System and method for a hinged flange with quick connect adapter for a jet boat
View Patent ↗A system and method are disclosed for allowing a user to quickly and with minimal tools repurpose the outflow of a jet boat for alternative purposes such as a jet-powered water board. This is accomplished via a hinged flange inserted between the bowl of a jet boat and the snoot. When a user wishes to repurpose the jet boat outflow, they can simply remove the fasteners holding the rotating flange to the mounted flange and move the rotating flange to the open position. The mounted flange is configured with additional fastener slots to then allow a different nozzle type to be affixed to the mounted flange while the outflow assembly remains mostly assembled. This allows the outflow assembly to be quickly put back in place when the user is done with other water recreation activities and wishes to once again use the jet boat as a watercraft.
1 . A hinged flange comprising:
a mounted flange arranged and configured to couple with a bowl of a jet boat, the bowl comprising one of a split bowl or a double drilled bowl, wherein the mounted flange is further configured to couple with a nozzle; and
a rotating flange coupled to the mounted flange via a hinge configured to allow the rotating flange to rotate between a closed position in which the rotating flange is substantially flush with the mounted flange and an open position in which the rotating flange is not substantially flush with the mounted flange, the rotating flange further configured to couple to the mounted flange when in the closed position via one or more fasteners and the rotating flange also being configured to couple with a snoot.
2 . The hinged flange of claim 1 wherein the mounted flange is arranged and configured to couple with the bowl of the jet boat via a plurality of fastener slots.
3 . The hinged flange of claim 1 further comprising a gasket coupled to the mounted flange.
4 . The hinged flange of claim 1 wherein the snoot comprises at least one of a droop snoot and a straight snoot.
5 . The hinged flange of claim 4 wherein the snoot is configured to couple with a flow diverter.
6 . A hinged flange with snoot and flow diverter assembly comprising:
a hinged flange comprising:
a mounted flange comprising:
a first hinge knuckle along at least one edge of the mounted flange; and
a first plurality of fastener slots;
a rotating flange comprising:
a second hinge knuckle along at least one edge of the rotating flange; and
a second plurality of fastener slots; wherein
the rotating flange is coupled to the mounted flange via a pin configured to pass through the first hinge knuckle of the mounted flange and the second hinge knuckle of the rotating flange, and the rotating flange is coupled to the mounted flange such that at least one fastener slot of the second plurality of fastener slots is substantially aligned with at least one fastener slot of the first plurality of fastener slots when the rotating flange is substantially flush with the mounted flange; and
a snoot and flow diverter assembly coupled to the rotating flange via a fastener passed through at least one of the second plurality of fastener slots, the snoot and flow diverter assembly, the snoot flow diverter assembly comprising:
a snoot; and
a flow diverter.
7 . The hinged flange with snoot and flow diverter assembly of claim 6 wherein the hinged flange further comprises at least one hinge connector, the hinge connector comprising two or more slots configured to accommodate the pin.
8 . The hinged flange with snoot and flow diverter assembly of claim 6 wherein the snoot comprises at least one of a straight snoot and a droop snoot.
9 . The hinged flange with snoot and flow diverter assembly of claim 6 wherein the flow diverter comprises at least one of a rudder and a place diverter.
10 . The hinged flange with snoot and flow diverter assembly of claim 6 wherein the hinged flange further comprises a gasket coupled to the mounted flange.
11 . The hinged flange with snoot and flow diverter assembly of claim 6 wherein the mounted flange is coupled to a bowl of a jet boat via one or more fasteners inserted through the first plurality of fastener slots.
12 . A method for repurposing water from a jet boat drive, the method comprising:
removing one or more fasteners from a hinged flange, the hinged flange comprising:
a mounted flange comprising:
a first hinge knuckle along at least one edge of the mounted flange; and
a first plurality of fastener slots;
a rotating flange comprising:
a second hinge knuckle along at least one edge of the rotating flange; and
a second plurality of fastener slots; and
the rotating flange coupled to the mounted flange via a pin configured to pass through the first hinge knuckle of the mounted flange and the second hinge knuckle of the rotating flange, and the rotating flange is coupled to the mounted flange such that at least one fastener slot of the second plurality of fastener slots is substantially aligned with at least one fastener slot of the first plurality of fastener slots when the rotating flange is substantially flush with the mounted flange;
rotating the rotating flange away from the mounted flange; and
affixing a nozzle to the mounted flange via one or more fasteners inserted into the first plurality of fastener slots.
13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising affixing the mounted flange to a bowl of a jet boat.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the bowl is double drilled.
15 . The method of claim 13 wherein the bowl is a split bowl.
16 . The method of claim 12 wherein:
the hinged flange further comprises:
a snoot and flow diverter assembly coupled to the rotating flange via at least one of the plurality of fastener slots, the snoot and flow diverter assembly comprising:
a snoot;
a flow diverter; and
a steering arm extending from a jet boat and coupled with the flow diverter; and
the method further comprises:
decoupling the steering arm from the flow diverter.