Thruster arrangement for a boat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208188-B2
Application number	US-202016889272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2020
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A pontoon boat including a thruster system is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pontoon boat, comprising:
a plurality of pontoons, the plurality of pontoons defining a port side envelope of the plurality of pontoons and a starboard side envelope of the plurality of pontoons;
a deck supported by the plurality of pontoons, the deck having an outer perimeter; and
a thruster system including at least one water inlet in the plurality of pontoons and a plurality of water outlets in the plurality of pontoons, the plurality of water outlets being positioned within the outer deck perimeter and between the port side envelope of the plurality of pontoons and the starboard side envelope of the plurality of pontoons.

2. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pontoons includes a port side pontoon, a starboard side pontoon, and a third pontoon positioned between the port side pontoon and the starboard side pontoon, each of the plurality of pontoons extending longitudinally under the deck.

3. The pontoon boat of claim 2 , wherein the at least one water inlet and the plurality of water outlets are provided in the third pontoon.

4. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of water outlets includes a port-bow outlet.

5. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of water outlets includes a port-stern outlet.

6. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of water outlets includes a starboard-bow outlet.

7. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of water outlets includes a starboard-stern outlet.

8. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the thruster system further includes at least one fluid pump which pumps fluid from the at least one inlet towards at least one of the plurality of outlets.

9. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , further comprising an outboard motor positioned at a stern of the pontoon boat.

10. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a port-bow direction and a second one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a starboard-bow direction.

11. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a port-bow direction and a second one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a starboard-stern direction.

12. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a port-bow direction and a second one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a port-stern direction.

13. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a port-stern direction and a second one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a starboard-bow direction.

14. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a port-stern direction and a second one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a starboard-stern direction.

15. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a starboard-bow direction and a second one of the plurality of water outlets is directed in a starboard-stern direction.

16. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the plurality of water outlets is positionable in a plurality of directions.

17. The pontoon boat of claim 16 , wherein the first one of the plurality of water outlets is moveable between a first position corresponding to a port-bow direction and a second position corresponding to a port-stern direction.

18. The pontoon boat of claim 16 , wherein the first one of the plurality of water outlets is moveable between a first position corresponding to a starboard-bow direction and a second position corresponding to a starboard-stern direction.

19. The pontoon boat of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pontoons includes a port side pontoon, a starboard side pontoon, and a third pontoon positioned between the port side pontoon and the starboard side pontoon, the at least one water inlet being positioned within the outer deck perimeter and between the port side envelope of the plurality of pontoons and the starboard side envelope of the plurality of pontoons.

20. The pontoon of claim 19 , wherein the at least one water inlet is positioned in the third pontoon.

Assignees

• Polaris Inc

Inventors

• Fishburn Bradley R
• Donat Blair A
• Marshall Gabriel A
• Fuchs Michael J
• Schmid Andrew C

Classifications

• B63B35/38

  Rigidly-interconnected pontoons · CPC title

• B63H2011/008

  Arrangements of two or more jet units · CPC title

• B63H25/46 Primary

  Steering or dynamic anchoring by jets {or by rudders carrying jets (steering or dynamic anchoring by deflecting or directing main propulsion jets B63H11/00)} · CPC title

• B63H11/02 Primary

  the propulsive medium being ambient water · CPC title

• B63B35/34

  Pontoons (floating bridges E01D15/14) · CPC title