Apparatus and Method for the Control of Engine Throttle for Inboard and Outboard Boat Motors

Abstract

A ski boat throttle control system incorporating a rotary assembly such as a thumbwheel within the control lever knob which is part of the control lever assembly that is gripped and held by the operator of the boat during use. The incorporation of such a thumbwheel assembly allows the operator to make more controlled adjustment to the speed of the boat when the boat is in normal operational mode and to intuitively make adjustments to the cruise control speed of the boat when in cruise control.

Description

[0001]CLAIM OF PRIORITY TO PRIOR APPLICATION[0002]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 410,784, filed on Nov. 5, 2010, entitled “Apparatus and Method for the Control of Engine Throttle for Inboard and Outboard Boat Motors”, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]The present invention primarily pertains to the field of sporting competition and recreational boats, commonly known as sport ski boats, and, more particularly, to speed control systems and related methods for sport ski boats.BACKGROUND[0004]For terminology purposes of this application, we will use the term “ski boat” (occasionally “sport ski boat”) to refer to any watercraft that falls within the common understanding of a ski boat, a sport ski boat (also known as “sport / ski” or “sport-ski” boats), a tow boat, or any comparable watercraft such as are designed and used for towing re...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is an improved apparatus and method for controlling the speed of a ski boat. It includes a control thumbwheel assembly within the control lever knob, which allows the operator to make thumbed adjustments to the speed of the boat when in normal operational mode and to make thumbed adjustments to the cruise control speed of the boat when in cruise control operation. This apparatus and method provide many advantages and novel features that are not anticipated, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art."

Problems solved by technology

Design and performance of the throttle / shift system faces a surprisingly complex array of challenges, not the least of which has long been the difficulty of providing a system that can be controlled to interface with the propulsion system in a way that enables easy, accurate and reliable changes in boat speed in all conditions.

So often, what is intended as a slight speed adjustment produces an inordinate reaction from the propulsion system which is all the more exacerbated by the operator's typical overcorrection in response.

Harsh weather or choppy seas typically make the commensurate problems worse.

In addition to typical challenges at low speeds, most marine propulsion systems also have less-predictable speed ranges where it is more difficult to achieve small changes in the speed by adjusting the throttle position.

Cruise control systems can sometimes help at greater speeds, but a ski boat operator experiences a secondary challenge when, in the moment, he wants to slightly adjust the “set” speed for the cruise control.

Existing cruise control adjustment mechanisms are nice, but they are not intuitive enough.

As a result of these and other operator challenges, an operator cannot easily and intuitively adjust the cruise control speed once it has been set, and better controls have long been needed.

Many other problems, obstacles, limitations and challenges of the prior art will be evident to those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the prior art.

Images