Trolling motor bow mount

• US 6,431,923 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Inventors: Simonson, Dale E., Knight, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWINEHART, EDWIN L
• Application Number:
  US09/593,075
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 440/6, 440/7, 440/53, 248/640-642
• US Class Current: 440/6
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/007 Trolling propulsion units trolling plates for slowing down B63H25/50; dynamo-electric machines of trolling units H02K
• 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 20/10 Means enabling trim or tilt, or lifting of the propulsion element when an obstruction is hit; Control of trim or tilt
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/106 Means enabling lifting of the propulsion element in a substantially vertical, linearly sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/12 Means enabling steering
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/17 by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/42 Steering or dynamic anchoring by propulsive elements by jets B63H25/46; Steering or dynamic anchoring by propellers used therefor only; Steering or dynamic anchoring by rudders carrying propellers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish

Abstract

A bow mount for a trolling motor and a method for releasably mounting a trolling motor to a bow of a boat are disclosed. The bow mount includes a base, a chassis, an actuation mechanism between the chassis and the base and a retaining mechanism. The base is adapted to be mounted to a bow of a boat and includes a pair of longitudinally extending spaced side channels. The chassis is adapted to be coupled to the trolling motor and includes a pair of spaced longitudinally extending side projections. The actuation mechanism is positioned between the chassis and the base and is configured to move at least one of the side projections and the side channels in a transverse direction relative to one another such that the projections extend into the channels. The retaining mechanism is configured to removably retain the projections in the channels. The method includes providing a base on the bow of the boat and having a pair of spaced side channels, providing a trolling motor assembly having a pair of spaced projections, lowering the trolling motor assembly onto the base such that at least one of the side projections extends between the pair of spaced side channels, moving at least one of the side projections and the side channels in a sideways direction relative to one another such that the projections extend into the channels and releasably retaining the projections in the channels to releasably mount the trolling motor to the bow of the boat.

Claims

1. A bow mount for a trolling motor, the mount comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted to a bow of a boat, the base including a pair of longitudinally extending spaced side channels;

a chassis adapted to be coupled to the trolling motor, the chassis including a pair of spaced longitudinally extending side projections;

an actuation mechanism between the chassis and the base, the actuation mechanism configured to move at least one of the side projections and the side channels in a transverse direction relative to one another such that the projections extend into the channels; and

a retaining mechanism configured to removably retain the projections in the channels.

2. The mount of claim 1, wherein the pair of spaced side channels face in a first direction and wherein the pair of spaced side projections extend in a second opposite direction.

3. The mount of claim 1, wherein the pair of spaced side channels and the pair of spaced side projections continuously extend along substantially an entire longitudinal length of the base and the chassis, respectively.

4. The mount of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes:

a first actuation surface coupled to one of the base and the chassis; and

a second actuation surface movably coupled to the other of the base and the chassis, the second actuation surface being movable between a locking position in which the second actuation surface engages the first actuation surface to move the base and the chassis relative to one another such that the spaced side channels receive the spaced side projections and a releasing position in which the second actuation surface is disengaged from the first actuation surface to permit the side projections to be removed from the side channels such that the chassis is released from the base in at least one direction.

5. The mount of claim 4, wherein the second actuation surface is resiliently biased towards the releasing position.

6. The mount of claim 5, including a lever coupled to the second actuation surface and configured to move the second actuation surface between the locking position and the releasing position.

7. The mount of claim 6, wherein the lever pivots between a first position in which the second actuation surface is in the locking position and a second position in which the second actuation surface is in a releasing position.

8. The mount of claim 7, including means for retaining the lever in the first position.

9. The mount of claim 4, wherein said one of the base and the chassis includes a puck providing the first actuation surface and wherein the other of the base and the chassis includes a draw bar including a window sized to receive the puck and providing the second actuation surface.

10. The mount of claim 9, wherein said one of the base and the chassis includes a pair of opposing tracks slidably receiving the drawbar therebetween.

11. The mount of claim 1, wherein the second actuation surface linearly moves between the locking position and the releasing position.

12. The mount of claim 1, wherein the chassis includes the first actuation surface and wherein the base assembly includes the second actuation surface.

15. The mount of claim 1, wherein one of the pair of spaced side channels and the pair of spaced side projections face one another and wherein the other of the pair of spaced side channels and the pair of spaced side projections face away from one another.

16. The mount of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of side projections and the pair of side channels are movably coupled to the chassis and the base, respectively.

20. The mount of claim 1, wherein moving the side projections includes moving the pair of side projections in a common direction into the side channels.

13. A mount for a trolling motor, the mount comprising:

a base assembly adapted to be mounted to a boat, the base assembly including a first one of a male member and a female member;

a chassis adapted to be coupled to the trolling motor, the chassis including a second one of the male member and the female member, wherein at least one of the male member and the female member is movably coupled to at least one of the base and the chassis for sideways movement between an engaged position in which the female member receives the male member and a disengaged position while the chassis overlies the base; and

a locking assembly including;

a first actuation surface coupled to one of the base assembly and the chassis; and

a second actuation surface movably coupled to the other of the base assembly and the chassis, wherein the second actuation surface is moveable between a locking position in which the second actuation surface engages the first actuation surface to retain the male member and the female member in the engaged position to lock the chassis to the base assembly in at least one direction, and a releasing position in which the second actuation surface is disengaged from the first actuation surface to permit the male member to be removed from the female member such that the chassis may be released from the base assembly in at least one direction.

14. The mount of claim 13, wherein the male member comprises a projection of a first dovetail and wherein the female member comprises a groove of a second dovetail.

17. A trolling motor adapted to be mounted to a base having a pair of spaced side channels in a bow of a boat, the trolling motor comprising:

a lower propulsion unit;

a shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit;

a chassis supporting the shaft, the chassis including a pair of spaced side projections;

an actuator adapted to move the side projections in at least one sideways direction into the side channels; and

a retainer adapted to releasably retain the projections in the channels.

18. A method for releasably mounting a trolling motor to a bow of a boat, the method comprising:

providing a base on the bow of the boat, the base having a pair of spaced side channels;

providing a trolling motor assembly having a pair of spaced projections;

lowering the trolling motor assembly onto the base such that at least one of the side projections extends between the pair of spaced side channels;

moving at least one of the side projections and the side channels in a sideways direction relative to one another such that the projections extend into the channels; and

releasably retaining the projections in the channels to releasably mount the trolling motor to the bow of the boat.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of moving at least one of the side projections and side channels in a sideways direction comprises moving the side projections in a sideways direction into the side channels.

21. A mount for an underwater propulsion unit, the mount comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted to a boat, the base including a first one of a male member and a female member;

a chassis adapted to be coupled to the propulsion unit, the chassis further including a second one of a male member and a female member, wherein at least one of the male member and the female member is movable between an engaged position in which the female member receives the male member to retain the chassis upon the base and a disengaged position in which the male member is removed from the female member while the second one of the male member and the female member of the chassis at least partially directly overlies the base just prior to engagement of the male member and the female member.

22. The mount of claim 21 including an actuation mechanism configured to move at least one of the male member and the female member between the engaged position and the disengaged position.

23. The mount of claim 21 including a retaining mechanism configured to removably retain the male member and female member in the engaged position.

24. The mount of claim 21, wherein the male member includes a projection and wherein the female member comprises a channel configured to receive the projection.