Abstract:
An air-displacement boat lift control that allows a user to raise an air-displacement boat lift in a single motion and also lower an air-displacement boat lift in a separate single motion. The boat lift control controllably couples a ball valve with a throttle-like lever arm having a forward (raise), reverse (lower), and neutral position.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for controlling air flow in and out of a boat lift air chamber. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The use of air blowers to supply low pressure air to air chambers to raise air displacement boat lifts is well known. An air blower is attached to a manifold which controls air flow to and from the air chamber. To increase air volume in the air chamber the blower is turned on and the manifold is opened. To decrease air volume in the air chamber the blower remains off and the manifold is opened to release air. A number of air blower and manifold designs are known and provide this basic function. 
         [0003]    The Hydrohoist Boat Lifts&#39; UltraLift controls are comprised of an air blower attached to a manifold block with a gate valve and a ball valve. The air blower and manifold block are mounted inside of a plastic housing with a control panel on the top. The control panel consists of an on/off switch for the blower, a lever for opening and closing the ball valve and a handle for opening and closing the gate valve. To increase air volume in an air chamber the blower must be switched on then the ball valve must be opened. To decrease air volume in the air chamber the blower must be switched off, the gate valve must be opened, and then the ball valve must be opened. To maintain air pressure and air volume in the air chambers the ball valve must be closed. This device though functional requires multiple operations by the user, flipping of switches, turning and lifting of valves, to raise and lower the lift. To a novice user operation of the UltraLift controls can be complicated. 
         [0004]    In addition to the UltraLift, Hydrohoist Boatlifts sells a Side-Tie “B” Model that has controls comprised of an air blower attached to a manifold with at least four ball valves and one gate valve. The air blower and manifold are mounted inside of a plastic housing with a control panel on the top. The control panel consists of an on/off switch for the blower, four levers for opening and closing the ball valves and a handle for opening and closing the gate valve. To increase air volume in the air chamber the blower must be turned on and the four ball valves must be opened with the four separate levers. To decrease air volume in the air chamber the blower must be switched off, the gate valve must be opened, and then the ball valves must be opened. To maintain air pressure and air volume in the air chambers the ball valves must be closed. Similar to the UltraLift controls, the device requires multiple operations to raise, lower and store a lift. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an air blower and manifold combination that simplifies the operation by the user to a single operation to increase air volume in an air chamber and another single operation to decrease air volume in the air chamber. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The disclosed embodiment of the present invention is control device that allows a user to raise an air-displacement boat lift in a single motion and also lower the air-displacement boat lift in a separate single motion. The boat lift control device does this by coupling a ball valve with a throttle like lever arm (similar to a combination boat throttle/gear controller) having a forward (raise) position, a reverse (lower) position, and a neutral (or locked) position. In the forward (raise) position the throttle like lever arm opens the ball valve and activates a switch that turns on an air blower forcing air into the air chamber of the air-displacement lift. In the reverse (lower) position the throttle like lever arm opens the ball valve without activating the air blower allowing air to escape from the air chamber of the air-displacement lift. In the neutral position the throttle like lever arm closes the ball valve preventing air from escaping in the air chamber of the air-displacement lift. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are schematic, and not to scale, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an air displacement boat lift control device. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view of the boat lift control device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view of the ball valve and lever assembly of the boat lift control device of  FIG. 1  in the reverse (lower) position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of the ball valve and lever assembly of the boat lift control device of  FIG. 1  in the neutral (locked) position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of the ball valve and lever assembly of the boat lift control device of  FIG. 1  in the forward (raise) position. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged, cross-sectional end view of the ball valve and lever assembly of the boat lift control device of  FIG. 1  in the forward (raise) position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged, cross-sectional end view of the ball valve and lever assembly in the reverse (lower) position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    The following description illustrates aspects of the invention, and identifies preferred embodiments of these aspects. The description is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to inform and teach the person of skill in the art who will come to appreciate more fully other aspects, equivalents, and possibilities presented by invention, and hence the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims, which alone limit its scope. 
         [0016]    Several details of the preferred embodiment are set forth in the following description:  FIGS. 1 through 7  provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be practiced without several of the details described herein. In the following description of the embodiments, it is understood that a watercraft includes any vehicle that is at least partially waterborne, which includes boats and similar vessels, but may also include amphibious vehicles including various amphibious automobiles or aircraft. Moreover, in the description that follows, it is understood that the figures related to the disclosed embodiments are not to be interpreted as conveying any specific or relative physical dimension, and that specific or relative dimensions related to the embodiments, if stated, are not be considered limiting unless the claims state otherwise. 
         [0017]    An isometric view of the preferred embodiment of an air-displacement boat lift control or blower control system  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  for use to control air in two separate air chambers (not shown) of an air-displacement boat lift (not shown). Preferably, the blower control system  10  is used to simultaneously and with a single hand control both air chambers of the air-displacement boat lift with only a simple and single movement of the blower control system from one position to another. Control is accomplished using a ball valve and lever assembly  30   a  to control the air in a first air chamber of the air-displacement boat lift, and a ball valve and lever assembly  30   b  to control the air in the second air chamber of the air-displacement boat lift. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded isometric view of the blower control system  10 . The blower control system  10  consists of a housing  23  that holds blowers  21   a  and  21   b . Blower  21   a  is connected to the ball valve and lever assembly  30   a  by a hose  22   a , and blower  21   b  is connected to the ball valve and lever assembly  30   b  by a hose  22   b . A ball valve and lever assembly representative of both ball valve and lever assemblies  30   a  and  30   b  is shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0019]    The ball valve and lever assembly  30   a  includes a ball valve having a ball valve housing  31   a  and a valve ball  32  rotatably positioned within the ball valve housing  31   a , and a control lever  33   a  pivotally mounted to the ball valve housing and attached to the valve ball for rotation thereof within the ball valve housing. The control lever  33   a  is positioned at one side of the housing  23 . The hose  22   a  is connected to an air inlet/outlet  34   a  of the ball valve housing  31   a . An air chamber hose  24   a  is connected to an air inlet/outlet  35   a  of the ball valve housing  31   a . Blower  21   a  turns on when lever  33   a  engages and turns on a blower switch  63   a.    
         [0020]    Blower  21   b  is assembled similarly to blower  21   a . The ball valve and lever assembly  30   b  includes a ball valve having a ball valve housing  31   b  and a valve ball  32  rotatably positioned within the ball valve housing  31   b , and a control lever  33   b  pivotally mounted to the ball valve housing and attached to the valve ball for rotation thereof within the ball valve housing. The control lever  33   b  is positioned a side of the housing  23  opposite the side at which the control lever  33   a  is positioned. The hose  22   b  is connected to an air inlet/outlet  34   b  of the ball valve housing  31   b . An air chamber hose  24   b  is connected to an air inlet/outlet  35   b  of the ball valve housing  31   b . Blower  21   b  turns on when lever  33   b  engages and turns on a blower switch  63   b . Blowers  21   a  and  21   b  can be operated in unison by moving levers  33   a  and  33   b  together with one hand. Blowers  21   a  and  21   b  can also be operated separately by using levers  33   a  and  33   b  separately. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view of a ball valve and lever assembly  30 , which is representative of both ball valve and lever assemblies  30   a  and  30   b  and its components are similarly numbered. Ball valve and lever assembly  30   a  is a mirror image of ball valve and lever assembly  30   b . The blower control system  10  uses ball valve and lever assembly  30   a  to control the air in the first air chamber (not shown) of the air-displacement boat lift the blower control system  10  is being used to control, and ball valve and lever assembly  30   b  to control the air in the separate second air chamber (not shown) of the air-displacement boat lift. As noted above, levers  33   a  and  33   b  of the ball valve and lever assemblies  30   a  and  30   b  can be conveniently operated in unison by moving levers  33   a  and  33   b  together with one hand, much as done with a combination boat throttle/gear controller boat for operation of two power drive systems, to simultaneously and similarly control air in both the first and second air chambers of the air-displacement boat lift the blower control system  10 . Alternatively, each of the first and second air chambers of the air-displacement boat lift can be controlled individually by separately operating levers  33   a  and  33   b.    
         [0022]    As described for ball valve and lever assemblies  30   a  and  30   b , the illustrated representative ball valve and lever assembly  30  of  FIG. 3  includes a ball valve housing  31 , a valve ball  32  and a control lever  33 , with lever  33  and valve ball  32  shown in  FIG. 3  in the air volume decrease or release position “A” (reverse/lower position). Air release position “A” allows air to flow along path “X” from an air chamber (not shown) of the air-displacement boat lift the blower control system  10  is being used to control through air chamber hose  24  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) into an air inlet/outlet  35  of ball valve housing  31 , then into a diametrical ball air flow passageway  37  of valve ball  32 . The air then flows through the air flow passageway  37  and both out through air inlet/outlet  34  of ball valve housing  31  and out through a transverse air flow passageway  38  of valve ball  32  connected with the air flow passageway  37  and which communicates with an air outlet  36  of ball valve housing  31  which vents to the atmosphere, thereby allowing air volume and pressure to decrease in the air chamber (not shown). The transverse air flow passageway  38  communicates with the air flow passageway  37  and extending transversely therefrom to the air outlet which communicates with the air outlet  36  of the ball valve housing  31  when the valve ball is in the position shown in  FIG. 3 . Air outlet  36  of ball valve housing  31  and transverse air flow passageway  38  of valve ball  32  can be located on the top or the bottom of ball valve housing  31  and valve ball  32 . The preferred embodiment has air outlet  36  on the bottom of ball valve housing  31  and transverse air flow passageway  38  on the bottom of ball valve  32  to allow water that may travel up air chamber hose  22  to be drained out prior to reaching blower  21 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of the ball valve and lever assembly  30  with lever  33  and valve ball  32  shown in the neutral and locked position “B”. A lock mechanism  25  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) can engage lever  33  to lock the lever and the valve ball  32  in neutral and locked position “B” shown in  FIG. 4 . In this position, air flows along path “Y” from the air chamber (not shown) of the air-displacement boat lift the blower control system  10  is being used to control through air chamber hose  24  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) into air inlet/out  35  of ball valve housing  31  and is blocked by valve ball  32  which is in the valve closed orientation with the ball flow passageway  37  extending transverse the ball valve housing, thereby maintaining air volume and air pressure in the air chamber (not shown). 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a side cross-sectional view of the ball valve and lever assembly  30  shown with lever  33  and valve ball  32  in the air volume increase position “C” (forward/raise position) whereat the lever engages and turns on the blower switch  63  shown in  FIG. 6 ). With air blower  21  (shown if  FIG. 2 ) switched on, air flows along path “Z” from air blower  21  through hose  22  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) into air inlet/outlet  34  of ball valve housing  31 , then into the ball flow passageway  37  of valve ball  32 . The air then flows through the ball flow passageway  37  and out through air inlet/outlet  35  of ball valve housing  31 , and into air chamber hose  24  (shown in  FIG. 2 ), thereby increasing the air volume in the air chamber (not shown) of the air-displacement boat lift the blower control system  10  is being used to control. 
         [0025]    The lever  33  has a spring detent to locate and maintain the lever is an operated selected position for the lever, yet allow easy movement of the lever between the positions “A,” “B,” and “C” described above for control of the air in the particular one of the air chambers of the air-displacement boat lift the lever of the blower control system  10  is being used to control. While the blower control system  10  is described as using two levers  33   a  and  33   b  to simultaneously separately control air in two air chambers, the blower control system can be constructed with a single lever  33  to control a single air chamber or to simultaneously but not separately control multiple air chambers of an air-displacement boat lift. 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is an end view of ball valve and lever assembly  30  shown in the air volume increase position “C” described above with respect to  FIG. 5 . A switch engagement member  61  of lever  33  engages blower switch  63  and thereby turns on blower  21  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) on causing air to flow along path “Z” shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  is an end view of ball valve and lever assembly  30  shown in the air volume decrease position “A” or the neutral/locked position “B,” described above with respect to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , respectively. It is noted that in these positions the switch non-engagement member  62  of lever  33  does not engage blower switch  63 , and hence the blower  21  remains off.