US 11,851,136 B2Granted

Water sports boat with foil displacement system

AssigneeMalibu Boats, LLC

InventorsCory Wade Dugger, Rachael Marie Green, Jeffrey Lee Predmore, Scott Thomas Ward, Matthew Welton

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A foil displacement system includes one or more foils that can be deployed and stowed. When deployed, each foil can exert downforce or uplift depending on its orientation. For example, each foil may be positioned to have an angle of attack that creates a downward force effectively transmitted to the hull to pull the hull deeper within the water to, for example, create a larger wake. Use of the foil displacement system can enhance or replace the use of a ballast tank system, can be integrated into a new boat or retrofitted to existing boats, can be electronically or manually positioned, can enhance activities such as wake surfing, wake boarding, water skiing or other similar or related water sports.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A foil displacement kit including foils that, when coupled to a water sports boat and deployed in water, exert a down force transmitted to a hull of the boat with movement of the boat with respect to water to mimic ballast, the foil displacement kit comprising:

a first forward foil assembly including a first forward foil and a first forward spar, the first forward foil assembly positioning the first forward foil, when coupled to the boat, forward of a transverse axis at a center of gravity of the boat and port of a longitudinal axis of the boat, the first forward foil, when coupled to the boat at a downforce angle of attack, configured to exert a first down force through the first forward spar to the hull of the boat as the hull moves through water;
and
a second forward foil assembly including a second forward foil and a second forward spar, the second forward foil assembly positioning the second forward foil, when coupled to the boat, forward of the transverse axis at the center of gravity of the boat and starboard of the longitudinal axis of the boat, the second forward foil, when coupled to the boat at a downforce angle of attack, also configured to exert a second down force through the second forward spar to the hull of the boat as the hull moves through water;
wherein said first forward foil and said second forward foil are configured for use with the boat to increase a quantity of water displaced by the hull and increase a size of a wake for wake surfing.

1 more element

A foil displacement kit including one or more foils that, when coupled to a water sports boat and deployed in water, exert a down force transmitted to a hull of the boat with movement of the boat with respect to water to mimic ballast, the foil displacement kit comprising:

a forward foil;
and
a forward spar that when coupled to a starboard or a port side wall of a hull of the boat positions the forward foil on a bow-side of a center of gravity of the boat at a downforce angle of attack to exert a down force through the forward spar to the hull of the boat as the hull moves through water at pre-planing speeds to increase a quantity of water displaced by the hull to increase a size of a wake configured for wake surfing and increase a drag on the hull caused by the water.

A foil displacement kit including foils that, when coupled to a water sports boat and deployed in water at a downforce angle of attack, exert a down force transmitted to a hull of the boat with movement of the boat with respect to water, the foil displacement kit comprising:

a forward foil assembly including a forward foil and a forward spar, the forward foil assembly positioning the forward foil, when coupled to the boat, forward of a transverse axis at a center of gravity of the boat, and the forward foil configured to be coupled to the boat at a neutral angle of attack and a downforce angle of attack, the forward foil, when coupled to the boat at the downforce angle of attack, is configured to exert a first down force through the forward spar to the hull of the boat as the hull moves through water;
a port aft foil assembly including a port aft foil and a port aft spar, the port aft foil assembly positioning the port aft foil, when coupled to the boat, port of a longitudinal axis of the boat and aft of the transverse axis, the port aft foil configured to be coupled to the boat at a neutral angle of attack and a downforce angle of attack, the port aft foil, when coupled to the boat at the downforce angle of attack, configured to exert a second down force through the port aft spar to the hull of the boat as the hull moves through water;
and
a starboard aft foil assembly including a starboard aft foil and a starboard aft spar, the starboard aft foil assembly positioning the starboard aft foil, when coupled to the boat, starboard of the longitudinal axis and aft of the transverse axis, the starboard aft foil configured to be coupled to the boat at a neutral angle of attack and a downforce angle of attack, wherein the starboard aft foil, when coupled to the boat at the downforce angle of attack, is configured to exert a third down force through the port aft spar to the hull of the boat as the hull moves through water;
wherein the first, second, and third down forces are configured to draw the hull of the boat down into the water as the boat travels at a speed for wake surfing to increase a quantity of water displaced by the hull and increase a size of a wake.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/053,068Filed 7 Nov 2022 · continuation
Priority: 5 Apr 2019
Published: US 2023/0090224 A123 Mar 2023
Granted: 26 Dec 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B63B 1/285
With movable hydrofoils: changing the angle of attack or the lift of the foil
B63B 1/248
Of hydrofoil type: shape, hydrodynamic features, construction of the foil
B63B 1/26
Of hydrofoil type: having more than one hydrofoil
B63B 1/30
With movable hydrofoils: retracting or folding

Family

Application62/830,241Us provisional application · filed 5 Apr 2019
Application16/840,226Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Apr 2020
US 2023/0090224 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Mar 2023
US 11,518,482 B1Parent of this continuation
US 11,851,136 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.