Patent ID: 11866136
Assignee: JOHNSON OUTDOORS INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A pedal drive system for a watercraft, comprising:
a manual drive train comprising a pair of pedals mechanically attached to a crankshaft for rotation of the crankshaft about a crankshaft axis;
an assist drive train having a motor;
a thrust unit;
a first gear mounted about the crankshaft, the first gear coupled to the thrust unit such that rotation of the first gear in a first angular direction about the crankshaft axis drives the thrust unit to provide thrust in a first thrust direction and rotation of the first gear in a second angular direction about the crankshaft axis drives the thrust unit to provide thrust in a second direction opposite the first direction, the first gear being operably coupled to the motor of the assist drive train such that when activated the motor can drive the first gear in the first angular direction about the crankshaft axis;
an one-way clutch mounting the first gear to the crankshaft;
a coupling arrangement having a manual mode and an assist mode, the coupling arrangement including;
wherein:
in the assist mode, the one-way clutch permits the first gear to rotate about the crankshaft axis in the first angular direction at a greater speed than the crankshaft; and
in the manual mode, the coupling arrangement rotationally fixes the crankshaft to the first gear such that rotation of the crankshaft in the first angular direction about the crankshaft axis rotates the first gear in the first angular direction at the same speed as the crankshaft and rotation of the crankshaft in the second angular direction about the crankshaft axis rotates the first gear in the second angular direction at the same speed as the crankshaft.