Patents Examined by Daniel V. Venne
  • Patent number: 11964746
    Abstract: An outboard motor has a powerhead that causes rotation of a driveshaft, a steering housing located below the powerhead, wherein the driveshaft extends from the powerhead into the steering housing; and a lower gearcase located below the steering housing and supporting a propeller shaft that is coupled to the driveshaft so that rotation of the driveshaft causes rotation of the propeller shaft. The lower gearcase is steerable about a steering axis with respect to the steering housing and powerhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy L. Alby, Darin C. Uppgard, Wayne M. Jaszewski, Kerry J. Treinen, Randall J. Poirier
  • Patent number: 11964735
    Abstract: A gyroscopic boat roll stabilizer for a boat comprises a gimbal, having a gimbal axis, an enclosure mounted to the gimbal and configured to precess about a gimbal axis, a flywheel assembly rotatably mounted inside the enclosure for generating a torque that is applied to counter a rolling motion of the boat, and a braking system for controlling precession of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: WAVETAMER LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey Peterson
  • Patent number: 11945564
    Abstract: A steering device allows a ship to travel efficiently. A port side rudder plate has a left front rudder plate fixed to a lower portion of a stern and a left rear rudder plate. A starboard side rudder plate has a right front rudder plate fixed to the lower portion of the stern and a right rear rudder plate. The left rear rudder plate is supported by a rear portion of the left front rudder plate and a left steering shaft fixed to the left rear rudder plate. The right rear rudder plate is supported by a rear portion of the right front rudder plate. A right steering shaft fixed to the right rear rudder plate. In a rear view, lower end portions of the port side rudder plate and the starboard side rudder plate are at a lower end portion of an outer peripheral portion of the propeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kay Seven Co., LTD.
    Inventor: Sadatomo Kuribayashi
  • Patent number: 11945556
    Abstract: A posture control system for a hull includes trim tab main bodies as posture control plates attached to a stern of the hull to control the posture of the hull. Trim tab actuators drive the trim tab main bodies. Engines generate a propulsive force on the hull. A controller controls the trim tab actuators. Based on a throttle opening angle of the engines, the controller determines a time when the trim tab main bodies are to be lowered by the trim tab actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Jun Nakatani
  • Patent number: 11939030
    Abstract: A marine information integrated online monitoring buoy system comprises a buoy body. Specifically, a protection apparatus is disposed outside the buoy body. A bearing is disposed outside the buoy body, convex strips are arranged around a bearing outer ring, two floating rings are disposed outside the bearing outer ring with a certain spacing distance from the outer ring and arranged vertically, a protective cylinder is arranged between the upper and lower floating rings in a surrounding manner and is rotatable relative to the floating rings, and then a protective retaining ring is sleeved outside the protective cylinder and is rotatable relative to the protective cylinder. The longest end of a protective retainer is abutted against the bearing outer ring during rotation of the outer side of the protective retaining ring, and a friction block is disposed on the protective retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Marine Environment Monitoring Center Station of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
    Inventors: Chaoxing Ren, Wenlu Lan
  • Patent number: 11932358
    Abstract: A flotation system, including a plurality of flotation shoes to float on a body of water, the plurality of flotation shoes including a first shoe to receive a first foot of a user therein, a second shoe to receive a second foot of a user therein, and a plurality of connecting members removably connected to at least one of the first shoe and the second shoe to bind the first shoe to the second shoe, and a support device to facilitate at least one of walking on a ground surface and movement on the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventor: Chung Kim
  • Patent number: 11932360
    Abstract: A tuned mass damper (TMD) system in combination with a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) platform includes a barge type FOWT platform having a hull configured to have a wind turbine tower mounted thereon. A TMD system is mounted in the hull and has a first TMD configured to operate at a first frequency, and a second TMD configured to operate at a second frequency different than the first frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: University of Maine System Board of Trustees
    Inventors: Christopher K. Allen, Anthony M. Viselli, Andrew J. Goupee, Habib J. Dagher, Robert E. Berry, Jeffrey L. Lindner, Frederick S. Gant, John S. Townsend, Rebecca L. Williams
  • Patent number: 11932356
    Abstract: A powered swim platform for improving accessibility to a swim deck of a water-sports boat or other watercraft. The powered swim platform includes a platform driven by an actuator. The actuator can rotate the platform between stowed and deployed configurations to assist a user in mounting or dismounting the swim deck of the water-sports boat or other watercraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Malibu Boats, LLC
    Inventors: Lyle Andrew Ramsdell, Nicolas Ballesteros Velasco
  • Patent number: 11932352
    Abstract: A boat tower (1800), including: a center section (1814) configured as a cockpit cover for a boat; a first support (1802) secured to a first end of the center section, the first support including a first telescoping assembly (1804); and a second support (1808) secured to a second end of the center section, the second support including a second telescoping assembly (1810). The first telescoping assembly and the second telescoping assembly cooperate to raise and lower the center section between a first position and a second position. At least one of the first support and the second support comprises a storage compartment (2210, 2211).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ROSWELL CANADA INC.
    Inventors: Robert Oswell, Darrick Wilson, Stephen D. Aboud
  • Patent number: 11912392
    Abstract: A flywheel actuated device for tensioning a backstay cable of a sailboat has a flywheel that is connected to a turnbuckle. The turnbuckle is connected to a cable backstay of a sailboat. Rotation of the flywheel rotates the turnbuckle to increase or relax tension on the cable backstay. The diameter of the flywheel and the weight of the flywheel near an outer circumference of the flywheel allow the flywheel to store rotational energy and cause the flywheel to temporarily freewheel while the sailboat is under sail when a sufficient manual force is applied to the flywheel, which turns the frame of the turnbuckle and provides an initial tension to the cable backstay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventor: Henry Sanders
  • Patent number: 11912391
    Abstract: This disclosure describes flanking rudders, including asymmetrically shaped flanking rudders and methods of manufacturing and using asymmetrically shaped flanking rudders. An exemplary asymmetrically shaped flanking rudder includes an exterior surface having a first shape and an exterior surface having second shape different from the first shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: MBLH MARINE, LLC
    Inventor: Ron Moerbe
  • Patent number: 11912384
    Abstract: The present invention relates to improved personal flotation devices and their methods of use. Advantageously, the devices and methods of the invention eliminate the need for a pyrotechnical firing mechanism, and compared to current devices, are less apt to be spontaneously activated by deterioration that is caused by storage in a humid environment or the passage of time. Instead, the devices and methods of use of the present invention incorporate electronic circuitry to activate automatic operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Inventors: Jimmy R. Bainter, Michael L. Eckstein, Lawrence E. Guerra, William R. Hendricks, Steven R. Walton, Joshua H. Huisenga
  • Patent number: 11897583
    Abstract: A watercraft including a board having a top surface and a bottom surface and a hydrofoil attached to a strut. The strut attaches at the bottom surface of the board. The watercraft includes a movable portion coupled to the top surface of the board such that the movable portion is configured to move relative to a fixed portion of the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kai Concepts, LLC
    Inventors: Donald Lewis Montague, Joseph Andrew Brock, Tomasz Pawel Bartczak, Matthew Campbell Greaves, Alec Korver, Dmitri Stepanov
  • Patent number: 11897585
    Abstract: In a general aspect, an anchor includes a tubular body that is formed at least in part of cementitious material and has open and closed ends. The anchor also includes a pad eye coupled to the tubular body and configured to couple to a mooring line. The tubular body includes a base wall, a perimeter wall, and a shear key. The base wall defines the closed end of the tubular body and has first and second surfaces on opposite sides of the base wall. The perimeter wall extends from the first surface of the base wall to the open end of the tubular body, and the shear key extends from the second surface of the base wall. The shear key is configured to penetrate an underwater floor and resist a lateral displacement of the anchor along the underwater floor when penetrated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: RCAM Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel David Falzone, Mason James Bell, Jason Rust Cotrell
  • Patent number: 11897584
    Abstract: A cleat (10) for securing a boat (B) to a dock (D) includes a brace (12) having a face (14) contoured to fit against a dock piling (P) and extend around an outer surface (ES) of the piling when in place. An end (18a) of an adjustable strap (16) attaches to one end (20a) of the brace with an opposite, free end of the strap, fitting about the other end (20b) of the brace. An end portion (22) of this free end, when fitted about the other end of the brace, overlaps and a fastener (24) secures these overlapping portions together to secure the brace to the piling. An anchor (26) projects from a face (28) of the brace, and an anchor rope (30) attached to the boat is secured to the anchor, once the brace is secured to the piling, to secure the boat to the dock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: John Figura, Charles Gerber
  • Patent number: 11897587
    Abstract: A convertible seating system for a marine vessel that is movable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration is provided. The convertible seating system includes a backrest component that is pivotably coupled to a recessed compartment formed in a deck portion of the marine vessel, and a seat component that is pivotably coupled to the recessed compartment. The seat component is flush with the deck portion when the convertible seating system is in the stowed configuration and the deployed configuration. The seat component further pivots upwardly from the deck portion to permit the backrest component to pivot upwardly from inside the recessed compartment in the stowed configuration to outside the recessed component in the deployed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Farrell
  • Patent number: 11890509
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a swimming assistance mechanism and, more specifically, to a swimming assistance mechanism that is attached to the arms and increases a propulsion effect by increasing resistance against water via an action like that of the fins of a fish when paddling with the arms for propulsion, so as to assist in enabling easier swimming. The swimming assistance mechanism of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a main body fixed between the palm and the elbow; and a fin foldably installed on the outer surface of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Inventor: Leen Chul Park
  • Patent number: 11878773
    Abstract: A deployable platform is disposed at a side of the hull of a marine vessel and is movable between a raised position in which the platform is substantially vertically oriented, and a first lowered position in which the platform is in a horizontal orientation. Further, at least a portion of the platform can be lowered to a second lower position that is below the first lowered position. In the second lowered position the platform will normally be submerged when the vessel is afloat in water. In the raised position the platform forms a portion of the side of the hull and acts to exclude water from entering the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Robert Latham
  • Patent number: 11878445
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a boat hull comprising: forming a foam mold of a predetermined shape and size from one or more pieces of foam; cutting, into said foam, at least one-channel running in a longitudinal or a lateral direction within the foam; and coating said foam with at least one layer of reinforcing fiber and resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Robert Allen Cocanougher, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11878769
    Abstract: The present invention provides an aquatic moving body configured to move in a state where a main body portion is floated above a water surface, comprising: a first hydrofoil and a second hydrofoil disposed along a left-and-right direction of the aquatic moving body and provided in the main body portion so as to be able to change elevation angles independently of each other; a first propulsion unit provided at an end portion of the first hydrofoil and configured to generate a propulsive force; and a second propulsion unit provided at an end portion of the second hydrofoil and configured to generate a propulsive force, wherein a first partition wall is provided between the first hydrofoil and the first propulsion unit, and a second partition wall is provided between the second hydrofoil and the second propulsion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryosuke Itai