Wake-modifying device for a boat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802684-B2
Application number	US-201514634790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 11, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A recreational sport boat includes a hull having starboard and port sides and a transom, a generally horizontal platform, and a pair of wake-modifying devices positioned aft of the transom. The generally horizontal platform extends aft of the transom and is configured to support a human weighing at least 100 lbs. on an upper surface thereof. The pair of wake-modifying devices are attached to the platform. One of the wake-modifying devices is positioned on a port side of the platform's centerline, and another of the wake-modifying devices is positioned on a starboard side of the platform's centerline. Each wake-modifying device is moveable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position in which the wake-modifying device is angled downwardly at an angle relative to the top surface of the generally horizontal platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recreational sport boat comprising:
a hull including starboard and port sides and a transom;
a generally horizontal platform extending aft of the transom and spanning from a port side to a starboard side of a centerline of a boat, the generally horizontal platform configured to support a human weighing at least 100 lbs. on an upper surface thereof; and
a pair of wake-modifying devices pivotably attached to the platform, one of the wake-modifying devices being positioned on a port side of a centerline of the platform and another of the wake-modifying devices being positioned on a starboard side of the platform's centerline,
wherein each wake-modifying device is pivotable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position in which the wake-modifying device is pivoted downwardly at an angle relative to its non-deployed position, and
wherein the port-side wake-modifying device is pivotable about an axis that extends in a generally horizontal direction at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees counterclockwise relative to the platform's centerline as viewed from above, and the starboard-side wake-modifying device is pivotable about an axis that extends in a generally horizontal direction at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees clockwise relative to the platform's centerline as viewed from above.

2. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein each wake-modifying device is capable of assuming multiple deployed positions, and in each different deployed position the wake-modifying device is pivoted downwardly at a different angle relative to its non-deployed position.

3. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein each wake-modifying device is attached to an outer third of the platform measured in a widthwise direction of the platform.

4. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein a leading edge of each wake-modifying device is positioned one to three feet behind the transom.

5. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein, in their non-deployed positions, an outer contour of each wake-modifying device corresponds to an outer contour of the platform.

6. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein each wake-modifying device forms a part of, and a top surface is co-planar with, the upper surface of the platform when the wake-modifying device is in its non-deployed position.

7. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein each wake-modifying device has an outer contour that is one of substantially triangular and substantially parabolic.

8. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein an underside of each wake-modifying device is at least one of generally convex, generally flat, generally concave, and asymmetrical.

9. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of mechanical levers, each mechanical lever being operable to move a respective one of the wake-modifying devices between its non-deployed position and its deployed position.

10. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of linear actuators, each linear actuator being operable to move a respective one of the wake-modifying devices between its non-deployed position and its deployed position.

11. The recreational sport boat of claim 10 , further comprising an operator station including a controller configured to control the operation of each linear actuator.

12. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , further comprising an additional pair of wake-modifying devices, one of the additional wake-modifying devices being attached to the transom on the port side of the hull's centerline and another of the additional wake-modifying devices being attached to the transom on the starboard side of the hull's centerline.

13. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein the wake-modifying device is oriented generally parallel to the platform in the non-deployed position.

14. The recreational sport boat of claim 1 , wherein the wake-modifying device is angled downwardly at an angle relative to the upper surface of the generally horizontal platform in the deployed position.

15. A recreational sport boat comprising:
a hull including starboard and port sides and a transom;
a generally horizontal platform extending aft of the transom and spanning from a port side to a starboard side of a centerline of a boat, the generally horizontal platform configured to support a human weighing at least 100 lbs. on an upper surface thereof; and
a pair of wake-modifying devices attached to the platform, one of the wake-modifying devices being positioned on a port side of a centerline of the platform and another of the wake-modifying devices being positioned on a starboard side of the platform's centerline, each wake-modifying device being configured to linearly translate between a non-deployed position and a deployed position at a downward angle relative to the upper surface of the generally horizontal platform.

16. The recreational sport boat of claim 15 , wherein each wake-modifying device is attached to an outer third of the platform measured in a widthwise direction of the platform.

17. The recreational sport boat of claim 15 , wherein a leading edge of each wake-modifying device is positioned one to three feet behind the transom.

18. The recreational sport boat of claim 15 , wherein each wake-modifying device, in the deployed position is oriented at an oblique angle to the platform's centerline.

19. The recreational sport boat of claim 18 , wherein the oblique angle of the port-side wake-modifying device extends in a generally horizontal direction at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees counterclockwise relative to the platform's centerline as viewed from above, and the oblique angle of the starboard-side wake-modifying device extends in a generally horizontal direction at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees clockwise relative to the platform's centerline as viewed from above.

20. The recreational sport boat of claim 15 , wherein each wake-modifying device has an outer contour that is one of substantially triangular and substantially parabolic.

21. The recreational sport boat of claim 15 , wherein an underside of each wake-modifying device is at least one of generally convex, generally flat, generally concave, and asymmetrical.

22. A recreational sport boat comprising:
a hull including starboard and port sides and a transom;
a generally horizontal platform extending aft of the transom and spanning from a port side to a starboard side of a centerline of a boat, the generally horizontal platform configured to support a human weighing at least 100 lbs. on an upper surface thereof; and
a pair of wake-modifying devices pivotably attached to the platform, one of the wake-modifying devices being positioned on a port side of a centerline of the platform and another of the wake-modifying devices being positioned on a starboard side of the platform's centerline,
wherein each wake-modifying device is pivotable between a non-deployed position and a deployed position in which the wake-modifying device is pivoted downwardly at an angle relative to its non-deployed position,
wherein each wake-modifying device is pivotable about an axis that is oriented at an oblique angle to the platform's centerline, and
wherein each wake-modifying device forms a part of, and a top surface is co-planar with, the upper surface of the platform when the wake-modifying device is in its non-deployed position.

23. The recreational sport boat of claim 22 , wherein, in their non-deployed position

Assignees

• Mastercraft Boat Co Llc

Inventors

• Sheedy Darren S
• Huyge Matthew J
• Myers Michael D
• Schwenk Zane E
• Ekern David F

Classifications

• B63B34/70

  Arrangements on vessels specially adapted for generating waves for surfing, wakeboarding or the like, e.g. ballast tanks · CPC title

• B63B2035/855

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B63B35/85 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B63B32/70 Primary

  Accessories not specially adapted for a particular type of board, e.g. paddings or buoyancy elements · CPC title

• B63B34/75 Primary

  Arrangements of wake plates · CPC title