Granted Patent B1

US 12,735,159 · App. 18/446,548 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Weikang Du (Jackson, WI); Andrew C. Gunderson (Fond du Lac, WI); Jeffrey D. Reifsnyder (Fond du Lac, WI)

Assignee: Brunswick Corporation

B63H1/26B63H1/18

Abstract

Claims (29)

1 . A propeller for a marine propulsion device, the propeller comprising:

a hub extending along an x-axis; and

a plurality of blades, each blade in the plurality of blades having a blade root non-pivotably attached to the hub and extending radially outwardly from the x-axis toward a respective blade tip;

wherein each blade in the plurality of blades comprises a y-axis extending radially outwardly from and perpendicular with respect to the x-axis;

wherein each blade in the plurality of blades comprises a z-axis extending perpendicularly to both the x- and y-axes;

wherein each blade in the plurality of blades comprises a plurality of winglet sections proximate its blade tip, the plurality of winglet sections beginning at a given radial location on the blade and ending at the blade tip, wherein the given radial location on each blade is between about 90% to about 99% of a radius of the propeller;

wherein each winglet section in the plurality of winglet sections of each blade is rotated about the blade's z-axis such that the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 90 degrees from a surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location; and

wherein the blade tip of each blade is rotated about the blade's z-axis by between about 1 degree and about 5 degrees.

2 . The propeller of claim 1 , wherein the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 70 degrees from the surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

3 . The propeller of claim 2 , wherein the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 50 degrees from the surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

4 . The propeller of claim 3 , wherein the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 30 degrees from the surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

5 . The propeller of claim 1 , wherein the blade tip is offset toward a pressure side of the blade.

6 . The propeller of claim 1 , wherein the blade tip is offset toward a suction side of the blade.

7 . A propeller for a marine propulsion device, the propeller comprising:

a hub extending along an x-axis; and

a plurality of blades, each blade in the plurality of blades having a blade root non-pivotably attached to the hub and extending radially outwardly from the x-axis toward a respective blade tip;

wherein each blade in the plurality of blades comprises a y-axis extending radially outwardly from and perpendicular with respect to the x-axis;

wherein each blade in the plurality of blades comprises a z-axis extending perpendicularly to both the x- and y-axes;

wherein each blade in the plurality of blades comprises a plurality of winglet sections proximate its blade tip, each winglet section in the plurality of winglet sections being rotated about the blade's z-axis;

wherein the blade tip of each blade in the plurality of blades is rotated about the blade's z-axis by between about 1 degree and about 5 degrees;

wherein the plurality of winglet sections on each blade begins at a given radial location on the blade and ends at the blade tip; and

wherein the given radial location is between about 90% to about 99% of a radius of the propeller.

8 . The propeller of claim 7 ,

wherein the blade tip on each blade is offset between about 1 degree and about 90 degrees from a surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

9 . The propeller of claim 8 , wherein the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 70 degrees from the surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

10 . The propeller of claim 9 , wherein the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 50 degrees from the surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

11 . The propeller of claim 10 , wherein the blade tip is offset between about 1 degree and about 30 degrees from the surface of the blade that is radially inwardly of and adjacent to the given radial location.

12 . The propeller of claim 7 , wherein the blade tip is rotated toward a pressure side of the blade.

13 . The propeller of claim 7 , wherein the blade tip is rotated toward a suction side of the blade.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (14)