Water ski tow communication system

• US 3,952,155 A
• Filed: 08/09/1974
• Issued: 04/20/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Novak
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Novak
• Inventors: Novak, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kemeny, E. S.
• Application Number:
  US05/495,946
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1 VE, 114/235 WS, 9/310 A
• US Class Current: 379/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/00 Transmission systems characterised by the medium used for transmission, not provided for in groups H04B3/00 - H04B11/00

Abstract

A water ski tow assembly is provided which incorporates a two-way communication system between the skier and the operator of a towing boat. The communication system includes a first microphone/speaker unit mounted in the towing boat and electrically coupled to an electronic amplifier, and a second microphone/speaker unit mounted on the tow line. Appropriate wire leads are threaded through the tow line electrically to interconnect the second microphone/speaker unit with the amplifier. The second microphone/speaker unit is mounted at the junction of the hand lines with the tow line to be held in position in front of the skier while the skier is being towed by the towing boat, so that without further effort the skier can communicate with the operator and vice versa. The second microphone/speaker unit is mounted in a floatation housing, so that in the event of a spill, the second microphone/speaker unit will float in an upright operative position so that the skier and the operator can still communicate with one another.

Claims

1. A water ski tow assembly including:

a tow line having means at one end thereof for attaching the line to a towing boat and terminating at the other end thereof in at least one hand grip for a water skier to enable the skier to be propelled over the surface of a body of water;

a first microphone/speaker unit;

a hollow ovoid housing for said first microphone/speaker unit mounted on said other end of said tow line to provide a floatation means for the first microphone/speaker unit;

said first microphone/speaker unit being mounted in said housing coaxially with the central axis thereof and forming an enclosure for the lower portion of the housing;

a second microphone/speaker unit mounted in the towing boat;

an amplifier unit mounted in the towing boat and electrically coupled to said microphone/speaker units; and

electric leads extending from said amplifier unit to said first microphone/speaker unit and electrically connected thereto;

said leads entering the housing through the lower end thereof to hold the housing upright when in the water.

2. The assembly defined in claim 1, in which said tow line has a hollow interior, and in which said electric leads extend along the hollow interior of said tow line.

3. The assembly defined in claim 1, in which said tow line has a bifurcated section at said other end thereof to form two separate hand lines each terminating in a hand grip for the skier, and in which said housing is mounted at the junction of the lines of said bifurcated section.

4. The assembly defined in claim 1, in which said housing has an elongated tubular tail portion at the lower end thereof through which the tow line extends to hold the housing in an upright position when the housing is floating in the water.

5. The assembly defined in claim 4, in which the hand lines of the bifurcated end section of the towing line extend out through openings in the side of said tail portion, and which includes a pair of clip members mounted diametrically opposite one another on the side of said housing and coupled to the hand lines of the bifurcated section of the tow line.

6. The assembly defined in claim 1, in which said housing includes a lower section in which said first microphone/speaker unit is mounted, and an apertured upper section in press fit with the lower section.

7. The assembly defined in claim 1, having disconnect plug means in said leads between said housing and said tow line.