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US 9,315,235 B1Granted
Wake adjustment system for boats
OwnerScott Woodinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wake adjustment system for a boat may include a pair of wake adjustment devices mountable at the stern of the boat to deflect water moving past a stern trailing edge of the boat's running surface. A wake adjustment device includes a water deflector that is rotatable about a first pivot axis for varying a degree of wake adjustment. The pivot axis is non-parallel to the boat's stern trailing edge.
Claims15
A boat comprising:
- a hull having a bottom side with a running surface extending from a bow to a stern along a longitudinal hull centerline, the running surface having a stern trailing edge where water releases from the running surface when the boat moves forward though water;
- a pair of wake adjustment devices mounted to the boat aft the stern trailing edge in opposed positions about the longitudinal hull centerline, both of the wake adjustment devices having, respectively,
- (i) a mounting member mounting the wake adjustment device to a transom of the hull;
- (ii) a platelike extension member extending aft from the mounting member to a hinge defining a pivot axis extending laterally across the extension member, the pivot axis forming an acute angle with the transom when the pivot axis is projected onto the transom;
- (iii) a water deflector pivotally attached to the hinge, the water deflector being rotatable upwardly and downwardly about the pivot axis for modifying a wake produced by the hull;
- and
- (iv) an actuator connected to the water deflector via an actuator connection bracket positioned on the water deflector aft the hinge;
- and
- a control system in communication with both wake adjustment devices, the control system being operable to impart rotation to both water deflectors via the respective actuator and about the respective pivot axis independent of the other water deflector to make a surf wake behind the boat.
6 more elements
A wake adjustment device for a boat, the wake adjustment device comprising:
- a vertical plate mountable directly to a transom of a boat, the vertical plate being elongated in a lateral direction;
- a platelike extension member having a top extension member surface and a bottom extension member surface, the top and bottom extension member surfaces being oriented horizontally relative to the vertical plate and extending aft from a bottom end of the vertical plate, the top and bottom extension member surfaces being:
- bounded at a forward end thereof by the vertical plate,
- bounded at an aft end thereof by a hinge defining a pivot axis,
- bounded on an outboard side by an outboard side edge thereof,
- bounded on an inboard side by an inboard side edge thereof;
- the outboard side edge being longer than the inboard side edge, thereby making the top and bottom extension member surfaces trapezoidal;
- the pivot axis angling towards the forward end from the outboard side edge to the inboard side edge;
- a platelike water deflector pivotally connected the hinge, the platelike water deflector having top and bottom water deflector surfaces oriented horizontally relative to the vertical plate and extending aft from the hinge to an aftmost lateral edge, the aftmost lateral edge being non-parallel to the pivot axis;
- and
- an actuator connection bracket positioned on the top water deflector surface aft the hinge, the actuator connection bracket having at least one actuator piston connection point.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.