US 9,517,826 B1 · Method of decelerating a watercraft

Abstract

A method of decelerating a watercraft is disclosed. The watercraft has a hull, a deck, a seat, a motor connected to at least one of the hull and the deck, a jet propulsion system operatively connected to the motor, and a reverse gate connected to at least one of the hull and the jet propulsion system. The reverse gate is movable between at least a stowed position and a deceleration position. The method has the steps of: receiving a deceleration signal; moving the reverse gate toward the deceleration position in response to receiving the deceleration signal; as the reverse gate is moving toward the deceleration position, increasing a thrust request at an intermediate position of the reverse gate, the intermediate position being intermediate the stowed and decelerations positions; and increasing the speed of the motor in response to increasing the thrust request.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of decelerating a watercraft, the watercraft having a hull, a deck disposed on the hull, a seat disposed on the deck, a motor connected to at least one of the hull and the deck, a jet propulsion system operatively connected to the motor, and a reverse gate connected to at least one of the hull and the jet propulsion system, the reverse gate being movable between at least a stowed position and a deceleration position, the method comprising:

receiving a deceleration signal;
moving the reverse gate toward the deceleration position in response to receiving the deceleration signal;
as the reverse gate is moving toward the deceleration position, increasing a thrust request at an intermediate position of the reverse gate, the intermediate position being intermediate the stowed and deceleration positions;
and
increasing the speed of the motor in response to increasing the thrust request.

2 more elements

A watercraft comprising:

a hull;
a deck disposed on the hull;
a seat disposed on the deck;
a motor connected to one of the hull and the deck;
a jet propulsion system operatively connected to the motor;
an electronic control unit (ECU) communicating with the motor for controlling an operation of the motor;
a motor speed sensor for sensing a rotational speed of the motor and being in communication with the ECU;
a reverse gate operatively connected to at least one of the hull and the jet propulsion system, the reverse gate being movable between at least a stowed position and a deceleration position;
a reverse gate actuator operatively connected to the reverse gate for moving the reverse gate between at least the stowed position and the deceleration position, and being in communication with the ECU;
a deceleration device position sensor in communication with the ECU;
and
a deceleration device connected to the deceleration device position sensor, the deceleration device position sensor sensing a position of the deceleration device,
the ECU being configured to, upon receiving a deceleration signal indicative of an actuation of the deceleration device from the deceleration device position sensor:
send an actuation signal to the reverse gate actuator to move the reverse gate toward the deceleration position;
and
as the reverse gate is moving toward the deceleration position, increase the thrust request at an intermediate position of the reverse gate to increase the speed of the motor, the intermediate position being intermediate the stowed and deceleration positions.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of decelerating a watercraft

Life of this patent

Method of decelerating a watercraft

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20