Patent ID: 6299496
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: B63H,F01N

Abstract:
In a marine vessel having an inboard engine, an outboard drive mechanism, and a transom, an exhaust control system, comprising:a conduit assembly comprising an inlet passage, a first outlet passage, and a second outlet passage;a valve disposed within said conduit assembly for selectively blocking said first outlet passage from fluid communication with said inlet passage;a valve actuator connected to said valve for controlling the position of said valve relative to said first outlet passage;a controller having an output signal port connected in signal communication with said valve actuator; anda first sensor connected in signal communication with said controller and located to sense a first parameter of said marine vessel, said first sensor providing a first sensor signal to said controller which is representative of said first parameter, said valve being movable to a position within said first outlet passage by said valve actuator in response to a first output signal provided by said controller at said output signal port as a function of said first sensor signal, said first sensor being a sound level sensor attached to said marine vessel to sense the sound level of said exhaust system at a representative location on said marine vessel, said first sensor signal being representative of the sound level of said exhaust system at said representative location on said marine vessel, said valve being movable to a position within said first outlet passage to inhibit the flow of exhaust through said first outlet passage to a degree necessary to maintain the magnitude of said first sensor signal below a preselected threshold magnitude.