Boat wake enhancing device
View Patent ↗A boat wake enhancing device configured to create and control wakes generated by a boat having a hull with a bottom, the bottom of the hull have at least two apertures defining two interior cavities comprising a left assembly, a right assembly, and at least two tabs. The assemblies mounted to the bottom of the hull, each including a top end, a bottom end, a first actuator arm, and a second actuator arm. The actuator arms configured to translate between an open position and a closed position. The tabs coupled to the right assembly and the left assembly include a downturned position, a neutral position, and an upturned position. These positions create downforce, lift, or stabilization upon the boat thereby creating and controlling the wake. The tabs retract into the interior cavities when in the closed position, the tabs extend below the interior cavities when in the open position.
1 . A boat wake enhancing device configured to create and control wakes generated by a boat having a deck and a hull with a bottom, the bottom of the hull having at least two apertures extending inwardly towards the deck defining at least two interior cavities, comprising:
a left assembly and a right assembly mounted to the bottom of the hull, the left assembly identical to the right assembly each including a top end, a bottom end, a first actuator arm, and a second actuator arm, the assemblies configured to translate between an open position and a closed position, the top end of the left assembly and the top end of the right assembly are mounted to the hull of the boat, the bottom end of the left assembly and the bottom end of the right assembly are coupled to a tab;
a pair of tabs, one of the tabs is coupled to the bottom end of the left assembly, and the other of the tabs are coupled to the bottom end of the right assembly, the tabs configured to create or enhance a wake including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, a first side wall, and a second side wall opposite the first side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall extending perpendicularly between the top surface and the bottom surface, the tabs configured to translate between a downturned position, a neutral position, and an upturned position;
the first interior cavity is configured to house the right assembly, the second interior cavity is configured to house the left assembly, each interior cavity includes a left side wall, a right side wall parallel to the left side wall, a front wall, and a back wall parallel to the front wall, the left side wall and the right side wall interconnect the front wall and the back wall, the tabs are selectively retracted into the interior cavities such that the boat wake enhancing device is fully housed within the interior cavities when in the closed position, the tabs protrude below the interior cavities such that the bottom end of the left assembly, the bottom end of the right assembly, and the tabs are selectively submerged in the water below the bottom of the hull when in the open position and the tabs may translate between the downturned position, the neutral position, and the upturned position; wherein
the actuator arms of the left assembly and the right assembly each include a group of arms comprising a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm, each of the arms include an upper end and a lower end, the second arm further includes a middle region, the third arm further includes a center region;
the actuator arms of the left assembly and the right assembly each include a group of pistons comprising a first piston and a second piston each of the pistons include a first end and a second end;
the side walls of the interior cavities further including a slot configured to aid in translating the left assembly and the right assembly between the open position and the closed position, the slots comprising a cavity defining a track with a front end and a back end;
the lower end of the first arm coupled to the top surface of the tab and extends upwardly, perpendicularly from the tab, the lower end of the second arm coupled to the upper end of the first arm, the upper end of the second arm coupled to the center region of the third arm, the third arm extends between the slot and the first piston; and
the second end of the first piston coupled to the lower end of the third arm, the first end of the second piston coupled to the middle region of the second arm, the second end of the second piston coupled to the upper end of the first arm.
2 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein boat wake enhancing device transitions into the downturned position by engaging the second pistons such that the second pistons retract towards the bow of the boat, the upper ends of the first arms pivot inwardly with the second ends of the second pistons thereby translating the first arms backwards towards the stern such that the upper ends of the first arms translate forward towards the bow and the lower ends of the first arms translate backwards towards the stern, the tabs translate backwards towards the stern, angled downwardly such that the first regions are positioned lower than the second regions.
3 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the boat wake enhancing device transitions into the upturned position by engaging the second pistons such that the second pistons protract towards the stern of the boat, the upper ends of the first arms pivot outwardly with the second ends of the second pistons thereby translating the first arms forwards towards the bow such that the upper ends of the first arms translate backward towards the stern and the lower ends of the first arms translate forwards towards the bow, the tabs translate forwards towards the bow, angled upwardly such that the second regions are positioned lower than the first regions.
4 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the boat wake enhancing device transitions into the neutral position by translating the first arms to be perpendicular to both the lower ends of the second arms and the apex of the tab, this translates the tab so that the apex is parallel to the deck of the boat and the first regions and the second regions are positioned at substantially the same depth.
5 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the second arm curves upwardly at the middle region between the upper end of the first arm and the center region of the third arm.
6 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the left assembly and the right assembly each further include a group of horizontal arms configured to attach the assemblies to the boat comprising a first horizontal arm extending perpendicularly between the left side wall and the right side wall of the interior cavity, a second horizontal arm extending perpendicularly between the tracks of the first slot and the tracks of the second slot, and a third horizontal arm extending perpendicularly between the left side wall and the right side wall of the interior cavity.
7 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 6 , wherein the first end of the first piston of the first actuator arm and the second actuator arm coupled to the first horizontal arm, the upper end of the third arm of the first actuator arm and the second actuator arm coupled to the second horizontal arm, the first end of the second piston and the middle region of the second arm of the first actuator arm and the second actuator arm coupled to the third horizontal arm.
8 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 7 , wherein the boat wake enhancing device transitions from the closed position to the open position by:
translating the second ends of the first pistons upwardly, the first pistons pivot upwardly around the first horizontal arm thereby engaging the third arms, the lower ends of the third arms translate upwardly causing the second horizontal arm to translate towards the stern of the boat, the second horizontal arm translates across the tracks of the slots towards the back ends of the slots, this translates the lower ends of the second arms downward until the lower ends of the second arms are substantially perpendicular to the first arms thereby translating the tabs downward away from the interior cavity into the water below the interior cavity.
9 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 7 , wherein the boat wake enhancing device transitions from the open position to the closed position by:
translating the second ends of the first pistons downwardly, the first pistons pivot downwardly around the first horizontal arm thereby engaging the third arms, the lower ends of the third arms translate downwardly causing the second horizontal arm to translate towards the bow of the boat, the second horizontal arm translates across the tracks of the slots towards the front ends of the slots, this translates the lower ends of the second arms upward until the lower ends of the first arms and the tabs are entirely housed within the interior cavity.
10 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the tabs further include a first region, a second region opposite the first region, and an apex, the apex coupled to the first actuator arm and the second actuator arm, the tab curves outwardly, downward from the apex towards the first region and the second region.
11 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the tabs comprise a foiled shape including a rounded front edge and a tail with a pointed edge opposite the rounded front edge.
12 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 11 , wherein the rounded front edge includes a greater height than the tail, the top surface curves downwardly from the apex to the rounded front edge and the tail, the bottom surface extends in a substantially linear fashion between the rounded front edge and the tail, the top surface and the bottom surface converge at the tail.
13 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the neutral position enables the boat wake enhancing device to stabilize the boat, in the neutral position the first arms are substantially perpendicular to the second arms and the tabs;
the downturned position enables the boat wake enhancing device to create additional downforce on the stern of the boat, thereby pulling the stern of the boat further downward into the water and pushing the bow of the boat further upward out of the water thus creating larger wakes, in the downturned position the first arms are angled outwardly away from the second arms towards the stern of the boat;
the upturned position enables the boat wake enhancing device to create additional lift on the stern, thereby pushing the stern of the boat further upward towards the surface of the water and pulling the bow of the boat downward into the water thus creating smaller wakes, in the upturned position the first arms are angled inwardly, towards the second arms and the bow of the boat.
14 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the left assembly and the right assembly are deployed identically, such that both tabs are in the same position.
15 . The boat wake enhancing device of claim 1 , wherein the left assembly and the right assembly are deployed to different positions, such that each tab comprises a different position.