Surf wake forming systems and methods employing primary subtab and secondary subtab
AssigneeSkier's Choice, Inc.
InventorsRichard Lawrence Hartman, Matthew Douglas Brown, Travis Lane Turley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wakeboat has a hull, the hull forming a wake when moving forward in the water, with a port disturbance and a starboard disturbance in the wake. A trim tab is supported by the hull at the stern of the hull. The trim tab comprises a primary subtab and a secondary subtab. One or more actuators may be optionally included to reposition the trim tab more into, or more out of, the water. Other systems and methods are also provided.
Claims21
A system for forming asymmetric surf wakes behind a wakeboat, comprising:
- a hull having a port side, a starboard side, a bow, a stern, a length from the bow to the stern, and a width from the port side to the starboard side, the hull being configured to float in water with a waterline on the outside of the hull;
- the hull having a yaw axis, the yaw axis running substantially vertically through the hull;
- the hull having a pitch axis, the pitch axis being orthogonal to the yaw axis and running substantially laterally across the width of the hull;
- the hull having a roll axis, the roll axis being orthogonal to the yaw axis and the pitch axis and running substantially along the length of the hull;
- a primary left trim tab pivotally supported by the hull proximate the port side of the stern for rotation about a first tab axis that is substantially parallel with the waterline when the hull is at rest in the water;
- a secondary left trim tab pivotally mounted to the primary left trim tab for rotation about a second tab axis that is non-parallel to the first tab axis;
- first means, including an actuator, for rotating the primary left trim tab around the first tab axis between a position having decreased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull and a position having increased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull and for rotating the secondary left trim tab around the second tab axis between a position having decreased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull and a position having increased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull;
- a primary right trim tab pivotally supported by the hull proximate the starboard side of the stern for rotation about a third tab axis that is substantially parallel with the waterline when the hull is at rest in the water;
- a secondary right trim tab pivotally mounted to the primary right trim tab for rotation about a fourth tab axis that is non-parallel to the third tab axis;
- second means, including an actuator, for rotating the primary right trim tab around the third tab axis between a position having decreased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull and a position having increased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull and for rotating the secondary right trim tab around the fourth tab axis between a position having decreased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull and a position having increased interaction with the water passing beneath the hull;
- and
- a controller with at least one actuator interface, the controller in selective communication with at least one of the first and second means.
A method comprising:
- providing a hull including a port side, a starboard side, a bow, and a stern, and configured to float in water with a waterline on the outside of the hull, the hull having a yaw axis running substantially vertically through the hull when the hull is floating in water, the hull having a pitch axis, the pitch axis being orthogonal to the yaw axis and running substantially from the port side to the starboard side, the hull having a roll axis, the roll axis being orthogonal to the yaw axis and the pitch axis and running substantially from the bow to the stern, the hull, when moving forward in the water, creating a wake;
- providing a trim tab configured to be supported by the hull proximate one of the port side and starboard side of the hull, the trim tab having a lift subtab and a yaw subtab;
- the yaw subtab being pivotably mounted to the lift subtab for rotation around a first tab axis between a first position and a second position, wherein the yaw subtab is configured to induce more yaw in the hull in the second position than in the first position;
- the lift subtab being configured to be supported by the hull for pivotal rotation about a second tab axis that is substantially parallel with the waterline when the hull is floating in the water, the lift subtab being configured to rotate about the second tab axis, that is non-coincident with the first tab axis, between a first position and a second position, the lift subtab having more interaction with water when in the second position than when in the first position;
- selectively controlling rotation of the lift subtab about the second axis;
- and
- selectively controlling rotation of the yaw subtab about the first axis.
A method of manufacturing a system for forming asymmetric surf wakes behind a wakeboat having a hull including a port side, a starboard side, a bow, a stern, a length from the bow to the stern, a width from the port side to the starboard side, and configured to float in water with a waterline on the outside of the wakeboat, the wakeboat having a yaw axis, the yaw axis running substantially vertically through the wakeboat, the wakeboat having a pitch axis, the pitch axis being orthogonal to the yaw axis and running substantially laterally across the width of the wakeboat, the wakeboat having a roll axis, the roll axis being orthogonal to the yaw axis and the pitch axis and running substantially along the length of the wakeboat, the wakeboat, when moving forward in the water, creating a wake and a port disturbance and a starboard disturbance in the wake, the method comprising:
- providing a trim tab configured to be supported by the hull proximate one of the port side and starboard side of the hull, the trim tab having a lift subtab and a yaw subtab;
- the yaw subtab being pivotably mounted to the lift subtab for rotation around a first tab axis between a first position and a second position, wherein the yaw subtab is configured to induce more yaw in the wakeboat in the second position than in the first position;
- the lift subtab being configured to be supported by the hull of the wakeboat for pivotal rotation around a second tab axis that is substantially parallel with the waterline when the wakeboat is at rest in the water, the lift subtab being configured to rotate around the second tab axis, that is non-coincident with the first tab axis, between a first position and a second position, the lift subtab having more interaction with water when in the second position than when in the first position;
- providing a movement imparting assembly configured to selectively control rotation of the lift subtab about the second axis and rotation of the yaw subtab about the first axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.