface of said bottom shell.
- 9. A watercraft as set forth in claim 8 wherein said pump includes an inlet port.
- 10. A watercraft as set forth in claim 9 including an inlet grate covering said inlet port allowing the portion of the water to pass through said pump, said inlet grate being substantially flush with said exterior surface of said bottom shell.
- 11. A watercraft as set forth in claim 4 wherein said exhaust pipe extends from said bend to a location aft of said internal combustion engine.
US Referenced Citations (24)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2617-793 |
Jan 1989 |
FR |
1-148694 |
Jun 1989 |
JP |
1-144284 |
Jun 1990 |
JP |
3-295791 |
Dec 1991 |
JP |