Patent Application
20220332399
The present invention relates generally to aquatic sports and recreation, and more specifically to a pedal drive for inflatable watercraft such as kayaks, and a steering assembly that can be fitted on the stern and includes a rudder controlled by a hand operated lever connected to the rudder by push-pull cables. The watercraft is made of inflatable drop stitch material which, when inflated, adopts the physical characteristics of a solid body. The invention contemplates using drop stitch construction to make inflatable panels configured to form the watercraft. A featured aspect of the watercraft is that a preformed hole is provided in the bottom of the watercraft, and the pedal drive passes through the opening and is fixedly mounted in the hole. Because drop stitch fabric allows for the creation of panels having the strength and rigidity of solid wood or fiberglass panels, the pedal drive can withstand forces generated by a person who pedals at a desired speed. Steering is accomplished by a rudder which moves in response to movement of a hand-operated lever connected to the rudder by push-pull cables.
Watercraft come in many sizes and varieties. For the active and athletic sports enthusiast, watercraft can combine sports, recreation and physical exercise. Stand up paddleboards, or SUPs, are popular for the benefit of providing an upper body, back and stomach muscle work out while engaging in simple locomotion, fishing, photography, or any number of other ventures. Kayaks are similarly disposed to provide an upper body workout, but from a sitting position, similar as well to canoeing.
Traditional watercraft such as surf boards, SUPs, kayaks and canoes are known to be made of solid materials, such as wood, plastic, and light metals such as aluminum. In my prior co-pending applications and issued patents, I have described new and novel ways to make kayaks and SUPs from drop stitch inflatable material. These materials are inflated to pressures much greater than other inflatable materials. Because of yarns that extend between and are connected to opposed inner surfaces of inflatable panels, the panels maintain a board-like quality in terms of both shape and strength. While a SUP may be made of a single inflatable panel, other watercraft such as boats and kayaks require separate panels for the bottom, sides and if desired, the deck
A great advantage to watercraft made of inflatable drop stitch material is that they are light-weight and easily stowed, carried and deployed on site by inflation. Solid SUPs are carried on roof racks or in truck beds, but in any case, they are relatively difficult to transport. An obvious disadvantage is that a solid SUP cannot be carried on an airplane without making special accommodations for shipping. On the other hand, an inflatable drop stitch SUP can be carried as normal luggage, or as carry-on luggage, due to small space required when the SUP is deflated and folded into a compact space.
Kayaks are generally small, narrow watercraft which are typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. A typical kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler. The cockpit can be covered by a spray deck that prevents the entry of water from waves or spray, differentiating the craft from a canoe. Neither a kayak nor a canoe is stable when a user stands up inside or on top of either watercraft.
A popular type of kayak for the recreationalist is made of molded, hard plastic, typically in two pieced bonded together and sporting an open deck. Hard, foldable chairs can be mounted on the deck, along with accessories for holding bate, caught fish, beverages, fishing poles and tackle. Commonly, this type of kayak is paddled with a single or double ended paddle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,249, issuing to letterman and entitled “Watercraft,” describes a molded, solid plastic kayak having a pedal drive and steering rudder. The pedal drive includes a pair of flappers and are actuated by the user alternatively pushing a pair of pedals. The drive flappers extend below the waterline, extending through the hull of the kayak.
With pedal drives such as in Ketterman, permanent “compartments” must be molded into the shape of the bottom of the hull to provide solid, rigid surfaces to which the pedal drive must be connected. Such hulls are made of rotomolding plastic polyethylene, thus creating a watercraft that is relatively heavy, bulky and difficult to transport. Moreover, the push action of the pedal drive, which requires a more or less kicking motion by the user, does not provide the same muscle work out as a preferred, rotating cycling motion as in the rotating pedals of a bicycle.
A need exists for a watercraft and pedal drive combination that combines simplicity of design, light weight and easier storage and transport.
In one aspect of the invention a drive assembly for an inflatable watercraft includes a pedal drive means for rotating a propeller, and coupling means for detachably coupling the pedal drive means to the inflatable watercraft.
Preferably, the pedal drive means includes a drive shaft having first and second opposite axial ends, first and second pedals mounted on respective first and second pedal support arms, the first and second pedal support arms being rotatably and coaxially connected to the first axial end of the drive shaft, and a propeller rotatably mounted on the second opposite end, and connected through the drive shaft to the first and second pedals, wherein rotation of the pedals imparts rotation of the propeller.
A gearing mechanism is provided in the pedal drive means so that a single rotation of the pedals creates a multiple of rotations of the propeller. A particularly preferred gear ratio is 10:1, although other gear ratios can be used. Variable gear ratios can be provided, although a fixed ratio is preferred for mechanical simplicity and reliability.
In order to couple the drive assembly to a watercraft, the coupling means includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to a medial portion of the drive shaft and extends substantially normal to the drive shaft. The mounting plate preferably includes a window that allows the user to see beneath the boat. The mounting plate is dimensioned and sized to cover and seal the hole in the bottom of the watercraft.
A mounting arm is preferably pivotally connected to the drive assembly at the upper distal end where the pedals are mounted. The opposite end of the mounting arm has a removable pin which is used to rotatably connect the mounting arm to the floor of the watercraft forward of the mounting hole. When so connected, the entire drive assembly can be rotated and translated to move between positions of storage on the floor of the watercraft in a substantially horizontal orientation, and of activation vertically extending through the hole in the watercraft. A handle can be provided, extending between the drive shaft and the mounting plate as a convenient way to pick up and manipulate the drive assembly into and out of an active position.
Preferably, the coupling means includes a base having a horizontally oriented that circumscribes an opening provided in the watercraft, a collar that extends at least partially into the opening, and a base coupling means for detachably coupling the base to the watercraft. The base is made of a single piece of molded plastic and is sized to fit snugly into the opening with the flange being substantially coplanar with a floor of the watercraft. The base coupling means includes complimentary fasteners such as first nylon straps adhesively bonded to the watercraft around the opening and second nylon straps adhesively bonded to the collar. A connection between complimentary straps can be made by a snap fitted “G” clamp or other suitable clamps which are designed with quick connect/disconnect features.
An opening or “pedal port,” preferably preformed in the floor panel of a drop stitch constructed watercraft, such as a kayak, has a length terminated in rounded or circular ends. As with all drop stitch watercraft of my design, the floor panel of the kayak is on the order of a few inches thick, and comprised of upper and lower sheets of plastic material, preferably reinforced, and held together internally by multiple strands or yarns that are bonded to opposing internal surfaces of the respective sheets. Such panels can be inflated to pressures between 4 and 20 p.s.i., which would ordinarily deform and destroy inflatable structures that do not employ drop stitch material.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detachable coupling means further includes a plurality of dogs located around the periphery of the flange, and a receptacle formed at the forward end of the flange. When the mounting plate is fitted over the mounting plate, with the drive shaft extending through the opening, the dogs are rotated to engage a peripheral portion of the mounting plate, and thereby hold the mounting plate tightly to the flange.
When the pedal drive assembly is not being used, whether stowed on the watercraft or missing entirely, a clear window having the same shape as the opening is fitted over the opening and held tightly in place by rotating the dogs. The window preferably includes a foot formed on the forward end that fits into the receptacle formed on the flange. The receptacle and dogs provide a strong yet quick connect and disconnect to allow speedy deployment of the pedal drive assembly.
Preferably, the support arm is rotatably connected to the upper end of the drive shaft, and detachably rotatably connectable to the watercraft through a mounting bracket fixedly connected to the floor of the watercraft. The mounting bracket includes a pair of parallel, upstanding support arms that have aligned bores between which the lower end of the mounting arm is fitted. The mounting arm preferably has a bore that is aligned with the bores of the two parallel arms, and a mounting pin extends through the bores, thereby pivotally connecting the mounting arm to the watercraft. When the pedal assembly is mounted in the opening, through the mounting plate, the mounting arm cannot rotate, but provides a brace against peddling forces generated by the user.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a steering assembly for an inflatable watercraft, such as a kayak, which includes a rudder adapted to be mounted on a stern of the watercraft, a tiller adapted to be mounted near a sitting position of a user, and cable means connecting the tiller to the rudder, and being operable to impart movement of the tiller to movement of the rudder.
Preferably, the steering assembly includes a detachable mounting means for mounting the rudder to the watercraft. The mounting means can include a mounting plate that attaches to a corresponding plate permanently affixed to the stem of the watercraft. The mounting plate includes pivot pins that allow the rudder to pivot to starboard and port, and upward out of the water.
Preferably, the mounting means includes a first plate that is permanently bonded to the upper surface of the bottom panel that forms the watercraft, near the stern end of the watercraft. A second plate is detachably connected to the first, fixed plate, and is connected thereto by any suitable fastener means such as screws, bolts, pins and other suitable means. The second plate carries first and second rotation pins for allowing the rudder to move port to starboard, and up and down.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide an inflatable watercraft having a bottom panel made of inflatable drop stitch material and having a pedal port formed approximately midship through the bottom panel, a starboard side panel made of inflatable drop stitch material and extending substantially vertically upwardly from the starboard side of the bottom panel, a port side panel made of inflatable drop stitch material and extending substantially vertically upwardly from the port side of the bottom panel, the bottom, starboard and port side panels forming a floor, a bow and a stern, a pedal drive assembly detachably connected to the floor of the watercraft, a steering assembly detachably connected to the stern of the watercraft.
Each panel is inflatable to high pressures between 4 and 20 p.s.i, and when inflated the panels adapt the physical characteristics of solid structures made of wood, fiberglass or plastic. In deflated form, the panels can be rolled or folded into a relatively small space for easy storage and stowage.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent in view of the following detailed description and claims.
Referring to
Preferably, the pedal drive means 12 includes a drive shaft 16 having first and second opposite axial ends. A first pedal 18 and second pedal 20 are rotatably mounted on respective first support arm 22 and second support arm 24. The first and second pedal support arms 22 and 24 are rotatably and coaxially connected to the first axial end of the drive shaft 16 on a common axle extending through the drive shaft 16 and the first axial, or upper end. A propeller 26 is rotatably mounted on the second opposite end of the drive shaft 16, and is connected through the drive shaft 16 to the first and second pedals 18 and 20, so that rotation of the pedals 18 and 20 imparts rotation of the propeller 26.
The drive shaft 16 includes gearing (not seen) in the upper distal end of the drive shaft 16 to create a geared response, whereby for every rotation of the pedals, the propeller makes a multiple of rotations. A preferred gear ratio is 10:1, although other gear ratios can be used. The preferred ratio is selected as proper balance between work and load, generating a speed that can be varied by the peddler's effort and desired speed.
The coupling means 14 includes a mounting plate 28 fixedly connected to, and preferably integrally formed with, a medial portion of the drive shaft 16. Although illustrated as the draft shaft 16, what is seen in
The mounting plate 28 includes a clear window 30 that can be made of a clear plastic material or other suitable transparent material. When the drive assembly is mounted on the inflatable watercraft, the window 30 provides the user with visible access to what is under the watercraft.
A mounting arm 32 has two opposite axial ends, one of which is pivotally connected to the drive shaft 16 near the pedal support arms 22 and 24. The opposite end has a pin 34 which is removed at first, and the reinstalled after the cylindrical bore through the end of the mounting arm is aligned with a mount fixed to the upper surface of the floor of the watercraft. When the pin is reinstalled, the drive assembly can be laid flat on the bottom of the watercraft, or rotated from the horizontal position on the floor to a vertical position where it is mounted in the mounting hole. A handle 36 extends between the drive shaft 16 and the mounting plate 28 to provide both easy lifting of the drive assembly 10, and strengthening of the mounting plate 28. In use, the forces applied to the pedals 18 and 20 tend to create bending or flexing moments on the drive shaft 16. These forces are resisted by the connection of the mounting plate 28 to the watercraft, the connection of the handle 36 to the mounting plate 28, and the connection of the mounting arm 32 to the watercraft.
Referring to
Referring to
The base 38 may be provided with the watercraft or may be purchased as an add-on feature. Thus, if a consumer chooses not to purchase a pedal drive, the watercraft 37 may include a base 38 which can be mounted in and around the opening 39 after the watercraft 37 is inflated. Once inserted into the opening 39, the straps of the base coupling means 44 can be snap fitted to each other, and adjusted in length so that the base 38 is secured tightly to the watercraft 37 with no excess play or spacing between the base 38 and the opening 39. Other suitable coupling means 44 can be used, including snaps, ties, and other complimentary structures. Although less desirable, the base could be permanently bonded in the position illustrated in
As seen in
The aforementioned foot and receptacle pivot connection can be replaced by simply by having a plate with no foot, and forming a block and extension, and sliding the edge of the plate under the extension. This arrangement would be similar in appearance to the foot and receptacle, but is somewhat simpler in construction and just as effective. From the illustrations, the foot and receptacle could simply be a block and extension, with a part of the window fitted under the extension.
When the pedal drive means is not used with the watercraft 37, the base 38 and window 52 are used to dose the opening in the watercraft. As a clear window, the user can view what is under the watercraft 37 through the window.
Referring to
As seen in
As seen in
When an inflatable watercraft such as a kayak is fitted with the pedal drive assembly, it is preferable to provide a separate hand-actuated steering system. When the kayak is paddled with a paddle, steering is effected with the paddle. While a paddle could be used to steer while a user peddles the peddle drive assembly, an added feature of the present invention is to provide a hand operated tiller which can be operate with little effort and virtually no body movement except at the hand.
As seen in
Details of how the rudder is attached to the watercraft are shown in
The steering assembly 72 includes mounting means 80 detachably connected to the stern of the watercraft. The mounting means 80 includes a hard plastic rectangular plate 88 which is permanently adhered to the bottom panel 82 on the upper surface thereof, which serves as the floor of the watercraft 37. A removable plate 90 is connected to the permanently mounted plate 88 by any suitable means, including screw fasteners. The removable plate 90 includes a horizontal pin and a vertical pin to allow the rudder 74 to move about a vertical axis to the port and starboard directions, and about a horizontal axis to move the rudder out of the water. In
The left and right cables, separately sheathed, are wrapped together or otherwise placed in a common sheath to avoid clutter and provide a better appearance. The combined cable 92 can run to the port side or starboard side, depending on which side the user prefers to operate the tiller. In
As further seen in
As seen in
Forward of the deck panel 96, an inflatable drop stitch seat 104 has a back portion and a seat portion, both of which are attached to the floor or bottom panel 82 with nylon straps. The seat 104 is the subject of my separate, co-pending patent application which is hereby incorporated by reference. The deck panel 96 is attached to the tops of the side panels 84 and 86 with at least four Velcro straps of which straps 106, 108 are visible in
Referring to
The pedal drive assembly 10 is shown attached to the watercraft 37, whereby the drive shaft 16 is partially below the watercraft and thus the waterline when on water, and partially above the waterline, extending upwardly from the floor of the watercraft 37. Similarly, the steering assembly 72 includes a rudder 74 that extends below the waterline and partially above. The tiller 76 is mounted on the port side of the watercraft 37.
As seen in
As seen in
One feature of the watercraft of the present invention is that the user can add accessories to fit the needs of the user. In order to prevent making it difficult to fold the deflated watercraft, it is important that all accessories are easily removed and installed, as for instance, are the pedal drive assembly and the steering assembly. Referring to
Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that there are other embodiments that are equivalent to the described embodiments. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiments, but only by the scope of the appended claims.
