Patent ID: 11904995
Assignee: RHODAN MARINE SYSTEMS OF FLORIDA, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F | IPC B  F

Claim 12:
13. A trolling motor steering control system comprising:
a steering motor;
a steering shaft adapted to be rotated by the steering motor via a single ratio transmission system; and
a torque clutch adapted to automatically decouple the steering motor from the steering shaft when the steering shaft is subjected to an external torque exceeding a predetermined threshold magnitude;
wherein the steering shaft comprises a plurality of vertebrae and at least one tension element threaded longitudinally through the plurality of vertebrae to link the vertebrae, and
wherein at least a portion of the steering shaft has a flexible configuration when the at least one tension element is released and a stiffened linear configuration when the tension element is tensed to react to torque and bending moments on the steering shaft.