Radio Controlled Aquatic Propulsion Device
A radio controlled propulsion device for use with multiple buoyant objects. The device contains a radio receiver circuit, a motor drive circuit, and motors for steering and propulsion. The device also contains a battery pack to provide power to the circuits and motors. The circuits are responsive to signals from a transmitter controlled by the operator of the propulsion device. With the propulsion device inserted into a cavity formed in the body of the buoyant object, the output signals from the drive circuit are provided, to control the motion of the buoyant object.
Latest Patents:
The present invention relates generally to aquatic propulsion devices and, more particularly, to a self-contained, removable, radio controlled aquatic propulsion device, which may be used with a variety of floating toys, waterfowl decoys, aquatic novelty items and small boats.
A number of prior art devices exist, which include means to propel various objects through the water. A wide variety of radio controlled aquatic toys have been developed over the years. Many pertain specifically to single purpose toys with permanent electronics and drive systems. Such toys, while occasionally novel in design, can be expensive and the design specific nature, can lead to boredom with the toy. In addition, if the superstructure of the toy is damaged because of neglect, abuse or poor construction, the entire toy may be rendered unusable. As such, the toy industry has suffered from limited interest in this type of toy.
Several designs have been developed that separate the drive mechanism from the buoyant body of aquatic toys. U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,751, issued Dec. 31, 1968 to T. Mabuchi shows a toy motor drive unit that can be mounted to the bottom of various aquatic toys. The device, however, is limited by the fact that it only propels the aquatic toy in one direction. While the direction is adjustable by a rudder, it is not controllable by the operator once deployed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,735, issued July 23, 1974 to H. Brandstatter, shows a toy boat with a separate compartment for a battery and motor. Again, this does not provide for remote, full-motion control of the aquatic toy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,049, issued Mar. 22, 1988 to J. Beny, K. Meggs, M. Filoseta and E. Feris, discloses a removable toy motor module that can be used with a variety of aquatic toys, however it specifically relates to geared motors and is again related only to single direction propulsion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,085, issued Sep. 27, 1983 to T. Rhodes, shows a modular device for multiple toy vehicles. This concept discloses a removable radio receiver and motor control system, but does not accommodate the separation of the entire drive system from the body of the toy.
A wide variety of internally propelled waterfowl decoys have been developed over the years. Some of these devices are designed to simply propel the decoy in a straight or predetermined circular pattern. Others are specifically intended to replicate repetitive oscillating swimming or rotating wing motions which are switched on and off by a remote transmitter. Additionally, others, which are more in keeping with the present invention, are remotely propelled and steered through the water. The majority of these devices have been designed solely as radio controlled decoys, which are limited in their specificity, and are expensive and difficult to manufacture. U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,927, issued Sept. 5, 1972 to R. Boston shows a decoy that has been designed to incorporate the drive and steering components permanently into the body of a decoy. This typically entails a removable section of the top of the decoy to access the enclosed electronics. As a result, this allows for possible environmental damage of the electronics and a difficult, labor intensive conversion of a standard decoy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,439 issued Jan. 3, 1995 to R. Roos, and R. Roos Jr., shows an alternative device that also incorporates internal components specifically designed to provide a radio-controlled decoy. U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,333 B2, issued Aug. 5, 2003 to G. Cicoff and M. Cicoff provides a game decoy with a removable operation system that includes propulsion and steering control. This, however, pertains solely to game decoys, includes additional devices intended to retrieve a downed bird, and does not provide a simple means to convert an existing game decoy into a radio controlled game decoy. In addition it does not provide for a self-contained unit that is specifically designed as a propulsion and steering device.
Other removable marine propulsion units exist which are intended to provide propulsion and steering to boats. U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,875 issued Jul. 21, 1992 to W. Lee shows a dual motor propulsion and steering system mounted to a boat. U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,267, issued Oct. 17, 2000, to J. Campbell shows a similar system that additionally employs a yoke to connect the drive motors over the top surface of a boat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,461 issued Feb. 11, 1997, to S. Mills shows a propulsion apparatus that is intended to mount to a float tube for fishing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,978 issued Dec. 14, 1999, to C. Donahue shows a propulsion device that can be mounted to a floatation board. These inventions, while being removable aquatic propulsion devices, do not employ the use of remote radio electronics in their designs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,900 issued Sep. 30, 1986, to J. Young shows a remote controlled driving system for a boat. This device, while removable and radio controllable, relates specifically to externally mounted trolling motors, commonly used for fishing, and does not include all of the components to provide a self-contained radio controlled aquatic propulsion device.
According to the previously described inventions, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved aquatic propulsion device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a self-contained radio controlled aquatic propulsion device.
It is another object of the present invention to simplify the components of radio controlled aquatic toys, aquatic novelty items, waterfowl decoys and small boats.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive set of radio controlled aquatic toys, aquatic novelty items, waterfowl decoys and small boats.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a removable, self-contained radio control propulsion device, which may be used interchangeably with many aquatic toys, aquatic novelty items, waterfowl decoys and small boats.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONAccording to the objects previously described, the general purpose of the invention will subsequently be disclosed in greater detail, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The advantages of the present invention are attained by a removable, self-contained radio control led aquatic propulsion device, which can be used with a variety of buoyant objects. The components of the device include a watertight, hollow body, which contains a radio receiver circuit, an antenna, a motor control circuit, dual drive motors and batteries to provide power to the circuits and drive motors. The drive motors are contained in a watertight housing, or housings, and are permanently attached to the bottom of the device. A propeller is attached to the axle of each motor to provide thrust. The device also includes a switch to electrically disconnect the batteries from the circuitry and drive motors when the device is not in use. The device may include a charging jack to provide power to recharge the batteries. The device may include a watertight plug to seal the charging jack. The device may include dual electrically conductive tabs on the exterior surface of the body, which are internally connected to the batteries. The device may include a charging cradle to provide power to recharge the batteries through the tabs when inserted into said charging cradle. A skeg may be attached to the bottom of the device to aid in controlling the motion of the device. A weight may be attached to the bottom of the device to aid in stabilizing the device.
The receiver generates signals to operate the motor drive circuit in response to command signals transmitted from a radio transmitter. The motor drive circuit controls the power to the drive motors.
A set of buoyant objects is also provided, each of which employs the device to provide radio control of the object. This may include toy boats and ships, waterfowl decoys, aquatic novelty items, and small boats. The bodies of the buoyant objects include a cavity designed to fit the device. The device is removably attached in the cavity by mechanical means, which may include, but is not restricted to tabs, clips, snaps, straps, rotating tab locks, or suction cups.
The device may include an electrically conductive contact on the exterior surface of the body, which is internally connected to the antenna. The cavity of the buoyant objects described above may include an electrically conductive contact which is designed to engage the contact connected to the antenna of the device when said device is inserted into said cavity. The contact on the cavity may be connected to a length of antenna wire housed in the body of the buoyant object. The connection of the two contacts and the extra antenna increases the overall length of the antenna in order to provide extended radio range of the device.
While the before mentioned buoyant objects may be manufactured with a cavity molded into the body of said buoyant object, a separate cavity insert is also provided. The insert may be permanently installed into the body of an existing buoyant object by means of, but not restricted to mechanical fasteners, adhesives, sealants or any combination of these. Where said existing buoyant objects are constructed with thin wall structures, uneven or warped surfaces, or are constructed out of materials that resist the effectiveness of adhesives or sealants, an internal ring or other structure may be employed to receive mechanical fasteners, compress the insert onto the bottom of said buoyant object, compress the adhesive or sealant between the insert and buoyant, object or any combination of these to fixedly attach the inert into the body of the buoyant object.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
For the purpose of clarity, as is well known to those skilled the art, the terms “watertight” and “sealed” shall imply that any bodies, enclosures, joints, connections or the such, are properly designed to resist water infiltration, by means of standard practices including, but not restricted to the use of sealants, adhesives, face seals, gaskets, o-rings, caps, plugs or any combination of these, or by any means necessary to provide reasonable resistance to the passage of water or other fluids. The term “permanently attached” or related terms, shall imply that any components that are connected in this manner are intended to be irremovable by a person using the device in its intended manner. This may be accomplished by means of various adhesives, or mechanical fasteners including but not restricted to screws, rivets, machine screws, welds, any combination of adhesives and mechanical fasteners, or any other means necessary to provide a permanent connection. Connections considered removable or disconnectable by a person using the device in its intended manner, may be created by, but are not restricted to tabs, clips, snaps, straps, rotating tab locks, suction cups or any combination of these, or any means necessary to provide a connection of this type.
It is the intent of the inventor of the present invention to provide in detail the preferred embodiment of the present invention and various attachments and attributes; however, various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matters are to be interpreted as illustrative and descriptive and not in a limiting sense.
Referring now to the preferred embodiment of the invention,
The propulsion device may also be employed in various buoyant objects that are not easily manufactured with a molded-in cavity designed to receive the propulsion device. As is well known to those skilled in the art, inexpensive game decoys, for instance, are typically manufactured by means of rotationally molding a thermoplastic material. Such decoys are typically manufactured with thin-walled bodies in order to conserve material for lower cost to the consumer, and to provide lightweight decoys, which are commonly carried into the field by hunters or game researchers. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the process of manufacturing so called “roto-molded” structures provides only a hollow watertight shell, which has limited, or no means to provide internal attachment provisions, which could be employed to permanently install the mechanical devices and electronics used to provide a radio controlled decoy. The process of altering a plastic decoy manufactured using the “roto-molded” process would typically employ cutting an access hole in the top of the decoy to install the appropriate mechanical devices and electronics. In addition, the “roto-molding” process typically employs the use of materials such as polyethylene thermoplastic, which is relatively inexpensive and highly impact resistant; however, as is well known to those skilled in the art, this family of thermoplastics is extremely resistant to chemical bonding. Therefore, the process of altering a plastic decoy constructed using this material would be difficult and labor intensive. As such, the process of converting a typical plastic decoy into a radio controlled decoy has traditionally been cost prohibitive, and does not provide the end result intended by the present invention. As was provided in the detailed description of the toy ship 26, a molded-in cavity may be provided in the body of a game decoy to receive the propulsion device, however it is well known to those skilled in the art, that “roto-molding” does not typically provide dimensionally consistent plastic bodies that would be properly suited to employ the preferred embodiment of the present invention. More dimensionally consistent decoy bodies could be manufactured to provide a molded in recess designed to receive the radio controlled propulsion device 1 of the present invention, using a process such as injection-molding thermoplastic, however the tooling for such a design would again be highly cost prohibitive, considering that the highly specific design of a radio controlled game decoy may have limited marketability. In addition, for each type of game decoy produced, an entirely new set of tooling would have to be built. This would greatly add to the cost of providing a broad range of radio controlled game decoys. Accordingly the present invention provides a much more cost effective and thereby commercially viable means for providing a broad range of radio controlled game decoys, using existing game decoys or by utilizing or slightly altering the pre-existing practices of inexpensively manufacturing extremely life-like game decoys. The decoy example also applies to any buoyant object, hollow or otherwise, constructed using any manufacturing process that does not provide a molded-in recess designed to receive the propulsion device 1 of the present invention.
Referring now to the propulsion device and the various components previously detailed in
In continuation with the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive motors each have a propeller 15 attached to the axle of the drive motor 3, which provides the appropriate thrust to propel the propulsion device 1 through the water. The device has a battery 12 or a combination of batteries to provide power to said circuits and drive motors 3. The propulsion device 1 also has a battery disconnect switch 13, which prevents battery consumption when the device is not is use. As shown in
The combined elements provided in the radio controlled aquatic propulsion device 1, inserted and attached into the buoyant objects previously described, provides a wide variety of radio controlled objects including but not restricted to radio controlled toy boats or ships, radio controlled game decoys, radio controlled aquatic novelty items, and on a somewhat larger scale, radio controlled propulsion means for small boats that are designed to employ the propulsion device 1 in the manner provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
A weight 28 shown in
Other variations to the preferred embodiment of the present invention may provide improved performance or ease of use of the propulsion device 1.
The propulsion device 1 may also provide external charging contacts 30, which allow the internal batteries 12 of the propulsion device 1 to be recharged without the use of a charging jack 14, or in addition to said charging jack 14.
While the following invention has been disclosed, and a particular embodiment has been described in detail, it is not intended that the invention be limited solely to this embodiment. Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, which are fully within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A removable remotely controlled propulsion device comprising: an enclosed body; a receiver circuit disposed within said enclosed body being responsive to commands from a remote transmitter and providing electrical signals in response to said commands; a receiver antenna housed within said enclosed body is coupled to said receiver to allow said receiver to receive said commands; a control circuit, housed within said enclosed body, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said receiver for generating electrical control signals; a propulsive device coupled to said enclosed body being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said propulsive device being responsive to said electrical control signals; a battery pack housed in said enclosed body to provide power to said receiver circuit, said control circuit and said propulsive device; and a switch housed in the outer portion of said enclosed body, and accessible from the outside of said enclosed body to electrically connect or disconnect said battery pack from said receiver circuit, said control circuit and said propulsive device.
2. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said propulsive device includes: a sealed housing; a motor contained within said sealed housing, the axle of said motor protruding through said sealed housing; and a propeller coupled to the protruding portion of said axle of said motor.
3. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said device includes two said propulsive devices, coupled to said enclosed body being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said propulsive devices being responsive to said electrical control signals, said propulsive devices cooperating to provide directed locomotion for said propulsion device in response to commands transmitted from said transmitter.
4. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said device includes a rudder coupled to the rear end of said enclosed body and responsive to said electrical control signals, said propulsive device and said rudder cooperating to provide directed locomotion for said propulsion device in response to commands transmitted from said transmitter.
5. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said device includes a servomechanism coupled to said propulsive device to provide rotation to said propulsive device and responsive to said electrical control signals, said propulsive device and said servomechanism cooperating to provide directed locomotion for said propulsion device in response to commands transmitted from said transmitter.
6. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 1 which provides means to couple external components to said propulsion device comprising: an attachment connection located on the bottom of said enclosed body; an external weight, attachable to said attachment connection, to provide increased stability to said propulsion device; and an external skeg, attachable to said attachment connection, to provide increased tracking control to said propulsion device.
7. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 1, which provides means to recharge said batteries comprising:
- an electrical connection attached to the outer surface of said enclosed body and electrically connected to said battery pack; an external charger with a secondary electrical connection; and means to electrically couple said electrical connection to said secondary electrical connection.
8. The propulsion device as claimed in claim 2 wherein a protective cover is coupled to said housing of said propulsive device to protect said propeller.
9. A remotely controlled buoyant object comprising: A buoyant body having an open cavity formed therein where the cavity opening is in the lower surface of said buoyant body; a removable propulsion device coupled said cavity, wherein said propulsion device includes an enclosed body; a receiver circuit disposed within said propulsion device being responsive to commands from a remote transmitter and providing electrical signals in response to said commands; a receiver antenna housed within said propulsion device is coupled to said receiver to allow said receiver to receive said commands; a control circuit, housed within said propulsion device, said control circuit being electrically coupled to said receiver for generating electrical control signals; a propulsive device coupled to said propulsion device being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said propulsive device being responsive to said electrical control signals; a battery pack housed in said propulsion device to provide power to said receiver circuit, said control circuit and said propulsive device; and a switch housed in the outer portion of said propulsion device, and accessible from the outside of said propulsion device to electrically connect or disconnect said battery pack from said receiver circuit, said control circuit and said propulsive device.
10. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 9 wherein said propulsive device of said propulsion device includes: a sealed housing; a motor contained within said sealed housing, the axle of said motor protruding through said sealed housing; and a propeller coupled to the protruding portion of said axle of said motor.
11. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 10 wherein said propulsion device includes two said propulsive devices, coupled to said enclosed body being electrically coupled to said control circuit, said propulsive devices being responsive to said electrical control signals, said propulsive devices cooperating to provide directed locomotion for said propulsion device in response to commands transmitted from said transmitter.
12. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 10 wherein said propulsion device includes a rudder coupled to the rear end of said enclosed body and responsive to said electrical control signals, said propulsive device and said rudder cooperating to provide directed locomotion for said propulsion device in response to commands transmitted from said transmitter.
13. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 10 wherein said propulsion device includes a servomechanism coupled to said propulsive device to provide rotation to said propulsive device and responsive to said electrical control signals, said propulsive device and said servomechanism cooperating to provide directed locomotion for said propulsion device in response to commands transmitted from said transmitter.
14. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 9, which provides means to recharge said batteries housed within said propulsion device comprising: an electrical connection attached to the outer surface of said enclosed body and electrically connected to said battery pack; an external charger with a secondary electrical connection; and means to electrically couple said electrical connection to said secondary electrical connection.
15. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 10 in wherein a protective cover is coupled to said housing of said propulsive device to protect said propeller.
16. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 9 which provides means to couple external components to said propulsion device comprising: an attachment connection located on the bottom of said enclosed body; an external weight, attachable to said attachment connection, to provide increased stability to said buoyant object; and an external skeg, attachable to said attachment connection, to provide increased tracking control to said buoyant object.
17. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 9, wherein said buoyant object includes an external antenna comprising: an electrically conductive contact coupled to said enclosed body and electrically connected to said receiver antenna; a secondary electrically conductive contact coupled to said buoyant object within said cavity; and a length of antenna wire contained within said buoyant body and electrically connected to said secondary contact, and electrically connected to said receiver antenna.
18. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cavity is formed by means of a separate cavity insert permanently attached into said buoyant body, wherein said cavity opening of said cavity insert is in the lower surface of said cavity insert and said buoyant body.
19. The buoyant object as claimed in claim 18, wherein an internal ring is coupled on the inside surface of said buoyant body to said cavity insert, to provide improved attachment of said cavity insert into said buoyant body.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 21, 2003
Publication Date: Feb 24, 2005
Applicant: (Pawcatuck, CT)
Inventor: David Schwartz (Pawcatuck, CT)
Application Number: 10/604,852