Sailboat safety system for a person falling overboard

• US 20070256620A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashtin Associates, Llc
• Original Assignee: Autotether Inc.
• Inventors: Viggiano, Anthony, LoShiavo, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 114/39.160
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 9/0005 by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/08 Connections of sails to masts, spars, or the like

Abstract

A safety system, which stops the motion of a sail boat when a person falls off the boat, is comprised of a wireless transmitter carried by the person, a receiver-controller, an actuator, and a separable member which ordinarily holds a sail or a sail assembly in its working position. When the person falls off the boat and or the boat moves away, the diminution in wireless signal causes the actuator to separate the connecting member which holds sail in place, thus reducing the propulsive power and altering the motion of the boat. A preferred actuator stores manually input energy, to enable the use of a compact and low power solenoid type coil.

Claims

1. Apparatus for reducing the propulsive force of the sail of a sail-powered vessel upon the surface of a body of water when a person falls off the vessel, wherein the vessel has a sail held in place by at least one sheet, comprising:

means for wirelessly sending a signal to a receiver on the vessel, for carrying by a person on the vessel;

means for disengaging a sail from a sheet which holds a sail in position, responsive to a predetermined change in the strength of said wireless signal at the receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for disengaging comprises a hold and release assembly is comprised of:

a mechanical member, for releasably holding the sail and sheet in connected position relative to each other so that the sail may power the boat; and

,

an actuator, for acting on the mechanical member to cause it to release the sail and sheet from said connection position;

wherein, in response to said signal strength change, the actuator causes the mechanical member to release the connection between the sail and sheet, to thereby decrease the propulsive power of the sail on the vessel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for disengaging comprises:

(a) a hold and release assembly is comprised of;

(i) a mechanical member for releasably holding the sail and sheet in connected position relative to each other so that the sail may power the boat; and

,

(ii) an actuator, having an element for acting on the mechanical member to cause it to release the sail and sheet from said connection position;

wherein, in response to said signal strength change, the actuator causes the mechanical member to release the connection between the sail and sheet, to thereby decrease the propulsive power of the sail on the vessel;

(b) a receiver, carried on the vessel, for receiving said wireless signal from the transmitter and for sending a signal to a controller in response to a predetermined change in said wireless signal; and

,

(c) a controller for causing an element of the actuator to move in response to a signal from the receiver;

wherein the movement of said element causes said mechanical member to release said sheet from said connected position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for wirelessly sending said signal is a portable transmitter, for carrying by said person;

where said means for disengaging comprises (a) an actuator having a movable element; and

, (b) a mechanical member attached to actuator, for engaging and disengaging a sheet;

further comprising;

at least one second transmitter, wherein the first transmitter sends a first characteristic wireless signal to the receiver;

wherein the at least one second transmitter sends a second characteristic wireless signal to the receiver; and

, wherein the receiver sends a signal to the controller responsive to a predetermined change in either wireless signal.

5. Apparatus for reducing the propulsive motion or direction of a sail-powered vessel upon the surface of a body of water when a person falls off the vessel, wherein the vessel has a sail or tiller which is held in working position by a connection comprising a least one sheet which is secured to a portion of the vessel, comprising:

means for wirelessly sending a signal to a receiver on the vessel, for carrying by a person on the vessel;

means for holding and releasing said working position connection, wherein the means releases said connection responsive to a predetermined change in the strength of said wireless signal at the receiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said connection further comprises a hold and release assembly comprised of:

a separable mechanical member for holding a sheet in working position relative to the hull of the vessel;

wherein continuing motion or direction of the vessel is dependent on said holding; and

,

an actuator, for acting on said mechanical member, to cause the member to at least in part separate and to thereby release said connection, responsive to said predetermined change in signal strength.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for holding and releasing said working position connection comprises:

(a) a hold and release assembly is comprised of;

(i) a separable mechanical member; and

,

(ii) an actuator, for acting on the mechanical member to cause it to release the sail and sheet from said connection position;

wherein, in response to said signal strength change, the actuator causes the mechanical member to release the connection between the sail and sheet, to thereby decrease the propulsive power of the sail on the vessel.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

(b) a receiver, carried on the vessel, for receiving said wireless signal from the transmitter and for sending a signal to a controller in response to a predetermined change in said wireless signal; and

,

(c) a controller for causing an element of the actuator to move in response to a signal from the receiver;

wherein, movement of said actuator element acts on said mechanical member to release said sheet from said connected position.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the means for wirelessly sending said signal is a portable transmitter, for carrying by said person;

where said means for disengaging comprises (a) an actuator having a movable element; and

, (b) a mechanical member attached to actuator, for engaging and disengaging a sheet;

further comprising;

at least one second transmitter, wherein the first transmitter sends a first characteristic wireless signal to the receiver;

wherein the at least one second transmitter sends a second characteristic wireless signal to the receiver; and

, wherein the receiver sends a signal to the controller responsive to a predetermined change in either wireless signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said working position connection comprises the engagement of a sheet which holds a sail of the boat with a camming type cleat through which the sheet passes;

wherein the cleat enages the sheet to prevent linear motion of the sheet within the cleat; and

, wherein said means for breaking said connection comprises;

an actuator for urging the sheet, where it passes through the cleat, to move in a direction transverse to its length and transverse to the gripping force of the cleat on the sheet, sufficient to disengaged the sheet from the cleat.

11. A method of stopping the operation of a sail powered water craft when a person falls overboard, wherein the craft has at least one sheet connected to the sail and running to a fixed location on the craft, for holding a sail in a position where the sail propulsively powers the craft, which comprises:

wirelessly sending a signal from a transmitter carried by the person to a receiver on the craft;

providing a releasable mechanical member forms a connection between the sheet and the sail or between the sheet and said fixed location on the craft, and actuating said mechanical member so as to release said connection, responsive to a predetermined change in the strength of signal at the receiver

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sheet and sail are connected by a releasable mechanical member