Patent Publication Number: US-9845136-B2

Title: Deck wash system for boat

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a deck wash system for a boat. More specifically, the present invention relates to a deck wash system for a jet boat. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, a deck wash system for a boat includes a water reservoir including a pump inside the water reservoir to pump water from the reservoir to a hose used to wash the deck of the boat. However, the water reservoir occupies some of the limited space on the boat, increases the weight of the boat, and the pump and the electric motor used to drive the pump increase the cost of the boat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor of preferred embodiments of the present invention described and claimed in the present application has discovered a novel and unique deck wash system that utilizes the water pressure created in a jet propulsion unit provided on the boat to provide water to wash the deck. Additionally or alternatively, the water pressure created in the jet propulsion unit is preferably utilized to provide water to other devices on the boat, such as a baitwell (also known as a livewell), one or more ballast tanks, etc. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a boat includes a body including a hull and a deck; an engine disposed between the hull and the deck; a jet propulsion unit configured to be driven by the engine, the jet propulsion unit including a jet nozzle configured to jet water therefrom; a water passage configured to supply water from the jet nozzle to a water intake opening located in an interior of the hull; and an interior water passage disposed in the interior of the hull and between the hull and the deck; wherein the interior water passage includes a first end connected to the water intake opening and a second end configured to discharge water to the interior of the hull. 
     Preferably, the water intake opening includes a shut-off valve located in the interior of the hull, wherein the shut-off valve is configured to stop water from being supplied to the interior of the hull. Accordingly, when the shut-off valve is closed, the shut-off valve prevents water from being supplied to the interior of the hull. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second end of the interior water passage is connected to a deck discharge opening on the deck, wherein the deck discharge opening includes a fitting valve. The fitting valve is configured to be moved to at least a first position to supply water from the interior water passage to the deck discharge opening and a second position to prevent water from being supplied from the interior water passage to the deck discharge opening. 
     Preferably, the boat includes a deck hose configured to be connected to the deck discharge opening so that a passenger on the boat may wash the deck or the hull of the boat with water sprayed from the deck hose. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior water passage preferably includes a multi-way valve. The multi-way valve is configured to switch the supply of pressurized water from the jet nozzle to various devices on the boat. For example, the multi-way valve is preferably configured to switch the supply of water to the deck hose, to a baitwell, or to one or more ballast tanks on the boat. 
     Preferably, a portion of the interior water passage extends from the multi-way valve to the deck, in particular, to the deck discharge opening to which the deck hose is connected. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the boat includes a cockpit and an engine control unit, wherein the cockpit preferably includes a deck wash switch. When the deck wash switch is on, the engine control unit is configured or programmed to operate the engine at a predetermined rpm. Accordingly, the jet propulsion unit, which is driven by the engine, provides water from the jet nozzle to the interior of the hull at a desired water pressure. 
     The jet nozzle preferably includes a water inlet configured to receive water from an impeller of the jet propulsion unit, a water outlet configured to jet the water rearward, and a hole located between the water inlet and the water outlet. The hole is connected to the water passage. Thus, the pressurized water between the water inlet and the water outlet of the jet nozzle is supplied by the water passage to the interior of the hull. 
     Preferably, the jet nozzle is disposed outside of the hull. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second end of the interior water passage is connected to a baitwell. Accordingly, a portion of the interior water passage extends from the multi-way valve to the baitwell. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second end of the interior water passage is connected to one or more ballast tanks on the boat. Accordingly, one or more portions of the interior water passage extend from the multi-way valve to the one or more ballast tanks. 
     The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a rear portion of the hull of the boat with the deck removed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective of a jet nozzle mounted to the rear of the hull according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of an interior water passage disposed in the interior of the hull according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a deck wash opening on the deck of the boat according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of the boat showing a jet propulsion unit and a portion of the interior water passage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the water passage and the interior water passage according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a view of the cockpit of the boat. 
         FIG. 9  is a chart showing an example of a relationship between engine rpm and water pressure during a wash down mode. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective plan view of the hull of the boat with the deck removed according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  shows a boat  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The boat  1  includes a boat body  2 , which in turn includes a hull  10  and a deck  20 . A cockpit  30  is located on the deck  20 . An engine  40  is disposed between the hull  10  and the deck  20 . A jet propulsion unit  50  (see  FIG. 6 ) is configured to be driven by the engine  40 . The jet propulsion unit  50  includes a jet nozzle  51  configured to jet water rearward from a water outlet  53  located at a rear portion of the jet nozzle  51 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the jet nozzle  51  is disposed at the rear of the hull  10 , and preferably on the outside of the hull  10 . A water inlet  52  disposed at a front portion of the jet nozzle  51  is configured to receive water from an impeller  55  in the jet propulsion unit  50 . The water pressurized by the impeller  55  is then jetted rearward from the water outlet  53  of the jet nozzle  51  to move the boat  1 . A hole  54  (see  FIG. 7 ) is provided between the water inlet  52  and the water outlet  53  of the jet nozzle  51 . A water passage  11  is connected to the hole  54  in the jet nozzle  51  and to a water intake opening  12  (see  FIG. 2 ) provided in the hull  10 . The water passage  11  supplies pressurized water from the jet nozzle  51  to the water intake opening  12 . 
     On the inside of the hull  10 , a first end  15  of an interior water passage  14  is connected to the water intake opening  12 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , a shut-off valve  13  is preferably provided at the first end  15  of the interior water passage  14  to prevent water from being supplied to the interior of the hull  10  when the shut-off valve  13  is closed. The shut-off valve  13  is preferably a manually operated valve. Alternatively, the shut-off valve  13  may be electrically controlled via an instruction from an ECU  31 . 
     The interior water passage  14  extends into the interior of the hull  10 , preferably between the hull  10  and the deck  20 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the interior water passage  14  preferably includes a multi-way valve  17  configured to divert the water to various devices on the boat  1 . The multi-way valve  17  may be any known type of valve configured to divert water to one or more passages. Preferably, the multi-way valve  17  is manually operated. Alternatively, the multi-valve  17  may be electrically controlled via an instruction from the ECU  31 . 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multi-way valve  17  is configured to divert the water to a portion of the interior water passage  14  that supplies pressurized water to the deck  20  of the boat  1 . For example, as shown in FIGS.  2  and  6 , a second end  16  of the interior water passage  14  terminates at a deck discharge opening  21  (see  FIG. 5 ) provided in the deck  20 . The deck discharge opening  21  shown in  FIG. 5  preferably includes a fitting valve  22 . The fitting valve  22  includes at least a first position configured to supply water from the interior water passage  14  to the deck discharge opening  21  and a second position configured to prevent water from being supplied from the interior water passage  14  to the deck discharge opening  21 . The fitting valve  22  may be any known type of valve that opens and closes the deck discharge opening  21 .  FIG. 4  schematically shows a deck hose  23  that is configured to be connected to the deck discharge opening  21 , and used to wash the deck  20  or the hull  10  of the boat  1 . 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cockpit  20  preferably include a deck wash switch  32  configured to operate the deck wash system. More specifically, activating the deck wash switch  32  provides the desired pressure of water from the jet nozzle  51  to the deck hose  23 . Activating the deck wash switch  32  causes the ECU  31  to set the rpm of the engine  40  to a predetermined rpm that rotates the impeller  55  to create a predetermined water pressure between the water inlet  52  and the water outlet  53  of the jet nozzle  51 . Consequently, the desired pressure of water is supplied to the deck hose  23  so that the deck  20  and/or the hull  10  is efficiently washed. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the deck wash system preferably is only operable when the throttle lever  33  is generally in the neutral position (e.g., “Remocon Position” shown in  FIG. 9 ). Alternatively, the deck wash system may be operated when the throttle lever  33  is in the forward or the neutral position. In such a case, the interior water passage  14  preferably includes a regulator in electrical communication with the ECU  31 , which is configured or programmed to control the regulator in order to adjust the water pressure to the desired water pressure. 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior water passage  14  is also connected to a baitwell  60  (also known as a livewell), as shown in  FIG. 2 . For example, the multi-way valve  17  is switched to supply water to the baitwell  60  instead of to the deck discharge opening  21 . Similar to when the deck wash system is being operated, the ECU  31  is configured or programmed to set the rpm of the engine  40  to a predetermined rpm to create a predetermined water pressure between the water inlet  52  and the water outlet  53  of the jet nozzle  51  so that water is supplied to the baitwell  60  at the desired water pressure. Alternatively, the interior water passage  14  preferably includes a regulator in electrical communication with the ECU  31 , which is configured or programmed to control the regulator in order to adjust the water pressure to the desired water pressure. For example, the regulator is preferably provided in a portion of the interior water passage  14  between the multi-way valve  17  and the baitwell  60 . 
     According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior water passage  14  is connected to one or more ballast tanks  70 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . For example, the multi-way valve  17  may be switched to supply water to the one or more ballast tanks  70  instead of to the deck discharge opening  21 . Although the multi-way valve  17  shown in  FIG. 4  preferably is configured to divert water to two passages, the multi-way valve  17  may be configured to divert the water to only one passage or to three or more passages. Similar to when the deck wash system is being operated, the ECU  31  is configured or programmed to set the rpm of the engine  40  to a predetermined rpm to create a predetermined water pressure between the water inlet  52  and the water outlet  53  of the jet nozzle  51  so that water is supplied to the one or more ballast tanks  70  at the desired water pressure. Alternatively, the interior water passage  14  preferably includes a regulator in electrical communication with the ECU  31 , which is configured or programmed to control the regulator in order to adjust the water pressure to the desired water pressure. For example, the regulator is preferably provided in a portion of the interior water passage  14  between the multi-way valve  17  and the one or more ballast tanks  70 . 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.