Propulsion assembly and boat combination, boat propulsion method, and boat propulsion assembly

• US 20200130799A1
• Filed: 10/22/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultraflex S.P.A. (Ultra Flex Group)
• Original Assignee: Ultraflex S.P.A. (Ultra Flex Group)
• Inventors: Gai, Marcella, Campagna, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 11,214,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/02 Mounting of propulsion units B63H20/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/06 on an intermediate support
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/08 Means enabling movement of the position of the propulsion element, e.g. for trim, tilt or steering; Control of trim or tilt initiating means for steering B63H25/02
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/106 Means enabling lifting of the propulsion element in a substantially vertical, linearly sliding movement

Abstract

Combination of boat and outboard engine, in which at least one outboard engine is fastened to the transom of the boat in a prearranged position, the engine being mounted to translate along a path with at least one motion component having a vertical orientation in a direction away from or close to the waterline of the boat, that is, of smaller or greater propeller draft, and a motion component having a horizontal or longitudinal orientation in a direction away from or close to the transom of the boat.

Claims

1. A combination of a boat and an outboard engine, comprising:

an outboard engine (2) is fastened to a transom (101) of said boat (1) in a prearranged position,

wherein said engine (2) is mounted so as to translate along a path having,

a motion component of vertical orientation in a direction away from or in proximity to a waterline of the boat, so as to have a smaller or greater propeller draft (102), and

a motion component of horizontal or longitudinal orientation in a direction away from or in proximity to the transom (101) of the boat (1).

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the outboard engine (2) is configured to be translated along a direction in a plane perpendicular to a main section or parallel to a sectional longitudinal plane of a hull of the boat (1).

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein a translation of the outboard engine (2) occurs along a straight displacement path, so that a translation away from the transom (101) of the outboard engine (2) is combined with a vertical translation toward the smaller propeller draft (102).

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein a displacement in a direction away from the transom (101) is gradual and increasing based on an increase of a vertical displacement toward the smaller propeller draft (102).

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein a translation of the outboard engine (2) is driven by fastening devices (3) that fasten the outboard engine (2) to the transom (101) with mechanical, electric, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic, electromechanical, or magnetic displacement actuators.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein the fastening devices (3) that fasten the outboard engine (2) to the transom (101) comprise a couple of plates (301, 403), one of the plates being fixed and one movable, the plates being disposed to sled on one an other, the movable plate sliding on the fixed plate along a plane parallel to a sectional longitudinal plane of the hull or perpendicular to a main section of the boat.

7. The combination according to claim 5, further comprising a control unit configured to drive the displacement actuators, so that to translate the outboard engine (2) in a direction away from the transom (101) when said outboard engine (2) is translated vertically in a direction away from a waterline surface, with the smaller propeller draft (102).

8. A method of governing a boat comprising one or more outboard engines, the method comprising:

displacing at least one of the outboard engines along a path having,

a motion component of vertical orientation in a direction away from or in proximity to a waterline of the boat, and

a motion component of horizontal or longitudinal orientation in a direction away from or in proximity to a transom of the boat.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein displacing at least one of the outboard engines comprises displacing at least one of the outboard engines on a plane perpendicular to a main section or parallel to a longitudinal symmetry plane of the boat, by combining two linear translations along two directions that are not parallel to one another.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the two directions are perpendicular to one another, one direction being a translation along a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of a hull of the boat and another one being a translation along a vertical direction.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the translation on the plane perpendicular to the main section or parallel to the symmetry plane occurs along a path corresponding to a straight line.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein displacing the one or more outboard engines in the direction away from the transom comprises displacing the one or more outboard engines gradually and increasingly based on an increase of a vertical displacement toward a smaller propeller draft.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein displacing the one or more outboard engines comprises displacing in combination with a steering rotation of the one or more outboard engines, with a trim inclination of the one or more outboard engines, and/or with a translation toward a broadside of a hull of the one or more outboard engines.

14. A propulsion assembly for a boat comprising:

one or more outboard engines;

one or more fastening devices configured to fasten the one or more outboard engines and to enable displacements of the one or more outboard engines along predefined paths due to displacement actuators; and

a drive system configured to drive the displacement actuators of the one or more fastening devices, the drive system comprising a drive member operable by a user and a control unit adapted to receive drive signals generated by the drive member and to transform the drive signals into power signals adapted to supply the displacement actuators correspondingly to the power signals generated by the drive member,

wherein the control unit is programmed to drive the displacement actuators to translate the one or more outboard engines in a direction away from a transom whenever said one or more outboard engines are translated vertically in a direction away from a waterline surface, with smaller propeller draft.

15. The propulsion assembly according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is programmed to drive the displacement actuators to translate the one or more outboard engines in the direction away from the transom, gradually and increasingly based on an increase of a vertical movement toward the smaller propeller draft.