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US 9,694,873 B2Granted
Surf wake system for a watercraft
AssigneeMalibu Boats, LLC
InventorsDaniel Lee Gasper, Adam Andrew McCall, Timothy Michael Lopes, Brian Walter Munday, Wayne Richard Wilson, Rachael Marie Green
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable surf wake system enhances a wake formed by a watercraft travelling through water. The system may include a flap for deflecting water traveling past the stern of the watercraft, and/or a positioner operably connected to the flap for positioning the flap relative to a longitudinal axis of the watercraft between a neutral position and an outward position. Positioning a port flap in its extended position enhances a starboard surf wake, and positioning the starboard flap in its extended position enhances a port surf wake.
Claims48
A boat configured to provide an alert that the boat is reconfiguring, or is about to reconfigure, itself to change one or more aspects of a wake, the boat comprising:
- a hull configured to produce a wake when the hull moves through water;
- one or more positionable surfaces, the one or more positionable surfaces having a plurality of orientations with respect to said hull, wherein the one or more positionable surfaces at a first of said orientations are configured to modify said wake by causing an outward right-side face of said wake to be smoother than an outward left-side face of said wake thereby forming a surf right configuration, and wherein the one or more positionable surfaces at a second of said orientations are configured to modify said wake by causing said outward left-side face of said wake to be smoother than said outward right-side face of said wake thereby forming a surf left configuration;
- a rider control device comprising a user interface configured to receive input from a rider surfing behind the boat, said input including a selection by the rider to transition from said surf right configuration to said surf left configuration, or from said surf left configuration to said surf right configuration;
- one or more actuators responsive to the input received by the user interface to move the one or more positionable surfaces from said first orientation that is configured to form the surf right configuration to said second orientation that is configured to form the surf left configuration, or from said second orientation that is configured to form the surf left configuration to said first orientation that is configured to form the surf right configuration;
- and
- a driver notification module configured to provide one or more notifications to a driver of the boat that the wake is transitioning, or is about to transition, from the surf right configuration to the surf left configuration, or from the surf left configuration to the surf right configuration, wherein the driver notification module is configured to provide the one or more notifications to the driver in response to the input received from the rider via the rider control device.
3 more elements
A method of providing a notification in operating a surf wake system, the method comprising:
- propelling a hull through water to produce a wake;
- electronically deploying one or more electronically controlled positionable surfaces to Modify said wake by causing an outward right-side face of said wake to be smoother than an outward left-side face of said wake thereby forming a surf right configuration, or by causing said outward left-side face of said wake to be smoother than said outward right-side face of said wake thereby forming a surf left configuration;
- electronically receiving a selection from a non-driver via a user interface on a non-driver operator control device to transition from said surf right configuration to said surf left configuration, or from said surf left configuration to said surf right configuration;
- presenting, in response to the selection from the non-driver received via the non-driver operator control device, one or more notifications to a driver of the boat that the wake is transitioning, or is about to transition, from the surf right configuration to the surf left configuration, or from the surf left configuration to the surf right configuration;
- and
- electronically adjusting the one or more electronically controlled positionable surfaces to transition from the surf right configuration to the surf left configuration, or from the surf left configuration to the surf right configuration.
3 more elements
A wake surf system for use with a boat, the wake surf system comprising:
- one or more electronically controlled positionable wake modifying elements configured to operably couple to a hull of a boat and having a plurality of orientations with respect to said hull, wherein the one or more wake modifying elements at a first of said orientations are configured to modify said wake by causing an outward right-side face of said wake to be smoother than an outward left-side face of said wake thereby forming a surf right configuration, and wherein the one or more wake modifying elements at a second of said orientations are configured to modify said wake by causing said outward left-side face of said wake to be smoother than said outward right-side face of said wake thereby forming a surf left configuration;
- a rider control device comprising a user interface configured to receive input from a rider surfing behind the boat, said input including a selection by the rider to transition from said surf right configuration to said surf left configuration, or from said surf left configuration to said surf right configuration;
- and
- a driver notification module configured to provide one or more notifications to a driver of the boat that the wake is transitioning, or is about to transition, from the surf right configuration to the surf left configuration, or from the surf left configuration to the surf right configuration, wherein the driver notification module is configured to provide the one or more notifications to the driver in response to the input received from the rider via the rider control device.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.