Adjustable sponson system for watercraft
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorSumihiro Takashima
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Abstract
An adjustable sponson system for a watercraft includes a coupling mechanism that allows the position of the sponsons relative to the hull of the watercraft to be varied by the operator of the watercraft while seated on the watercraft. The adjustable sponson system includes a pair of actuators which move the sponsons relative to the hull. A remotely positioned operator controls the actuator. The operator desirably is positioned on the watercraft so as to be easily operated by the rider when riding.
Claims29
A watercraft comprising an upper deck and a hull, said upper deck defining at least in part a rider's area at a location between first and second sections of the hull, and an adjustable sponson system including at least first and second sponsons, each of said first and second sponsons being movably attached to a respective one of said first and second side hull sections, at least one actuator coupled to each sponson to move the sponson relative to the respective hull section, and at least one operator coupled to the actuator to control the movement of at least one of the sponsons relative to the respective hull section, the operator being located near the rider's area on the upper deck.
A watercraft comprising an upper deck and a hull, said upper deck defining at least in part a rider's area at a location between first and second sections of the hull, and an adjustable sponson system including at least first and second sponsons, each of said first and second sponsons being movably attached to a respective one of said first and second hull sections, and at least first and second actuators, each of said first and second actuators being coupled to a respective one of said first and second sponsons, said actuators being operable independent of each other, the adjustable sponson system including at least one operator positioned remote relative to the sponson, and said operator comprising dedicated control elements for each actuator.
An adjustable sponson for use with a watercraft hull, said sponson comprising a sponson body and a sponson base, said sponson base being adapted to be mounted on an outer surface of the watercraft hull, said sponson body being moveably attached to said sponson base by a coupling mechanism, said sponson base having a surface that forms at least a portion of a exterior surface of said sponson, said coupling mechanism including a guide mechanism that at least partially defines a travel path for at least a portion of said sponson body on said sponson base.
A watercraft comprising a hull and an adjustable sponson system, said adjustable sponson system including at least one sponson movable attached to the hull, an operator coupled to the sponson and configured to control movement of the sponson relative to the hull, and an absorbing mechanism operable between the operator and the sponson, whereby the absorbing mechanism allows for movement of the sponson relative to the hull without communicating such movement to the operator.
An adjustable sponson for use with a watercraft hull having a longitudinal axis that extends in a fore and aft direction of said hull, said sponson comprising a sponson body and a mounting shaft, said mounting shaft being adapted to be mounted on an outer surface of said hull, said sponson body being pivotably attached to said hull with said mounting shaft defining a pivot axis for said sponson body, said pivot axis extending in a generally longitudinal direction such that said sponson body is pivotable about pivot axis between at least two positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.