Downed water skier warning system

• US 5,408,221 A
• Filed: 07/27/1993
• Issued: 04/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Coad, Craig A., Carsella, Ronald F. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US08/097,970
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 340/604, 340/605, 340/539, 340/573, 340/984, 116/28.1, 116/28 R, 116/173, 116/26, 455/100, 441/69
• US Class Current: 340/604
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 34/67 Connection means on the towing watercraft, e.g. pylons, side poles or winches

Abstract

An improved downed water skier warning system for alerting the operator of a skier tow-boat and the operators of nearby boats when a skier falls into the water or releases the skier towrope. The system includes electronic water sensors for sensing when the rope-handle of the skier tow-rope lands in the water, and pressure sensors for sensing when the water skier releases the rope handle. The water and pressure sensors are in remote communication with audible and visual tow-boat operator alarms and visual "skier-down" warning indicators, for enabling said alarms and indicators when a "downed skier" situation occurs. The improved warning system is designed for use in conjunction with marine warning devices and indicators commonly available, such as the "skier-down" flag and bow or stem directional lights.

Claims

1. A downed water skier warning system for use with a tow-boat pulling a tow-rope having a rope-handle to which a water skier holds, the warning system comprising:

a transmitter circuit affixed to the tow-rope substantially adjacent to the rope-handle, four transmitting a signal;

said transmitter circuit including a water sensing circuit for disabling the transmitter circuit when the rope-handle is submerged in water; and

means for indicating to the tow-boat operator that said rope-handle is submerged in water, responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

2. The downed water skier warning system of claim 1, wherein said means for indicating further comprises an operator alarm unit including an operator alarm circuit comprising:

a receiver circuit for receiving said signal from the remote alarm actuator; and

a switching circuit responsive to said receiver circuit for actuating various operator alarm indicators and various warning indicators for being seen by operators of nearby boats.

3. The downed water skier warning system of claim 2, wherein the means for indicating further comprises:

a flag-mount circuit for raising a skier-down flag for warning operators of nearby boats when said rope-handle is submerged in water, responsive to said switching circuit.

4. The downed water skier warning system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

means for sensing when a water skier being towed by the tow-boat releases the rope-handle;

means for indicating to the tow-boat operator when said skier releases said rope-handle, responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit; and

means for warning operators of nearby boats, responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

5. The downed water skier warning system of claim 4, wherein the means for indicating further comprises:

at least one each audible and visual operator alarms responsive to said means for sensing; and

a mute switch for selectively muting said audible operator alarms.

6. The downed water skier warning system of claim 4, wherein the means for warning further comprises a skier-down flag.

7. The downed water skier warning system of claim 6, wherein the skier-down flag is releasibly affixed to a flag-mount having a flag raising means responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

8. The downed water skier warning system of claim 7, wherein the flag-mount is mounted on a side of the boat for making said skier-down flag readily visible to nearby boat operators.

9. The downed water skier warning system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter circuit further comprises a timing circuit responsive to the water sensing circuit, for disabling the transmitter circuit after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the transmitter circuit has been actuated.

10. The downed water skier warning system of claim 9, wherein the transmitter circuit further comprises a motion detector switch, for resetting the timing circuit when the water skier moves the rope-handle beyond a predetermined range of motion.

18. The downed water skier warning system as recited in claim 9, including a skier down flag and means for raising said skier-down flag responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit, said means for raising including a flag-mount for mounting said skier-down flag on the tow-boat.

19. The downed water skier warning system as recited in claim 18, further comprising means for indicating to the operator of the tow-boat when the rope-handle is released, said means for indicating being responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

20. The downed water skier warning system as recited in claim 19, further comprising means for lowering said skier-down flag responsive to a switch affixed to the tow-boat and operable by the operator of the tow-boat, said means for lowering further being affixed to said flag mount.

11. A downed water skier warning system for use with a tow-boat pulling a tow-rope having a rope-handle to which a water skier holds, the warning system comprising:

a transmitter circuit affixed to the rope-handle for transmitting a signal;

said transmitter circuit including a water sensing circuit for disabling the transmitter circuit when the rope-handle is submerged in water; and

means for indicating to the tow-boat operator when said rope handle is submerged in water, said indicating means being responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

12. The downed water skier warning system as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for warning operators of nearby boats responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

13. The downed water skier warning system of claim 12, wherein the means for warning further comprises a skier-down flag releasibly affixed to a flag-mount having a flag raising means responsive to the disabling of said transmitter circuit.

14. The downed water skier warning system of claim 11, wherein said transmitter circuit further comprises:

a hand-pressure sensing circuit affixed in the rope-handle for disabling said transmitter circuit when said hand-pressure sensing circuit detects the skier releasing the rope-handle, said hand-pressure sensing circuit and said transmitter circuit being electrically connected and formed as part of a remote alarm actuator circuit.

15. The downed water skier warning system of claim 14, wherein said hand-pressure sensing circuit comprises:

a microswitch connected between the rope-handle and a movable gripping plate, said gripping plate being affixed to said handle and biased away from said handle via a spring-like biasing means, and said microswitch further being responsive to the holding and releasing of the rope-handle by a water skier.

16. The downed water skier warning system of claim 14, wherein said means for indicating further comprises:

a receiver circuit for receiving said signal; and

a switching circuit for actuating various operator alarm indicators and various warning indicators for being seen by operators of nearby boats, responsive to said receiver circuit.

17. The downed water skier warning system of claim 15, wherein the microswitch is electrically connected to said means for indicating.