Jet propulsion system with in-nozzle deflector gate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522333-B2
Application number	US-202318112188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2023
Priority date	Mar 8, 2022
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A jet propulsion system includes a housing and an impeller positioned within the housing interior. A nozzle is positioned at least partially downstream of the housing outlet and a deflector gate is positioned within the nozzle interior. The deflector gate has a first end, a second end and a pivot provided at the first end. The deflector gate is pivotable relative to the nozzle about a pivot axis defined by the pivot between a default position and a deflector position. The deflector gate in the default position having the second end downstream of the first end, and in the deflector position deflecting at least some of the water out of an opening of the nozzle in an upstream direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A jet propulsion system, comprising:
a housing extending between an inlet and an outlet, the housing having an inner wall delimiting a housing interior; an impeller positioned within the housing interior to draw water into the housing interior via the inlet and to expel the water from the outlet in a downstream direction; a nozzle positioned at least partially downstream of the outlet and defining a nozzle interior to receive the water expelled from the outlet; and a deflector gate positioned at least partially within the nozzle interior, the deflector gate having a first end, a second end and a pivot provided at the first end, the deflector gate pivotable relative to the nozzle about a pivot axis defined by the pivot between a default position and a deflector position, the deflector gate in the default position having the second end downstream of the first end and in the deflector position deflecting at least some of the water out of an opening of the nozzle in an upstream direction.

2 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the deflector gate is pivotably mounted to one of the nozzle and the housing at the pivot, and the pivot is positioned adjacent to at least one of an upstream end of the nozzle and the outlet of the housing.

3 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , comprising an actuator connected to the deflector gate and configured to displace the deflector gate to the deflector position.

4 . The jet propulsion system of claim 3 , wherein the actuator is operable through a range of actuation, the range of actuation comprising:
a first range portion in which the actuator adjusts a nozzle trim of the nozzle to a trim limit, and a second range portion in which the actuator pivots the deflector gate relative to the nozzle, the nozzle trim having reached the trim limit when the actuator operates in the second range portion.

5 . The jet propulsion system of claim 4 , wherein the actuator is configured to displace the deflector gate to the deflector position only upon the nozzle having reached the trim limit.

6 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the opening of the nozzle is a first opening, the nozzle further defining a second opening at a downstream end to eject the water in the downstream direction.

7 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes an upper portion positioned above a lower portion, the deflector gate pivotable relative to the nozzle in a downward direction starting in the upper portion and terminating at the deflector position in the lower portion.

8 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes an upper portion positioned above a lower portion, the deflector gate pivotable relative to the nozzle in an upward direction starting in the lower portion and terminating at the deflector position in the upper portion.

9 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes an upper portion positioned above a lower portion, the opening of the nozzle defined at least in part by an aperture in the lower portion, the deflector gate being displaceable through the aperture between the default position and the deflector position.

10 . The jet propulsion system of claim 9 , wherein the deflector gate includes a flow guide displaceable through the aperture as the deflector gate pivots relative to the nozzle between the default position and the deflector position.

11 . The jet propulsion system of claim 1 , wherein the deflector gate has a semi-cylindrical shape.

12 . A jet propulsion system, comprising:
a housing extending between an inlet and an outlet, the housing having an inner wall delimiting a housing interior; an impeller positioned within the housing interior to draw water into the housing interior via the inlet and to expel the water from the outlet in a downstream direction; a nozzle positioned at least partially downstream of the outlet and defining a nozzle interior to receive the water expelled from the outlet, the nozzle pivotably displaceable relative to the housing in at least a vertical direction to adjust nozzle trim; a deflector gate positioned at least partially within the nozzle interior and pivotable relative to the nozzle; and an actuator connected to the nozzle and to the deflector gate and operable through a range of actuation, the range of actuation comprising:
a first range portion in which the actuator adjusts the nozzle trim to a trim limit, and
a second range portion in which the actuator pivots the deflector gate relative to the nozzle, the nozzle trim having reached the trim limit when the actuator operates in the second range portion.

13 . The jet propulsion system of claim 12 , wherein the deflector gate is pivotably mounted to one of the nozzle and the housing at a pivot, and the pivot is positioned adjacent to at least one of an upstream end of the nozzle and the outlet of the housing.

14 . The jet propulsion system of claim 12 , wherein the actuator is configured to displace the deflector gate to the deflector position only upon the nozzle having reached the trim limit.

15 . The jet propulsion system of claim 14 , wherein the trim limit is an upper trim limit corresponding to the nozzle abutting against an outer wall of the housing.

16 . The jet propulsion system of claim 12 , wherein the deflector gate is stationary relative to the nozzle when the actuator operates in the first range portion.

17 . The jet propulsion system of claim 12 , wherein the deflector gate pivots relative to the nozzle when the actuator operates in the first range portion.

18 . The jet propulsion system of claim 12 , wherein the deflector gate in the deflector position deflecting at least some of the water out of an opening of the nozzle in an upstream direction.

19 . The jet propulsion system of claim 18 , wherein the opening of the nozzle is a first opening to eject water in an upstream direction, the nozzle further defining a second opening at a downstream end to eject the water in the downstream direction.

20 . A method of braking or reversing a personal watercraft (PWC), the method comprising:
creating a flow of water with the PWC to flow downstream from an inlet to an outlet of a steering nozzle of the PWC; and operating an actuator through a range of actuation comprising a first range portion and a second range portion,
operating the actuator in the first range portion comprising trimming the steering nozzle to a trim limit, and
operating the actuator in the second range portion comprising displacing a deflector gate within the steering nozzle to deflect at least some of the flow of water out of the steering nozzle in a direction that is at least partially upstream.

Assignees

• Taiga Motors Inc

Inventors

• Roy-Bernier Clovis
• Barrier Stanislas

Classifications

• B63H11/11

  with bucket or clamshell-type reversing means · CPC title

• B63H11/113 Primary

  Pivoted outlet · CPC title