Patent Application
20140162508
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices used to flush outboard or sterndrive marine engines of boats and watercraft. Specifically, the present invention relates to devices used to flush the outboard or sterndrive motors of boats that are designed such that the user need not attach the flushing means by hand to the motor prop.
When a boat is in use, water is sucked into and circulated throughout the engine to use as a coolant so that engine parts do not overheat. Water is an excellent coolant, but this system creates problems because both salt and fresh water leave residue and particles within the engine. Salt water leaves behind salt crystals, which can corrode the metallic components contained within the motor and negatively impact the engine's performance over time. Even fresh water, although lacking the corrosive properties of salt water, can deposit microbes or animals, such as zebra mussels, into the engine, which can degrade performance or unintentionally transfer species between bodies of water. To combat this problem, the boat's engine should be flushed with clean water, ideally after every use. A marine motor is flushed by attaching sealing caps to the water intake ports on the outside housing of the engine drive shaft. Clean water is then pumped through an intake aperture in one of the sealing caps, driving the clean water to the engine. The engine is then turned on to circulate the water throughout the engine, thereby cleaning the salt or fresh water residue from inside the engine.
Flushing the engine regularly can be challenging when performed from the dockside, even if the boat is in a hoist, because it requires the individual to get into the water, attach a potentially slippery marine engine flushing means by hand, and then hope that the marine engine flushing means does not detach and force the individual to reattach the same and re-enter the water to do so. Since it can pose such a challenge and is a time consuming affair, many boat owners flush their engines as often as they should.
Means for flushing a marine motor are commonly known in the prior art. Such devices commonly comprise a pair of “earmuff” shaped sealing caps that attach to the outside of the external housing of the motor around the water intake ports, thereby providing an enclosed compartment that only permits the entry of water through an aperture in one of the sealing caps. A hose is attached to the aperture on the sealing cap and the water is then pumped through this aperture and circulated throughout the engine, cleaning the engine components of any residue from the body of water. These marine motor flushing means may or may not be attached to the end of a pole, allowing the flushing means to be affixed to the marine engine from a distance. However no single flushing means combines all of the ideal characteristics into a single device. Some flushing means have hollow tubes through which the water flows to the sealing cap aperture, but these designs are not as structurally sound as non-hollow poles and they bend easily. Other designs have poles that have swappable components allowing the flushing means to be used under different circumstances, but none have a telescoping pole that allows the user to quickly and easily adjust the length of the pole based upon the circumstances.
The present invention pertains to novel means for flushing a marine motor and an outdrive thereof. The present invention includes standard characteristics found in the prior art, such as “earmuff” shaped sealing caps that fit over the water intake ports of the outboard motor, a spring-like sealing attachment, and a pole, but it also presents a combination of new elements. First, the pole is telescoping, which allows the present invention to be used no matter how far the dock is away from the boat's motor. Second, there are means for attaching the pole and the hose to both sealing caps, rather than only one, therefore allowing the present invention to be used no matter what the orientation between the boat and the dock is. Overall, this device is provided for improving the art of flushing outboard or sterndrive marine motors after use, wherein the device is suited for use while the boat is docked in the water, out of the water along the dock, in a trailer, or in another location wherein the marine motor or stern drive is accessible.
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to marine motor and sterndrive flushing. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to flushing assemblies composed of sealing caps, a sealing attachment that is removably attached to the motor, and a pole that is attached to the sealing attachment. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,828 to Lawler discloses standard sealing caps for use in flushing a marine outboard engine. The sealing caps are comprised of a U-shaped sealing attachment having two arms, a sealing means attached to each of the arms, and a passageway for water to flow through one of the sealing means. The sealing means are placed over the water intake ports. The sealing caps allow an individual to flush a marine engine without any fastening means required because the sealing attachment is designed to straddle the engine drive shaft housing. This is a very effective device for a flushing a marine outboard engine, but it can nonetheless be difficult to use dockside because Lawler requires the boater to get into the water and secure the sealing caps to the engine drive shaft housing by hand. The present invention avoids this problem by having sealing caps attached to a telescoping pole and hose apparatus that allows the user to flush the engine hands free.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,863 to Reese is another such device that discloses a system similar to Lawler, except the sealing caps and sealing attachment elements are attached to a pole, allowing an individual to operate the device and flush the engine at a distance. The sealing caps must be tightened by twisting a shaft so that they clamp over the outboard motor's water inlet ports. This system is undesirable because it requires a substantial amount of effort to tighten and untighten the sealing caps from the housing around the engine drive shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,703 to Lorenzen discloses an outboard motor flushing system comprised of a pair of sealing elements, a U-shaped sealing element retainer with a sealing element attached to each arm, and an elongated pipe that removably clamps to the U-shaped retainer and is adapted to transfer water from an attached hose through one of the sealing elements. The metal clamp used in Lorenzen is useful in that it is removable from the U-shaped retainer, but such a metal clamp has a couple disadvantages. First, metal is corroded by salt water and thus the metal clamp is at a risk of breaking down and needing to be replaced over time. Second, the clamp must be adjusted each time it is used, which can be bothersome.
Another device is U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,973 to Vellines, which discloses a flushing accessory for an outboard marine motor with many of the similar elements as of the inventions discussed above, except that it is adapted to be used from within the boat, rather than outside of the boat as the rest of the inventions. Additionally, Vellines uses a fiberglass honeycomb structure to prevent bending of the pole. The present invention is designed to be used outside of the boat, especially from dockside. Therefore Vellines addresses a different problem than the present invention seeks to solve.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,625,526 to Bertino discloses a Y-hose fitting that attaches to both the coolant return line and the coolant inlet. Bertino is designed to allow the outboard motor to be flushed without having to lean off the back of the boat, potentially putting oneself in danger. Bertino does not use sealing caps at all, but rather flushes the motor's coolant system using a different method. Bertino is also designed to be used while inside the boat and, as discussed with Vellines, this is not the problem the present invention seeks to address.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,946 to Sirmans discloses a marine outboard flushing assembly designed to be used from a variety of positions. Sirmans provides alternate tubular connections that allow the invention to be used interchangeably from the side and in front or behind the boat. Sirmans utilizes a tubular elongated pole that, like Vellines, does not offer proper structural integrity and is prone to bending.
The present invention provides a means for flushing an outboard or sterndrive marine motor with clean water. The present invention is composed of a sealing attachment with two arms, a sealing cap attached to the end of each arm, and a fastening adapter attached to each of the arms that is adapted to receive the fastening end of a telescoping pole. Both of the sealing caps have a threaded aperture that is adapted to receive the end of a hose and pass water therethrough. Since both of the sealing caps have the threaded aperture, the device can be used no matter what side of the boat the dock is on. The telescoping pole allows the device to be used dockside and obviates the need to get into the water and attach the sealing caps by hand to flush the motor. Because the pole is telescoping, it may be adjusted and used from all manners and types of docks. The telescoping pole has different advantages depending upon its configuration. When in its compact state, the many enclosed telescoping members stack together to form a solid, bending-resistant pole. When in its fully expanded form, the present invention can stretch to apply the sealing attachment, no matter how far away the dock is from the motor.
The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing marine motor flushing devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of marine motor flushing devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new telescoping marine motor flushing assembly wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when flushing the motor of his or her boat along a dockside.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved marine engine flushing device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a marine engine flushing device that can be used outside of the boat and from a dock adjacent to the boat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a marine engine flushing device that removably attaches to the exterior casing of the motor prop and is hands-free.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a marine engine flushing device that can be used regardless of the orientation of the boat and the dock, or if the boat is raised out of the water.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a marine engine flushing device that be used from either the right or the left side of the boat.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the telescoping marine engine flushing assembly. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for flushing an outboard marine motor from dockside. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
The opposite flattened sides of a marine engine drive shaft housing, whether an outdrive engine or a sterndrive, generally have water intake ports along the opposite faces thereof. These intake ports are provided for drawing water into the engine to cool the engine parts while the watercraft is in use. These ports can also be used to flush the engine after use. The sealing caps 11 fit over and completely enclose the water intake ports of the motor prop of the marine engine. The water intake ports are completely submerged when the boat is in use and are not designed for air intake, thus the sealing caps 11 must form an air tight compartment over the water intake ports to ensure that no excess air enters the engine while it is being flushed. The hose 19 then supplies water from a water source, which is pumped through the sealing cap 11 into the marine engine. The water being pumped into the engine is pushed throughout the engine's compartments before being expelled through the water discharge ports, thereby flushing out all of the residue or particles left from the water from when the watercraft was in use.
Referring now to
The sealing cap support member 12 is spring-biased and opens so the sealing caps 11 can slide over a motor prop and hold tightly against the opposite sides of the engine drive shaft housing. The arms 13 of the sealing cap support member 12 are relatively rigid, but are flexible enough such that the arms 13 can be forced to expand and slide the sealing caps 11 over the marine engine drive shaft housing. This deformation is not permanent, and when taken off the motor prop, the sealing attachment 12 then closes back to its resting position. The sealing caps 11 are affixed over the water intake ports on the motor prop. Each of the sealing caps 11 has a quick disconnect 18 that is adapted to removably receive the end of the hose 19. Water is pumped through the hose 19, then through the quick disconnect 18 on the sealing cap 11, and then through the water intake ports of the marine motor into the engine. The sealing caps 11 are adapted such that the quick disconnects 18 remains in an enclosed configuration when water is not being pumped through the threaded aperture 18. This is to ensure that the quick disconnects 11 form an enclosed compartment so that only water being pumped through the hose 19, and not any air, can get into the engine. It is critical that all of the water intake ports of the engine be completely covered by the sealing caps 11, otherwise the engine could overheat during the flushing process.
In one embodiment, a fastening adapter 14 is affixed to each of the arms 13. The fastening adapters 14 are adapted to receive the fastening end 16 of the telescoping pole 15 and secure the sealing cap support member 12 thereto. In another embodiment, there is only a single fastening adapter 14 attached to one of the arms 13. In the depicted embodiment, the fastening adapter 14 comprises a stub that is adapted to receive the fastening end 16 of the telescoping pole 15 and a screw that affixes the stub and the fastening end 16 together. Other embodiments are contemplated, such as the fastening adapter 14 comprising a threaded portion and the fastening end 16 comprising a complimentary screw-like threaded portion adapted to engage with the threaded fastening adapter 14. Any means wherein the fastening adapter 14 and the fastening end 16 may be removably affixed together is suitable.
The fastening adapter 14 is angled so that the marine engine flushing assembly can be used dockside while the boat is in the water. The fastening adapter 14 is angled upwards because the drive shaft housing of a marine engine is generally below the level of the dock to which the boat is tied when either in the water or even when in the hoist. The upwards angle of the fastening adapter 14 allows a user holding the telescoping pole 15 to position the sealing caps 11 without having to lean over or otherwise contort his body to reach the motor prop. Furthermore, the motor prop of a boat extends downwards into the water, requiring a user to get behind and under the motor prop before positioning the sealing caps 11 over the water intake ports. Therefore, the angled configuration of the present marine engine flushing assembly allows a user to flush a boat engine from a raised position relative to the level of the motor prop on a dock and also ideally position the sealing caps 11 over the marine engine's water intake ports.
The presence of a pair of fastening adapters 14 and a pair of quick disconnects 18 on each of the arms 13 of the sealing cap support member 12 is novel and not previously seen in the prior art. Devices in the prior art have only a single means for connecting a pole to the sealing attachment of the device and only a single means for connecting the hose to the sealing cap and pumping water therethrough. Having a fastening adapter 14 and a quick disconnect 18 on both sides of the device allows the marine engine flushing assembly to be used no matter what side of the dock the boat was on or no matter what orientation the boat is docked at. Because of the angled configuration of the fastening adapters 14, the present marine engine flushing assembly cannot be used from either side of the boat without switching which side the telescoping pole 15 and the hose 19 is attached to. If the present device is configured to be used on the port side of the boat, then it cannot be adequately used from the starboard side as well, without flipping the configuration, because the angle of the fastening adapters 14 would now be flipped downwards, rather than upwards. This would make it extremely difficult or impossible to position the sealing caps 11 over the water intake ports of the drive shaft housing because the telescoping pole 15 would now be angled downwards into the dock or the water, rather than upwards to the user, and the sealing cap support member 12 would be flipped from the position created to allow for it to be slipped over the drive shaft housing.
A telescoping pole 15 having a fastening end 16 and a handle end 17 is removably affixed at the fastening end 16 to one of the fastening adapters 14. The telescoping pole 15 is provided in order to allow the user to put the sealing caps 11 of the sealing cap support member 12 in place while dockside, rather than having to be placed by hand from the water. When the user is on the dock, they are generally farther away from the motor prop than their arms can extend and thus the extra reach provided by the telescoping pole 15 is necessary if they do not want to have to get into the water to apply the sealing cap support member 12. The marine engine cannot be flushed unless the sealing caps 11 are put in place, and being able to place the sealing caps 11 without actually having to get into the water is highly desirable because individuals often do not want to get wet unless when they are doing menial chores such as flushing the engine of their boat.
The telescoping pole is designed to be removable so that the present marine engine flushing assembly can be used whether the dock is on the boat's port or starboard side. Because of the upwards angle of the fastening adapters 14, one configuration of the device can only be used from one side of the boat at a time. If the telescoping pole 15 and the hose 19 are configured to be used on the port side of the boat, then they need to be switched to the other side if the present invention is to be used on the starboard side of the boat. The telescoping pole 15 is also designed to be removable in order to aid in storage and make it easy to replace damaged poles.
In one embodiment there are a plurality of fastening means 20 attached along the telescoping pole 15 for removably affixing the hose 19 thereto. The fastening means 20 may be hook-and-loop fasteners or any other type of method for fastening that allows the hose 19 to be removably affixed. This ensures that the hose 19 does not hang loosely from the present marine engine flushing assembly, preventing the hose 19 from catching on anything. In another embodiment, the hose 19 is simply wrapped along the length of the telescoping pole 15 in a helical fashion. The end of the hose 19 removably attaches to one of the sealing caps 11 at its quick disconnect 18. Optionally, a securement means 21 for removably affixing the marine engine flushing assembly to a cleat on the dock or a swimming platform may also be removably attached to the telescoping pole 15. The securement means 21 may consist of a strap having a hook-and-loop fastener or any other means for removably securing the present marine engine flushing assembly.
Referring now to
In this embodiment the hose 19 is attached to the telescoping pole 15 by an attachment bracket 41. The attachment bracket 41 permanently affixes the hose 19 to the telescoping pole 15 at the handle end 17. In this embodiment the hose is an integral aspect of the invention, whereas in other embodiments any ordinary garden hose can be removably affixed to the quick disconnects 18 and removably affixed along the length of the hole by the fastening means 20. The fastening means 20 may be disposed along the length of the telescoping pole in embodiments that either do or do not have the attachment bracket 41. Even in embodiments having the attachment bracket 41, it is desirable to have the hose 19 held closely to the length of the telescoping pole 15 because the more the hose 19 hangs from the telescoping pole 15, the more likely it is to get caught on something and potentially cause damage to the present marine engine flushing device.
The end of the hose 19 at the handle end 17 of the telescoping pole 15 has a standard hose connection, generally a threaded aperture, which can removably attach to a water source. When the present marine engine flushing assembly is placed into position over the water intake ports on the engine drive housing and the water source is turned on, the water source drives water through the hose 19, through the quick disconnect 18, and then through the sealing cap 11 to which the hose 19 is attached into the marine engine. This process pushes water through the engine's compartments and flushes out the residue remaining within the engine.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In use, the individual first attaches a hose to the appropriate quick disconnect. If the individual is using an embodiment where the hose is integral to the device, then said individual merely needs to affix a water source to the end of the hose at the handle end of the pole. The hose may optionally be secured to the pole using the fastening means. The user then adjusts the telescoping pole to the appropriate length that allows them to comfortably slide the sealing cap support member over the engine drive shaft housing and put the sealing caps in place over the water intake ports. The pole may then be secured in place to a cleat or any other adequate object for hands-free flushing of the marine engine. The water source is then turned on, pumping water through the hose, through the quick disconnect, and then through the sealing cap into the marine engine. At this point the individual may then start the boat engine, driving water through the engine's compartments and cleaning said compartments of any salt or fresh water residue.
Overall, the present invention provides a novel device for flushing marine outboard and sterndrive motors of residue from water used as engine coolant. The present invention provides a structurally sound elongated pole for quickly and easily flushing a marine engine. The invention further provides the ability to flush the engine regardless of the boat's position in relation to the dock, thereby not requiring one to reorient the boat in order to use the engine flushing device. Furthermore, the present invention is specifically designed to be used dockside adjacent to the boat, whether or not the boat is in a hoist. The angle of the fastening adapter allows a user to ideally position the sealing caps without having to get into the water and apply them by hand. The present marine engine flushing assembly is also modular and can be easily adjusted for flushing a marine engine whether the dock is on the port or the starboard side of the boat.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/735,658 filed on Dec. 11, 2012. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61735658 | Dec 2012 | US |
