Battery operated small craft bilge pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11878770-B2
Application number	US-201213709492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2012
Priority date	Dec 8, 2011
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A small lightweight battery operated remote switched bilge pump is provided weighing less than one pound for installing in a small watercraft, including a kayak, canoe, sailboat, row boat, dingy, featuring a bilge pump having a low voltage inline pump, a housing having a compartment with an integrated strainer base to receive the low voltage inline pump, and having a watertight compartment to receive lightweight batteries to power the bilge pump for about 1.5 hours, and a switch assembly to selectively operate on/off functionality of the bilge pump remotely; and a Velcro® arrangement to couple the bilge pump to a surface of the small watercraft to allow easy installation of the bilge pump in about 15 seconds to perform bilge pump functionality without drilling or making holes in the small watercraft, and to allow easy removal of the bilge pump for cleaning and battery replacement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remotely switched bilge pump for arranging in a kayak or other watercraft having an inner part or portion of a hull or other surface at a location where water leaks into the kayak or other watercraft, comprising:
a bilge pump arrangement having an inline pump, a replaceable battery cover and a combined pump and battery housing molded in a single piece and that has a common wall separating a pump compartment and a watertight battery compartment, the pump compartment configured to contain the inline pump therein and having an integrated strainer base with passageways to allow water to pass into and flood the pump compartment so as to form a flooded pump compartment to be pumped, the watertight battery compartment configured to contain batteries to power the inline pump contained in the pump compartment, the replaceable battery cover configured to provide a watertight seal with a rim of the watertight battery compartment and be removed from the combined pump and battery housing to replace the batteries contained therein;
a remote switch assembly configured to couple to the bilge pump arrangement and selectively operate on/off functionality of the inline pump remotely from the bilge pump arrangement; and
a detachable coupling arrangement configured to couple and attach the bilge pump arrangement to the inner part or portion of the hull or other surface of the kayak or other watercraft so as to allow installation of the bilge pump arrangement to perform bilge pump functionality without the need for drilling or making any hole in any surface of the kayak or other watercraft, and also to allow removal of the bilge pump arrangement for cleaning and battery replacement; wherein
the pump compartment comprises a single and separate pump compartment, and the watertight battery compartment comprises a single and separate watertight battery compartment;
the single and separate pump compartment is configured to contain separately the inline pump therein, and does not contain the batteries to power the inline pump; and
the single and separate watertight battery compartment is configured to contain separately the batteries to power the inline pump and does not contain the inline pump.

2. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein the remote switch assembly is configured on a wire and coupled to the bilge pump arrangement and has an on/off button to operate the on/off functionality of the inline pump remotely.

3. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein the remote switch assembly is configured to operate the on/off functionality of the inline pump wirelessly.

4. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable coupling arrangement comprises one piece having hooks, and another piece having loops for coupling to the hooks.

5. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein the remotely switched bilge pump weighs less than one pound for installing in the kayak or the watercraft.

6. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein
the inline pump is dimensioned with a predetermined inline pump size, shape or contour;
the batteries are dimensioned with a predetermined battery size, shape or contour;
the pump compartment is configured with an associated predetermined pump compartment size, shape or contour that substantially corresponds to the predetermined inline pump size, shape or contour in order to arrange the inline pump therein; and
the watertight battery compartment is configured with an associated predetermined battery compartment size, shape or contour that substantially corresponds to the predetermined battery size, shape or contour in order to receive the batteries to power the inline pump.

7. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein the remotely switched bilge pump comprises a wireless switch assembly arranged in the watertight battery compartment to selectively operate the on/off functionality of the inline pump in response to a wireless signal provided by the remote switch assembly.

8. The remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 1 , wherein the detachable coupling arrangement is a closure consisting of a piece of fabric of hooks that sticks to a corresponding fabric of loops.

9. A battery operated remotely switched bilge pump for arranging in a kayak or other watercraft having an inner part or portion of a hull or other surface at a location where water leaks into the kayak or other watercraft, comprising:
a bilge pump arrangement having an inline pump, a replaceable battery cover, one or more batteries and a combined pump and battery housing molded in a single piece and that has a common wall separating a pump compartment and a watertight battery compartment, the pump compartment configured to contain the inline pump therein and having an integrated strainer base with passageways to allow water to pass into and flood the pump compartment so as to form a flooded pump compartment to be pumped, the watertight battery compartment configured to contain the one or more batteries to power the inline pump contained in the pump compartment, the replaceable battery cover configured to provide a watertight seal with a rim of the watertight battery compartment and be removed from the combined pump and battery housing to replace the one or more batteries contained therein;
a remote switch assembly configured to couple to the bilge pump arrangement and selectively operate on/off functionality of the inline pump remotely from the bilge pump arrangement; and
a detachable coupling arrangement configured to couple and attach the bilge pump arrangement to the inner part or portion of the hull or other surface of the kayak or other watercraft so as to allow installation of the bilge pump arrangement to perform bilge pump functionality without the need for drilling or making any hole in any surface of the kayak or other watercraft, and also to allow removal of the bilge pump arrangement for cleaning and battery replacement; wherein
the pump compartment comprises a single and separate pump compartment, and the watertight battery compartment comprises a single and separate watertight battery compartment;
the single and separate pump compartment is configured to contain the inline pump therein, and does not contain the one or more batteries to power the inline pump; and
the single and separate watertight battery compartment is configured to contain the one or more batteries to power the inline pump and does not contain the inline pump.

10. The battery operated remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 9 , wherein the remote switch assembly is configured on a wire and coupled to the bilge pump arrangement and has an on/off button to operate the on/off functionality of the pump remotely.

11. The battery operated remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 9 , wherein the battery operated remotely switched bilge pump comprises a wireless switch assembly arranged in the watertight battery compartment to selectively operate the on/off functionality of the inline pump in response to a wireless signal provided by the remote switch assembly.

12. The battery operated remotely switched bilge pump according to claim 9 , wherein the inline pump is dimensioned with a predetermined inline pump size, shape or contour, the pump compartment is configured with an associated predetermined pump compartment size, shape or contour that substantially corresponds to the predetermined inline pump size, shape or contour in order to arrange the inline pump therein, and the inline pump and the pump compartment have corresponding cylindrical shapes.

Assignees

• Flow Control LLC

Inventors

• Irving Michael H
• Kenney Joel A

Classifications

• B63B13/00 Primary

  Conduits for emptying or ballasting; Self-bailing equipment; Scuppers (draining means for hatches B63B19/26; centrifugal bilge-water separators B04; {arrangements of installations for treating ballast water B63J4/002; } pipes in general F16L) · CPC title