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

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- Number: US 9,517,826 B1
- Document ID: US9517826B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/611,414
- Filed: 2015-02-02
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-31
- Assignees: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
- Applicants: Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
- Inventors: Mathieu Leblond
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517826B1

## CPC

- B63H 21/21: Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
- B63B 34/10: Power-driven personal watercraft, e.g. water scooters (water jet propulsion B63H11/00; jet steering B63H25/46); Accessories therefor
- B63H 11/113: Pivoted outlet
- B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00)
- B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate position is a position between 10 degrees above a middle position of the reverse gate and 20 degrees below the middle position of the reverse gate, the middle position of the reverse gate being halfway between a fully stowed position and a fully lowered position of the reverse gate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate position is between the stowed position and a neutral position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
reducing the thrust request upon receiving the deceleration signal prior to moving the reverse gate toward the deceleration position;
reducing a speed of the motor in response to the reduction of the thrust request;
wherein moving the reverse gate toward the deceleration position includes moving the reverse gate toward the deceleration position once the speed of the motor is reduced at or below a reverse gate actuation speed; and
further comprising continuing to reduce the speed of the motor as the reverse gate moves toward the intermediate position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein reducing the thrust request includes reducing the thrust request to an idle thrust request.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein increasing the speed of the motor in response to increasing the thrust request includes increasing the speed of the motor to a watercraft deceleration speed, the watercraft deceleration speed being greater than an idle speed of the motor and less than the reverse gate actuation speed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the speed of the motor reaches the watercraft deceleration speed at a position of the reverse gate that is between a neutral position of the reverse gate and the deceleration position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the deceleration signal is indicative of an actuation of a deceleration device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the deceleration device is a lever.

### Claim 10

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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, wherein the intermediate position is a position between 10 degrees above a middle position of the reverse gate and 20 degrees below the middle position of the reverse gate, the middle position of the reverse gate being halfway between a fully stowed and a fully lowered position of the reverse gate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, wherein the intermediate position is between the stowed position and a neutral position.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, wherein the ECU is further configured to, upon receiving the deceleration signal:
reduce the thrust request, prior to sending the actuation signal, to reduce the speed of the motor, and
send the actuation signal once a motor speed signal received from the motor speed sensor indicates that the speed of the motor is at or below a reverse gate actuation speed,
the motor speed continuing to reduce as the reverse gate moves toward the reverse gate position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The watercraft of claim 13, wherein the ECU is configured to reduce the thrust request to an idle thrust request upon receiving the deceleration signal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The watercraft of claim 13, wherein the ECU is configured to increase the speed of the motor to a watercraft deceleration speed in response to the increase of the thrust request, the watercraft deceleration speed being greater than an idle speed of the motor and less than the reverse gate actuation speed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The watercraft of claim 15, wherein the ECU is configured to increase the speed of the motor to the watercraft deceleration speed such that the motor reaches the watercraft deceleration speed between a neutral position of the reverse gate and the deceleration position.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, wherein the deceleration device is a lever.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, further comprising a motor compartment defined between the hull and the deck, the motor being disposed in the motor compartment.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, further comprising a handlebar connected to the deck;
wherein the deceleration device is mounted to the handlebar, and
wherein the seat is a straddle seat.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The watercraft of claim 10, wherein the reverse gate actuator is an electric motor.