Patent ID: 11912389
Assignee: BRUNSWICK CORPORATION
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A propeller for a marine propulsion device configured for use on a boat, the propeller comprising:
a hub extending along a longitudinal axis; and
a plurality of blades, each blade having a blade root attached to the hub and extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis toward a respective blade tip;
wherein each blade comprises a polymer-based core;
wherein each blade is coated with a metal coating that extends from the blade root radially outwardly toward the blade tip;
wherein each blade tip is not coated with the metal coating;
wherein the metal coating is thickest at each blade root and tapers to become thinner as it extends toward each blade tip;
wherein the thickness of the metal coating tapers to zero at a non-dimensional radius of the propeller of about 60% to about 80%; and
wherein each blade tip is uncoated such that, at each blade tip, the exposed polymer-based core is configured to deflect in such a way that a pitch of the propeller decreases by 0.5 inches to 1 inch as a forward thrust of the propeller increases.