Automated boat lift and trolley
OwnerRonald E. Peterson, Arnold E. Petersoninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system is provided for moving a boat from a storage position in a boat garage to a deployed position in a dock channel. The system can include a boat trolley. The boat trolley can include a frame that couples to and rides on rails of a track that extends between the boat garage and the dock channel. The boat trolley can also include bunker supports for supporting the hull of the boat. A dock lift mechanism can lower the trolley frame into the water, from which the boat can be deployed. Once done using the boat, the user can navigate the boat onto the trolley frame, and the dock lift mechanism used to lift the trolley frame and boat out of the water, and the boat trolley operated to move the boat from the dock to the boat garage for storage.
Claims19
An automated boat lift and trolley system for moving a boat between a boat garage and a dock, comprising:
- a track comprising a pair of track rails, the track configured to run from a proximal end within a boat garage and a distal end proximate a dock;
- a boat trolley configured to support a boat thereon, the boat trolley having a set of wheels that movably couple the boat trolley to the pair of track rails;
- a lift assembly disposed at the dock, the lift assembly comprising a platform spaced from the distal end of the track, the platform having a pair of platform rails onto which the boat trolley is moved from the track rails, the lift assembly operable to lower the platform with the boat trolley and boat thereon to a lowered position to facilitate removal of the boat from the boat trolley for use, the lift assembly operable to raise the platform with the boat trolley and boat thereon to a raised position, the pair of platform rails being substantially aligned with the pair of track rails when the platform is in the raised position to facilitate movement of the boat trolley between the platform and the track;
- a drive assembly as least partially disposed in the garage and configured to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between the track and the platform, the drive assembly comprising a pair of winch motors disposed in the garage, the pair of winch motors operable to rotate a corresponding pair of winch drums to wind or pay out a first cable attached to a first winch drum of the pair of winch drums and a second cable attached to a second winch drum of the pair of winch drums to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between a first position in the garage and a second position on the platform;
- and
- a controller at least partially disposed in the garage, the controller configured to automatically control operation of the drive assembly to move the boat trolley along the track between the track and the platform, and to control the lift assembly to lower the boat trolley with the boat thereon to the lowered position based at least in part on a sensed information communicated by one or more sensors to the controller.
An automated boat lift and trolley system for moving a boat between a boat garage and a dock, comprising:
- a track comprising a pair of track rails, the track configured to run from a proximal end within a boat garage and a distal end proximate a dock;
- a boat trolley configured to support a boat thereon, the boat trolley having a set of wheels that movably couple the boat trolley to the pair of track rails;
- a drive assembly as least partially disposed in the garage and configured to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between the track and the dock, the drive assembly comprises a pair of winch motors disposed in the garage, the pair of winch motors operable to rotate a corresponding pair of winch drums to wind or pay out a first cable attached to a first winch drum of the pair of winch drums and a second cable attached to a second winch drum of the pair of winch drums to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between a first position in the garage and a second position on the dock;
- and
- a controller at least partially disposed in the garage, the controller configured to automatically control operation of the drive assembly to move the boat trolley along the track between the track and the dock.
An automated boat lift and trolley system for moving a boat between a boat garage and a dock, comprising:
- a track comprising a pair of track rails, the track configured to run from a proximal end within a boat garage and a distal end proximate a dock;
- a boat trolley configured to support a boat thereon, the boat trolley having a set of wheels that movably couple the boat trolley to the pair of track rails;
- a drive assembly as least partially disposed in the garage and configured to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between the track and the dock;
- a controller at least partially disposed in the garage, the controller configured to automatically control operation of the drive assembly to move the boat trolley along the track between the track and the dock;
- and
- an inductive power transmitter disposed in or near the garage, the inductive power transmitter configured to charge one or more rechargeable batteries on the boat trolley when the boat trolley is at or near a first end position in the garage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.