Patents Examined by Andrew Polay
  • Patent number: 11034426
    Abstract: An underwater propulsion apparatus includes a motor and a control system for controlling the motor. The control system includes a remote controller and a motor driving device, wirelessly communicating with the remote controller. The motor driving device includes a communication repeater module and a motor driving module. The communication repeater module is configured for detecting interruptions or non-receipt of a wireless signal transmitted by the remote controller. Wireless signals to the motor driving module are transmitted by the remote controller to the communication repeater module. The motor driving module is configured for receiving the wireless signal, and outputs a driving signal for driving the motor according to the wireless signal, the motor driving module shutting down when no signal is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Guangdong ePropulsion Technology Limited
    Inventors: Guo-Jian Liang, Zhi-Zhou Wei, Yan-Li Zhong, Shi-Zheng Tao, Xiao-Kang Wan
  • Patent number: 11034417
    Abstract: A catamaran oil production apparatus is disclosed for producing oil in a marine environment. The apparatus includes first and second vessels that are spaced apart during use. A first frame spans between the vessels. A second frame spans between the vessels. The frames are spaced apart and connected to the vessels in a configuration that spaces the vessels apart. The first frame connects to the first vessel with a universal joint and to the second vessel with a hinged connection. The second frame connects to the second vessel with a universal joint and to the first vessel with a hinged or pinned connection. At least one of the frames supports an oil production platform. One or more risers or riser pipes extends from the seabed (e.g., at a wellhead) to the production platform (or platforms). In one embodiment, the production apparatus includes crew quarters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: VERSABAR, INC.
    Inventor: Jon Khachaturian
  • Patent number: 11034416
    Abstract: A catamaran oil production apparatus is disclosed for producing oil in a marine environment. The apparatus includes first and second vessels that are spaced apart during use. A first frame spans between the vessels. A second frame spans between the vessels. The frames are spaced apart and connected to the vessels in a configuration that spaces the vessels apart. The first frame connects to the first vessel with a universal joint and to the second vessel with a hinged connection. The second frame connects to the second vessel with a universal joint and to the first vessel with a hinged or pinned connection. At least one of the frames supports an oil production platform. One or more risers or riser pipes extends from the seabed (e.g., at a wellhead) to the production platform (or platforms). In one embodiment, the production apparatus includes crew quarters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: VERSABAR, INC.
    Inventor: Jon Khachaturian
  • Patent number: 11027804
    Abstract: An underwater sailing body includes: a positioning device configured to detect positional information of a hull of the underwater sailing body; a posture detecting sensor configured to detect posture information of the hull; an actuator configured to apply thrust to the hull in a front-rear direction of the hull, a left-right direction of the hull, an upper-lower direction of the hull in water to change the position and posture of the hull; and a controller configured to control the actuator. In order to hold a hull at a target position when the hull receives an external force by disturbances, the hull keeps balance by using thrusters with respect to the external force acting on the hull. Specifically, the hull is held at the target position by controlling a thruster configured to generate thrust in a front-rear direction and a thruster configured to generate thrust in a left-right direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyuki Okaya, Takashi Okada, Takafumi Okamoto, Hiroaki Kagaya
  • Patent number: 11027807
    Abstract: The present device relates to boatbuilding, and more particularly to screw propellers with safety couplings, intended for use in outboard motors and/or marine screw propellers. A screw propeller with a safety coupling comprises a screw propeller body-cum-hub, a drive coupling, a driven coupling, and a dowel pin. The driven coupling is disposed for rotation on a spacer bushing, said spacer bushing being a tail bushing of the driving coupling. The driven coupling is partially or completely disposed in an opening in the screw propeller body-cum-hub and transmits torque to the screw propeller body-cum-hub by means of a longitudinal dowel pin and/or longitudinal grooves and a spline coupling. A common opening for the dowel pin in the driving and/or the driven coupling is configured as a through opening, and/or the blind end of the opening for the dowel pin is connected by a transverse opening to the outside surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventor: Eduard Arkadjevich Gerashchenko
  • Patent number: 11021219
    Abstract: A trolling motor is provided including a position sensor configured to determine the direction of the trolling motor housing, a digital display, a processor, and a memory including computer program code. The computer program code is configured to, when executed, cause the processor to receive position data from the position sensor, generate display data based on the position data, and cause the display data to be displayed on the digital display. The digital display is integrated with the main housing and configured to display the display data so as to provide an indication of the current direction of the trolling motor housing relative to the watercraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: NAVICO HOLDING AS
    Inventor: Paul Robert Bailey
  • Patent number: 11001351
    Abstract: An extraction vessel is provided that includes two pontoons forming parallel hulls, a cargo hold located between the pontoons, and a retractable extraction conveyor belt located between the pontoons and mounted on tracks so as to be movable between retracted and deployed positions. In the retracted position, a lower end of the conveyor belt is above the waterline of the vessel. In the deployed position, the lower end of the conveyor belt is below the waterline for extracting the floating debris, and an upper end of the conveyer belt is above the cargo hold to discharge the floating debris into the cargo hold. Also provided is an extraction vessel that includes variable buoyancy floats attached to the pontoons and movable between a raised position in which the lowest surface of the float is above the waterline, and a lowered position in which part of the float is submerged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventor: Pablo Manuel Aguilera
  • Patent number: 11001346
    Abstract: An attachable watercraft chair. The attachable watercraft chair includes a chair formed by a back member and a seat member that are pivotally connected. The back member has a first end placed distally to the seat member and a second end placed proximally to the seat member. A first pair of brackets are connected to the back member. The first pair of brackets have suction cups mounted on them. Also, a second pair of brackets are connected to the back member. The second pair of brackets have a support bar that spans across the back member. The attachable watercraft chair can be attached and removed from a watercraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventor: Ronald H. Barwick
  • Patent number: 11001359
    Abstract: A harness for sailing, comprising a harness body with a pair of side flaps, a groin piece connected to the harness body and connecting to a spreader bar assembly. The spreader bar assembly comprising a front piece, and a pair of distal flaps, in which a respective side flap can be positioned between the front piece and the respective distal flap to be releasably secured therein; the spreader bar assembly comprising a quick release strap positioned between each distal flap and respective side flap, such that when the quick release strap is moved distally of the spreader bar assembly, the distal flap is separated from the side flap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Zhik Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Andrue Kerr, Bartosz Milczarczyk
  • Patent number: 11001360
    Abstract: A device for monitoring a boat drive, preferably for monitoring a drive battery of a boat drive, includes a first water sensor configured to switch off the boat drive when a first water level is reached, and a second water sensor configured so as to output a water level warning when a second water level is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Torqeedo GmbH
    Inventor: Hendrik Basler
  • Patent number: 10994816
    Abstract: A floating device having active stabilization and a method for actively stabilizing a floating device employs a floating device that operates underwater and which may be tethered to the floor of the body of water. The floating device having active stabilization includes an internal sensor assembly which measures angular velocity and generates a real time output corresponding to a measured angular velocity and a counter-rotation assembly which generates in real time mechanical energy in the form of rotation in response to the real time output of the sensor assembly that causes a counter-rotation torque on the device body that opposes the measured angular velocity. The counter-rotation torque may be imparted by accelerating a flywheel as a reaction wheel in the opposite direction of the desired counter-rotation torque, thereby achieving stability of the device body in the form of minimizing rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Leif E. Roth
  • Patent number: 10994809
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a bendable elongated assembly extendable over a watercraft. A coupler assembly is configured to couple the bendable elongated assembly to the watercraft. An engagement assembly configured to engage the bendable elongated assembly. This is done in such a way that the engagement assembly, in use, urges the bendable elongated assembly to bend and form an arched structure positioned over the watercraft once the bendable elongated assembly is extended over the watercraft and is coupled to the watercraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Inventor: Leo Henri Desautels
  • Patent number: 10994810
    Abstract: A rail system for a marine vessel having an upper deck. The rail system has a set of forward rails that encloses a portion of the upper deck, where the set of forward rails includes a front rail and folding side rails. The set of forward rails is pivotable between an up position and a down position. A plurality of floor hinges pivotally couple the folding side rails to the upper deck. The set of forward rails has an up height when in the up position and a down height when in the down position that is lower than the up height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: BRUNSWICK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kage J. Scheele, Jeremy D. Ward, Kirk W. Harmon
  • Patent number: 10967946
    Abstract: A system comprises an elastic mount configured to support a propulsion device with respect to a marine vessel. The elastic mount contains an electromagnetic fluid. An electromagnet is configured so that increasing an amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet increases the shear strength of the electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount and thereby decreases elasticity of the elastic mount, and so that decreasing the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet decreases the shear strength of the electromagnetic fluid in the elastic mount and thereby increases the elasticity of the elastic mount. A controller automatically adapts the amount of electricity applied to the electromagnet based on one or more sensed conditions so as to improve performance and/or handling of the marine vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Tuchscherer, Jeffrey C. Etapa
  • Patent number: 10967948
    Abstract: In an outboard motor, a damper includes a bushing fixed to a periphery of a propeller shaft. The damper includes a second pressing surface that presses a first pressing surface of an inner surface of a cylinder in a circumferential direction, an elastic member disposed around a portion of the bushing different from the second pressing surface of the bushing, and a reinforcer disposed between the first pressing surface and the second pressing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junya Onoue, Toshio Suzuki, Kenji Yukishima, Noriyuki Natsume, Manabu Yamamoto, Koma Ariga, Shunsuke Yukawa
  • Patent number: 10967945
    Abstract: An air propeller assembly for moving a boat in shallow water includes a mount that can be mounted on a gunwale of a boat. A rod slidably is slidably coupled to the mount and the rod is rotatable about a vertical axis. A plate is coupled to the rod such that the plate is horizontally oriented when the mount is positioned on the gunwale. A steering handle is coupled to and extending away from the plate for steering. A motor is coupled to the plate and a propeller is coupled to the motor. The motor rotates the propeller when the motor is turned on. Additionally, the propeller agitates the air when the propeller is rotated to urge the boat through shallow water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventor: Andrew Wright
  • Patent number: 10956803
    Abstract: A rescue system includes a wearable article, such as a wristband, which includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a radio frequency (RF) beacon, and a power supply. One or more RFID readers (collectively, an RF network) are located on a vessel, the RFID readers being configured to communicate with the RFID tag. Should the RF network detect a passenger overboard event, a modular rocket system is deployed. The modular rocket system comprises a guidance module, the guidance module including a guidance system for guiding the modular rocket system toward a target. A flight control module is removably attached to the guidance module, said flight control module including a plurality of airfoils. A flotation module is removably attached to the flight control module, said flotation module including a flotation device. A rocket motor module removably attached to the flotation module, said rocket motor module including a rocket motor configured to propel the modular rocket system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
    Inventor: James W. Teetzel
  • Patent number: 10953971
    Abstract: An adjustable tensioner particularly suited for use in applying tension to a halyard line circuit on an outrigger is disclosed and features a length of hollow braided rope having a proximate end serving as a first anchor point for attachment to a boat gunwale; a distal end; a loop section positioned intermediate the proximate end and the distal end, and a braid-in-braid section positioned intermediate the loop section and the proximate end; the loop section serving as a second anchor point for attachment to the halyard line circuit; wherein the effective distance between the first and second anchor points is adjusted by reducing or enlarging the size of the loop section; and wherein when tension is applied to the first and second anchor points, the braid-in-braid section provides a self-induced friction amplification effect to prevent an increase in the distance between the first and second anchor points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Inventor: James B. Brannock, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10933950
    Abstract: A recreational watercraft system of interconnectable, inflatable tubes that can incorporate a configurable frame that may be removably affixed at different vertical heights to attachment brackets that are axially strapped around the inflatable tubes. A plethora of accessories are available to accommodate, oars, paddles, masts, motors and the like, depending on what watercraft shape has been assembled. It can be assembled into a canoe, raft, motorboat, sailboat, fishing float etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Inventor: John Chaney
  • Patent number: 10926840
    Abstract: An inflatable flotation chamber comprising a seamlessly constructed flexible tube, sealed ends, and a valve for inflation and deflation. Said chamber characterized in that it can be inflated to a relatively high pressure, giving functional shape and independent structural rigidness to the chamber. A watercraft characterized by one or a multitude of such inflatable flotation chambers. A method of constructing such an inflatable flotation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventor: Tiemen Tobias van Dillen