CONTROL OF A WATERCRAFT

Abstract

A watercraft including: a motor drive; a stern module; a bow module releasably connected to the stern module by a first connector; a controller; and a remote control configured to be operated by an operator. The remote control being configured to transfer movement control signals to the controller for operating the motor drive. Where the stern module having a first receiver, and the bow module having a transmitter. The transmitter is connected to the remote control and is configured to transmit the movement control signals received from the remote control. The first receiver is configured to receive the movement control signals from the first transmitter and forward the movement control signals to the controller.

Claims

1. A watercraft comprising: a motor drive; a stern module; a bow module releasably connected to the stern module by a first connector; a controller; and a remote control configured to be operated by an operator, the remote control being configured to transfer movement control signals to the controller for operating the motor drive; wherein the stern module having a first receiver, and the bow module having a transmitter; the transmitter is connected to the remote control and is configured to transmit the movement control signals received from the remote control; and the first receiver is configured to receive the movement control signals from the first transmitter and forward the movement control signals to the controller.

2. The watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the first receiver and the transmitter are arranged opposite each other when the stern module is in connected to the bow module.

3. The watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the movement control signals to the first receiver.

4. The watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the connection of the remote control to the transmitter is at least partially wired.

5. The watercraft according to claim 1, wherein the remote control is releasably fixed to the bow module.

6. The watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising a second receiver connected to the transmitter by a cable, the bow module having the second receiver at a distance from the transmitter, wherein the second receiver is configured to wirelessly receive the movement control signals from the remote control and forward the movement control signals to the transmitter.

7. The watercraft according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply provided in the bow module to supply power to one or more of the transmitter and the second receiver.

8. The watercraft according to claim 7, wherein the power supply is a rechargeable battery.

9. The watercraft according to claim 8, further comprising a solar cell for charging the rechargeable battery, the solar cell being one of attached to the bow module and integrated into the bow module.

10. A bow module for a watercraft, the bow module comprising: a releasable connection portion configured to connect to a stern module; a remote control configured to be operated by an operator, the remote control being configured to transfer movement control signals to the controller for operating the motor drive; a transmitter connected to the remote control and configured to transmit the movement control signals received from the remote control.

11. The bow module according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the movement control signals to the stern module.

12. The bow module according to claim 10, wherein the connection of the remote control to the transmitter is at least partially wired.

13. The bow module according to claim 10, wherein the remote control is releasably fixed to the bow module.

14. The bow module according to claim 10, further comprising a receiver connected to the transmitter by a cable, the receiver being arranged at a distance from the transmitter, wherein the receiving is configured to wirelessly receive the movement control signals from the remote control and forward the movement control signals to the transmitter.

15. The bow module according to claim 10, further comprising a power supply to supply power to one or more of the transmitter and the receiver.

16. The bow module according to claim 15, wherein the power supply is a rechargeable battery.

17. The bow module according to claim 16, further comprising a solar cell for charging the rechargeable battery.

18. A stern module for a watercraft, the stern module comprising: a releasable connection portion configured to connect to a bow module; a controller; and a receiver configured to receive movement control signals from the bow module and forward the movement control signals to the controller.

19. The stern module according to claim 18, further comprising a motor drive one of arranged in or on the stern module.

20. The stern module according to claim 19, further comprising a power supply to supply power to one or more of the controller, the receiver and the motor drive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Additional features become apparent from the description of embodiments in conjunction with the claims and the attached drawings. Embodiments can fulfill individual features or a combination of multiple features.

[0035] The embodiments are described below without limiting the general inventive idea using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein reference is explicitly made to the drawings with regard to all details that are not described in more detail in the text. In the figures:

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic three-dimensional exploded view of a watercraft,

[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic three-dimensional view of the watercraft of FIG. 1 in the assembled state,

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic side view of a watercraft,

[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic sectional view of another embodiment of the watercraft in a partially disassembled state, and

[0040] FIG. 5 illustrates another schematic view of a watercraft in another embodiment.

[0041] In the drawings, the same or similar elements and/or parts are each provided with the same reference signs, such that a repeated introduction is dispensed with in each case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional exploded view of a watercraft 10 in a first embodiment. A bow module 11 is provided which is produced from a plastic such as, for example, polyethylene, namely in a known rotation method. Connection rods 16 and 17 and a fixing rod 15 are firmly connected to the bow module 11. The bow module 11 has in a connection region a notch that is complementary in shape to a protrusion of the stern module 12. The stern module 12 has corresponding openings for accommodating the connection rods 16 and 17, the size of which fits precisely to the diameters of the connection rods 16 and 17. In addition, a continuous hole or respectively an opening 18 is provided, through which the fixing rod 15 can be placed so that the fixing rod 15 is closed with a closure mechanism, which can be a snap closure, a bail closure, or similar, as are known in the art, so that the bow module can no longer be released from the stern module and thus a stable fixing of the bow module to the stern module is enabled. The stern module also has an accommodating body 20, which in this exemplary embodiment is also produced from a plastic such as, for example, polyethylene and has a lower recess 21 for accommodating the jet drive module 13 and has above it a recess 22 for receiving the power supply module 14, such as a power supply.

[0043] The jet drive module 13 is slid from below into the recess 21 of the stern module 12 or respectively the stern module 12 is placed onto the jet drive module 13 from above. The jet drive module 13 can be firmly connected to the stern module 12 by screws 23.

[0044] The power supply module 14 can then be installed from above into the recess 22 of the stern module 12 and fixed by a fixing mechanism or connection mechanism (not shown).

[0045] For the electrical connection of the power supply module 14 to the jet drive module 13, electrical contacts 24 of the jet drive module 13 are provided which can be installed into corresponding plug contacts of the power supply module 14. The electrical components can be capsuled or respectively sealed against contact with water.

[0046] The jet drive module 13 is arranged relatively far to the back in the stern, such that a good supply with water is enabled during operation of the watercraft. The embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show surfboards that are produced from a relatively rigid polyethylene material.

[0047] The power supply module 14 is cooled during operation by water flowing over the power supply module 14, but also in that water can enter a gap 26, as is known in the art, between the power supply module 14 and the stern module 12. This water can be discharged again into the surrounding water through a discharge line 25, the outlet of which can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 on the side of the stern module 12.

[0048] The watercraft 10 can be built on at least four modules.

[0049] FIG. 3 schematically shows the watercraft 10 in a side view in the assembled state. Here, it is a body board with a relatively small bow module 11 and a stern module 12. A power supply module 14 is installed in the stern module 12 and the jet drive module 13 is also indicated. A solar module 46 is attached to the deck of the bow module 11 in the front region of the bow.

[0050] A remote control 40, by means of which, for example, the accelerator can be applied or acceleration can be taken away again, is installed in a schematically illustrated connection device 45. The connection device 45 can comprise a handle, in which the remote control can be installed in a manner that is at least partially complementary in shape. The remote control 40 is connected with a cable to a transmitting device 41, such as a transmitter, which wirelessly sends out a second radio signal 51, which can be received by the first receiving device 42, such as a receiver. The signals thus received are forwarded to a controller 47, such as a controller, processor, CPU or computer, by which the jet drive 13, for example, is controlled and/or regulated.

[0051] In FIG. 3, another energy supply unit 52 is shown, which is integrated into the bow module and supplies at least the transmitting device 41 and/or the remote control 40 with electrical energy. The energy supply unit 52, which can be configured as a rechargeable battery, is supplied with energy, for example charged, by the solar module 46.

[0052] FIG. 4 schematically shows a side view of an incompletely mounted watercraft 10. Here, the bow module 11 is illustrated somewhat larger. It can thereby be, for example, a submersible watercraft.

[0053] Here, a second receiving device 43, such as a receiver, can be provided in the connection device 45, which is not illustrated, in order to connect the remote control 40 not mechanically or respectively electrically with the cable 44. The remote control 40 can still be held in, for example latch into, the connection device 45, and transmit a movement control signal to the second receiving device 43. Since very small distances are provided here, too, water in the region of the transmitting and receiving devices and the remote control does not disrupt the signals.

[0054] In FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment is illustrated. The remote control 40 here is illustrated at somewhat of a distance from the second receiving device 43. The remote control 40 can be, for example, picked up in the hand simply and also be held at a somewhat greater distance from the second receiving device 43 than the distance illustrated in FIG. 5. For the case that it is not a submersible watercraft but instead a vehicle that moves above the water, water will only be registered very infrequently in the region of the second receiving device 43, such that reliable operation of the watercraft 10 is possible.

[0055] Here in FIG. 5, the movement control signals are conducted to the second receiving device 43 by a first radio signal 50 and from there are forwarded by a cable, for example an electrical cable or an optical cable, to the transmitting device 41. From there, movement control signals are conducted to the first receiving device 42 by a second radio signal 51, which first receiving device forwards these signals to the control device 47, as also in the embodiment of FIG. 3.

[0056] The second radio signal 51 can be identical in its data structure to the first radio signal 50. However, it can also be a modified radio signal that transmits the movement control signals transferred with the first radio signal 50 in a modified form as the second radio 51 by the transmitting device 41. To modify the movement control signals, a different coding can be used or different frequencies or channels.

[0057] In the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, a signal transmission via a data cable 44 takes place. The data connection from the bow module 11 to the stern module 12 is wireless and therefore maintenance-free. In FIG. 3, the handle or respectively the remote control 40 is installed in a fixed or releasably fixed manner With the embodiments in which the remote control 40 can be releasably connected or is completely released from the watercraft, multiple different bow modules can be used, such that the watercraft can be operated in a very modular manner with only one remote control 40. The transmitting device 41 can serve to amplify the transmitting signal or respectively of the movement control signal. This is given in the embodiment in which the first radio signal 50 is identical to the second radio signal 51. For the case that these two signals are different, there are no interferences between these two signals.

[0058] While there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0059] 10 Watercraft [0060] 11 Bow module [0061] 12 Stern module [0062] 13 Jet drive module [0063] 14 Power supply module [0064] 15 Fixing rod [0065] 16 Connection rod [0066] 17 Connection rod [0067] 18 Opening [0068] 20 Accommodating body [0069] 21 Recess [0070] 22 Recess [0071] 23 Screw [0072] 24 Electrical contact [0073] 25 Discharge line [0074] 26 Gap [0075] 27 Surface [0076] 40 Remote control [0077] 41 Transmitting device [0078] 42 First receiving device [0079] 43 Second receiving device [0080] 44 Cable [0081] 45 Connection device [0082] 46 Solar module [0083] 47 Control device [0084] 50 First radio signal [0085] 51 Second radio signal [0086] 52 Energy supply unit