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US 11,866,136 B2Granted
Watercraft and associated pedal drive system
AssigneeJohnson Outdoors Inc.
InventorsBlaine G. Kuehmichel, Timothy A. Bragg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watercraft and associated pedal drive system are provided. Method of operating the pedal drive are also provided. The pedal drive system allows for unassisted manual pedaling to provide thrust to the watercraft. The pedal drive system also provides on demand pedal assistance of varying levels via an assist drive train having an electric motor to supplement the manual pedal force input provided by a user at the pedals of pedal drive system.
Claims20
A pedal drive system for a watercraft, comprising:
- a manual drive train comprising a pair of pedals mechanically attached to a crankshaft for rotation of the crankshaft about a crankshaft axis;
- an assist drive train having a motor;
- a thrust unit;
- a first gear mounted about the crankshaft, the first gear coupled to the thrust unit such that rotation of the first gear in a first angular direction about the crankshaft axis drives the thrust unit to provide thrust in a first thrust direction and rotation of the first gear in a second angular direction about the crankshaft axis drives the thrust unit to provide thrust in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first gear being operably coupled to the motor of the assist drive train such that when activated the motor can drive the first gear in the first angular direction about the crankshaft axis;
- an one-way clutch mounting the first gear to the crankshaft;
- a coupling arrangement having a manual mode and an assist mode, the coupling arrangement including;
- wherein:
- in the assist mode, the one-way clutch permits the first gear to rotate about the crankshaft axis in the first angular direction at a greater speed than the crankshaft;
- and
- in the manual mode, the coupling arrangement rotationally fixes the crankshaft to the first gear such that rotation of the crankshaft in the first angular direction about the crankshaft axis rotates the first gear in the first angular direction at the same speed as the crankshaft and rotation of the crankshaft in the second angular direction about the crankshaft axis rotates the first gear in the second angular direction at the same speed as the crankshaft.
7 more elements
A pedal drive system for a watercraft, comprising:
- a manual drive train comprising a pair of pedals mechanically attached to a crankshaft for rotation of the crankshaft about a crankshaft axis;
- an assist drive train having a motor;
- a thrust unit;
- a coupling arrangement having a manual mode and an assist mode, the coupling arrangement including a coupler that transitions the coupling arrangement between the manual mode and the assist mode, wherein:
- in the manual mode, the coupler couples the crankshaft to the thrust unit such that rotation of the crankshaft in a first angular direction about the crankshaft axis drives the thrust unit to output thrust in a first thrust direction and rotation of the crankshaft in a second angular direction, opposite the first angular direction, about the crankshaft axis drives the thrust unit to output thrust in a second thrust direction, opposite the first thrust direction;
- in the assist mode, the assist drive train is connected to the thrust unit such that when the motor is energized, the assist drive train drives the thrust unit to output thrust in the first thrust direction;
- and
- in the assist mode, the coupling arrangement couples the crankshaft to the thrust unit such that rotation of the crankshaft in the first angular direction about the crankshaft axis can drive the thrust unit to output thrust in the first thrust direction and rotation of the crankshaft in the second angular direction about the crankshaft axis does not drive the thrust unit to output thrust in the second thrust direction.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.