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US 6,394,859 B1Granted
Trolling motor bow mount impact protection system
AssigneeJohnson Outdoors Inc.
InventorsSteven J. Knight, Darrel A. Bernloehr, Dennis L. Starner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bow mount trolling motor for a boat is disclosed. The bow mount trolling motor includes a chassis adapted to be mounted to a bow of the boat, a lower propulsion unit and at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis. The at least one shaft pivots in a first direction about the first axis from a deployed position to a stowed position. The at least one shaft pivots in an opposite second direction about the first-axis when the at least one shaft of the lower propulsion unit encounters an obstruction while the boat is moving in a forward direction.
Claims38
A bow mount trolling motor for a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be coupled to a bow of the boat;
- a housing pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis;
- at least one shaft extending along a second axis and movably coupled to the housing for movement along the second axis relative to the housing;
- a drive system carried by the housing and configured to move the at least one shaft relative to the housing;
- a lower propulsion unit coupled to the at least one shaft;
- an engagement surface coupled to the chassis;
- and
- a resilient bias member coupled between the housing and the engagement surface.
5 more elements
A bow mount trolling motor for use with a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be mounted to a bow of the boat;
- a lower propulsion unit;
- at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis, wherein the at least one shaft pivots in a first direction about the first axis from a deployed position to a stowed position, wherein the at least one shaft pivots in an opposite second direction about the first axis when the at least one shaft or the lower propulsion unit encounters an obstruction while the boat is moving in a forward direction, and wherein the first axis is stationary relative to the chassis during pivotal movement in the first direction.
A bow mount trolling motor for use with a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be coupled to a bow of the boat;
- a lower propulsion unit;
- at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis, the at least one shaft extending along a second axis, wherein the at least one shaft and the lower propulsion unit pivot about the first axis from a generally vertical deployed position towards a stern of the boat in response to engaging an obstruction;
- a first engagement surface coupled to the chassis;
- a second engagement surface coupled to the at least one shaft;
- and
- a resilient bias member coupled between the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface and extending along an axis parallel to the second axis.
4 more elements
A bow mount trolling motor for a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be coupled to a bow of the boat;
- a housing pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis, the housing including a first engagement surface;
- at least one shaft extending along a second axis;
- a lower propulsion unit coupled to the at least one shaft;
- a coupling member movably coupled to the housing and including a second engagement surface, wherein the coupling member is actuatable between a first position in which the coupling member is stationarily secured to the chassis against movement about the first axis and a second position in which the coupling member is movable about the first axis;
- and
- a resilient bias member disposed between the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface, whereby the housing, the at least one shaft and the lower propulsion unit pivot in a first direction about the first axis relative to the coupling member when the coupling member is in the first position such that energy is absorbed by the resilient bias member and whereby the coupling member, the housing, the at least one shaft and the lower propulsion unit all pivot in a second direction about the first axis to allow the lower propulsion unit to be pivoted to a stowed position when the coupling member is in the second position.
4 more elements
A bow mount trolling motor for a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be coupled to a bow of the boat;
- a housing pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis;
- at least one shaft extending along a second axis and movably coupled to the housing for movement along the second axis relative to the housing;
- a lower propulsion unit coupled to the at least one shaft;
- an engagement surface coupled to the chassis;
- and
- a resilient bias member coupled between the housing and the engagement surface;
- a coupling member providing the engagement surface, wherein the coupling member is actuatable between a first position in which the coupling member is stationarily secured to the chassis against movement about the first axis and a second position in which the coupling member is movable about the first axis, and wherein the coupling member actuates between the first and second positions based upon a position of the at least one shaft along the second axis.
5 more elements
A bow mount trolling motor for use with a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be mounted to a bow of the boat;
- a lower propulsion unit;
- at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis, wherein the at least one shaft pivots in a first direction about the first axis from a deployed position to a stowed position and wherein the at least one shaft pivots in an opposite second direction about the first axis when the at least one shaft or the lower propulsion unit encounters an obstruction while the boat is moving in a forward direction;
- a coupling member movably coupled to the at least one shaft, the coupling member being actuatable between a first position in which the coupling member engages the chassis to prevent pivotal movement of the at least one shaft in the first direction about the first axis and a second position in which the coupling member disengages the chassis to allow pivotal movement of the at least one shaft in the first direction about the first axis, wherein the at least one shaft extends along a second axis and is movable along the second axis relative to the chassis and wherein the coupling member actuates between the first and second positions based on a position of the at least one shaft along the second axis.
1 more element
A bow mount trolling motor for use with a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be mounted to a bow of the boat;
- a lower propulsion unit;
- at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis, wherein the at least one shaft pivots in a first direction about the first axis from a deployed position to a stowed position and wherein the at least one shaft pivots in an opposite second direction about the first axis when the at least one shaft or the lower propulsion unit encounters an obstruction while the boat is moving in a forward direction;
- a coupling member movably coupled to the at least one shaft, the coupling member being actuatable between a first position in which the coupling member engages the chassis to prevent pivotal movement of the at least one shaft in the first direction about the first axis and a second position in which the coupling member disengages the chassis to allow pivotal movement of the at least one shaft in the first direction about the first axis, wherein the at least one shaft includes a first actuation surface, wherein the coupling member includes a second actuation surface and wherein the first actuation surface engages the second actuation surface during movement of the at least one shaft along the second axis to actuate the coupling member between the first and second positions.
1 more element
A bow mount trolling motor for use with a boat, the bow mount trolling motor comprising:
- a chassis adapted to be mounted to a bow of the boat;
- a lower propulsion unit;
- at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis, wherein the at least one shaft pivots in a first direction about the first axis from a deployed position to a stowed position and wherein the at least one shaft pivots in an opposite second direction about the first axis when the at least one shaft or the lower propulsion unit encounters an obstruction while the boat is moving in a forward direction;
- a coupling member movably coupled to the at least one shaft, the coupling member being actuatable between a first position in which the coupling member engages the chassis to prevent pivotal movement of the at least one shaft in the first direction about the first axis and a second position in which the coupling member disengages the chassis to allow pivotal movement of the at least one shaft in the first direction about the first axis;
- a first engagement surface coupled to the coupling member;
- a second engagement surface coupled to the at least one shaft;
- and
- a resilient bias member coupled between the first and second engagement surfaces.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.