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US 8,753,156 B2Granted
Remote drive
AssigneeHobie Cat Company
InventorsGregory S. Ketterman, James T. Czarnowski, Jason Christopher Kardas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A remote powered propulsive device having a rudder which carries a propeller or oscillating fins which are powered by pedals alone or with hydraulic assist or by an electric motor.
Claims15
A human powered watercraft comprising a bow and a stern, a deck, a rudder at the stern and a cockpit intermediate the bow and the stern further comprising:
- power means carried by the watercraft providing a source of propulsive power comprising pedals for receiving human input force;
- a seating area in said cockpit aft of said pedals for carrying a human operator;
- said rudder being freely rotatable left and right and carried about a vertical axis by a connection to said stern and having in proximity to the lower extremity of said rudder, propulsion means for propelling the watercraft comprising a propeller or fins;
- said rudder being retractable about said connection about an axis generally transverse to the stern of said watercraft, said rudder being rotatable on said connection about said axes to be stored above and lay essentially flat on the deck of said watercraft aft of said seating area while remaining connected to the stern of said watercraft;
- and
- a drive train connecting said source of propulsive power with the bottom of said rudder to drive said propulsion means.
3 more elements
A human powered watercraft comprising a bow and a stern, a deck, a rudder at the stern and a cockpit intermediate the bow and the stern further comprising:
- power means carried by the watercraft providing a source of propulsive power comprising pedals for receiving human input force;
- a seating area in said cockpit aft of said pedals for carrying a human operator;
- said rudder being freely rotatable left and right and carried about a vertical axis by a connection to said stern and having in proximity to the lower extremity of said rudder, propulsion means for propelling the watercraft comprising at least one pair of flexible fins extending below the water line and carried by said rudder in proximity to the lower end of said rudder, each of said fins adapted to rotate about an axis parallel to the direction of thrust;
- said rudder being retractable up to 270° about said connection about an axis generally transverse to the stern of said watercraft and being rotatable on said connection to turn 90° about said vertical axis to be stored above and lay essentially flat on the deck of said watercraft aft of said seating area while remaining connected to the stern of said watercraft;
- and
- a drive train connecting said source of propulsive power with the bottom of said rudder to drive said rotatable flexible fins.
3 more elements
A human powered watercraft comprising a bow and a stern, a deck, a rudder at the stern and a cockpit intermediate the bow and the stern further comprising:
- power means carried by the watercraft providing a source of propulsive power comprising pedals for receiving human input force;
- a seating area in said cockpit aft of said pedals for carrying a human operator;
- said rudder being freely rotatable left and right and carried about a vertical axis by a connection to said stern and having in proximity to the lower extremity of said rudder, propulsion means for propelling the watercraft comprising a propeller;
- said rudder being retractable about said connection about an axis generally transverse to and fixed to the stern of said watercraft, said rudder being rotatable on said connection about said axis to be stored above and lay essentially flat on the deck of said watercraft aft of said seating area while remaining connected to the stern of said watercraft;
- and
- a drive train connecting said source of propulsive power with the bottom of said rudder to drive said propeller.
3 more elements
A human powered watercraft having a bow and a stern, a deck, a rudder at the stern and a cockpit intermediate the bow and the stern comprising:
- power means carried by the watercraft providing sources of propulsive power comprising pedals for receiving human input force;
- a seating area in said cockpit aft of said pedals for carrying a human operator;
- said rudder being freely rotatable left and right and carried about a vertical axis by a connection to said stern and having in proximity to the lower extremity of said rudder, propulsion means for propelling the watercraft comprising at least one pair of flexible fins extending below the water line and carried by said rudder in proximity to the lower end of said rudder, each of said fins rotatable to rotate about an axis parallel to the direction of thrust;
- said rudder being retractable about said connection about an axis generally transverse to the stern of said watercraft, said rudder being rotatable on said connection about said axes to be stored above and lay essentially flat on the deck of said watercraft while remaining connected to the stern of said watercraft aft of said seating area;
- a drive train connecting said sources of propulsive power with the bottom of said rudder to drive said flexible fins;
- said watercraft carrying a battery forward of the stern;
- an electric motor carried by said rudder;
- said battery configured to supply electrical power to said electric motor;
- and
- said electric motor configured to provide driving force to said at least one pair of rotatable flexible fins.
7 more elements
A human powered watercraft having a bow and a stern, a deck, a rudder at the stern and a cockpit intermediate the bow and the stern comprising:
- power means carried by the watercraft providing sources of propulsive power comprising pedals for receiving human input force;
- a seating area in said cockpit aft of said pedals for carrying a human operator;
- said rudder being freely rotatable left and right and carried about a vertical axis by a connection to said stern and having in proximity to the lower extremity of said rudder, propulsion means for propelling the watercraft comprising a propeller;
- said rudder being retractable about said connection about an axis generally transverse to and fixed to the stern of said watercraft, said rudder being rotatable on said connection about said axes to be stored above and lay essentially flat on the deck of said watercraft while remaining connected to the stern of said watercraft aft of said seating area;
- a drive train connecting said sources of propulsive power with the bottom of said rudder to drive said propeller;
- said watercraft carrying a battery forward of the stern;
- an electric motor carried by said rudder;
- said battery configured to supply electrical power to said electric motor;
- and
- means associated with said electric motor configured to provide driving force to said propeller.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.