Control and audio systems for a boat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630638-B2
Application number	US-202217712532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2022
Priority date	May 1, 2017
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A boat includes a dash positioned proximate a windshield at a first non-zero angle. A speaker is mounted under a top surface of the dash at a second non-zero angle. The speaker is positioned to direct sound emanating from the speaker through an opening in the dash and the windshield is configured to reflect the sound emanating from the speaker as reflected sound in an aft direction. The boat may also include an enclosure having a reflective surface positioned within a cavity formed between the deck and hull of the boat. A speaker, mounted within the enclosure, and the reflective surface are configured to reflect sound emanating from the speaker off of the reflective surface and through an opening of the enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A boat comprising:
a hull including a bow, a transom, and port and starboard sides;
a deck including a floor;
a windshield mounted at a first non-zero angle with respect to the floor;
a first seating area located in the bow of the boat, forward of the windshield;
a second seating area located aft of the windshield;
a console positioned proximate the windshield and between the first seating area and the second seating area, the console including a top surface and an opening; and
a plurality of speakers, the plurality of speakers including at least one speaker located forward of the windshield and at least one speaker located aft of the windshield, the at least one speaker located aft of the windshield being mounted under the top surface of the console at a second non-zero angle with respect to the floor and being positioned to direct sound emanating from the speaker through the opening in the console.

2. The boat according to claim 1 , further comprising a listening position located in the second seating area, wherein the first non-zero angle and second non-zero angle are configured to direct the sound to the listening position.

3. The boat according to claim 2 , wherein the sound is directed toward a location that is between 38 inches and 60 inches above the floor.

4. The boat according to claim 1 , wherein, as viewed from above, the windshield extends over the opening in the console.

5. The boat according to claim 1 , further comprising a sidewall having a gunwale, the at least one speaker located forward of the windshield being located on the sidewall and below the gunwale.

6. A boat comprising:
a hull including a bow, a transom, and port and starboard sides;
a deck including a floor;
a windshield mounted at a first non-zero angle with respect to the floor;
an audio system including a first speaker and a second speaker; and
a control console located proximate the windshield, the control console including:
a top surface and an opening in the top surface, the first speaker being mounted under the top surface of the control console at a second non-zero angle with respect to the floor, the first speaker being positioned to direct sound emanating from the first speaker through the opening in the control console;
a steering wheel having a steering column;
an upper display screen located above the steering column; and
a side display screen located on one of the inboard or outboard sides of the steering column, the side display screen being configured to display thereon a plurality of user-selectable options to operate the audio system.

7. The boat according to claim 6 , further comprising a bow seating area located in the bow of the boat, forward of the windshield, the second speaker being located in the bow seating area.

8. The boat according to claim 6 , further comprising a tower including a port leg, a starboard leg, and a header connected to an upper portion of each of the port leg and the starboard leg, the second speaker being mounted on the tower.

9. The boat according to claim 6 , further comprising a seating area aft of the windshield, the second speaker being located in the seating area aft of the windshield.

10. The boat according to claim 9 , wherein the first speaker is positioned to direct the sound emanating from the first speaker through the opening in an aft direction toward the seating area aft of the windshield.

11. The boat according to claim 10 , wherein the first speaker is positioned to direct the sound emanating from the first speaker through the opening such that the sound reflects off the windshield in the aft direction toward the seating area aft of the windshield.

12. The boat according to claim 6 , wherein, as viewed from above, the windshield extends over the opening in the control console.

13. A boat comprising:
a hull including a bow, a transom, port and starboard sides, and a centerline extending from the bow to the transom;
a deck including a floor;
a windshield mounted at a first non-zero angle with respect to the floor;
a first seating area located in the bow of the boat, forward of the windshield;
a second seating area located aft of the windshield;
a first console located on a starboard side of the centerline, proximate the windshield, the first console being located between the first seating area and the second seating area, the first console including a top surface and an opening;
a first speaker mounted under the top surface of the first console at a second non-zero angle with respect to the floor, the first speaker being positioned to direct sound emanating from the first speaker through the opening in the first console;
a second console located on a port side of the centerline, proximate the windshield, the second console being located between the first seating area and the second seating area, the second console including a top surface and an opening; and
a second speaker mounted under the top surface of the second console at a third non-zero angle with respect to the floor, the second speaker being positioned to direct sound emanating from the second speaker through the opening in the second console.

14. The boat according to claim 13 , wherein the first console is a control console and the second console is a passenger side console.

15. The boat according to claim 13 , further comprising a walkway between the first console and the second console, the walkway connecting the first seating area with the second seating area.

16. The boat according to claim 13 , wherein the second non-zero angle and the third non-zero angle are the same.

17. The boat according to claim 13 , wherein the sound from the first speaker is directed toward a location that is between 38 inches and 60 inches above the floor.

18. The boat according to claim 17 , wherein the sound from the second speaker is directed toward a location that is between 38 inches and 60 inches above the floor.

19. The boat according to claim 13 , wherein, as viewed from above, the windshield extends over the openings in the first and second consoles.

20. The boat according to claim 13 , further comprising one or more speakers located in the first seating area.

Assignees

• Mastercraft Boat Co Llc

Inventors

• Sheedy Darren S
• Ekern David F

Classifications

• B63B79/00

  Monitoring properties or operating parameters of vessels in operation · CPC title

• B63B45/08

  the devices being acoustic · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• B63B19/02

  Clear-view screens; {Windshields (canopies connected to windshields B63B17/02)} · CPC title

• B63B49/00

  Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids (nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) · CPC title