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US 12,151,795 B2Granted
Watercraft and associated pedal drive system
AssigneeJohnson Outdoors Inc.
InventorBlaine G. Kuehmichel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watercraft and associated pedal drive system are 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.
Claims31
A watercraft, comprising:
- a hull;
- a drive system mounted to the hull, the drive system comprising:
- a manual drive train including a pair of pedals;
- a lower unit configured to output thrust, the lower unit coupled to the pedals such that a manual pedaling force input to the pedals is converted to thrust by the lower unit;
- an assist drive train having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein in the engaged configuration, a torque from a motor of the assist drive train is transferred to the lower unit to generate thrust with the lower unit, and wherein in the disengaged configuration, the motor is decoupled from the lower unit;
- a sensor arrangement for monitoring at least one operational parameter of the drive system;
- a controller in operable communication with the sensor arrangement to interpret information from the sensor arrangement regarding the at least one operational parameter;
- and
- wherein the controller is operably connected to the assist drive train to selectively transition the assist drive train from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration and from the engaged configuration to the disengaged configuration based upon a pedal state change indicated by a change in the at least one operational parameter.
6 more elements
A drive system for a watercraft, comprising:
- a manual drive train comprising a pair of pedals;
- a lower unit coupled to the pair of pedals such that actuation of the pedals results in a thrust output at the lower unit;
- an assist drive train, the assist drive train having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein in the engaged configuration a torque from a motor of the assist drive train is transferred to the lower unit;
- a sensor arrangement for monitoring at least one operational parameter of the manual drive train;
- a controller in operable communication with the sensor arrangement to interpret information from the sensor arrangement regarding the at least one operational parameter;
- and
- wherein the controller is operably connected to the assist drive train to selectively transition the assist drive train from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration and from the engaged configuration to the disengaged configuration.
4 more elements
A method of operating a drive system of a watercraft, the drive system including a manual drive train that includes a pair of pedals, a lower unit for converting a manual pedal force input at the pedals to a thrust output at the lower unit, and an assist drive train operable to produce a torque output to supply force to the lower unit, the method comprising:
- transitioning the assist drive train from a disengaged configuration to an engaged configuration, wherein in the engaged configuration, a torque from a motor of the assist drive train is transferred to the lower unit, and wherein in the disengaged configuration that motor is decoupled from the lower unit;
- monitoring at least one operational parameter of the drive system using a sensor arrangement and a controller;
- and
- automatically transitioning the assist drive train from the engaged configuration to the disengaged configuration or from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration based upon a pedal state change indicated by a change in the at least one operational parameter.
1 more element
A drive system for a watercraft, comprising:
- a manual drive train comprising a pair of pedals;
- a lower unit coupled to the pair of pedals such that actuation of the pedals results in a thrust output at the lower unit;
- an assist drive train having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein in the engaged configuration a torque from a motor of the assist drive train is transferred to the lower unit;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to operate the assist drive train in a first mode and a second mode, wherein:
- in the first mode, the controller controls the assist drive train to provide all of the force for generating the thrust provided by the lower unit while no manual force input is provided to the lower unit from the manual drive train such that all input to the lower unit is provided by the assist drive train;
- and
- in the second mode, the controller controls the assist drive train to provide less than all of the force for generating the thrust provided by the lower unit.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.