Patent Publication Number: US-6338309-B1

Title: Inboard motorboat bilge drainage system

Description:
This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/245,009, filed Feb. 4, 1999, of Gary K. Michelson, M.D. for An Improved Inboard Motorboat Bilge Drainage System. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to inboard motorboats and, specifically, to an improved bilge drainage system for use within an inboard motorboat. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Recreational boats frequently are powered by an inboard motor located in part below the boat&#39;s internal flooring. In this type of vessel, the motor is generally enclosed in a covered engine compartment having a hinge at the base of a cover to provide access to the engine and related components. 
     A drain is provided for drainage of the engine compartment and/or of the interior of the boat generally. The boat&#39;s interior is configured so that water in it flows to the drain by force of gravity. The drain is normally tamped with a removable, generally threaded, plug, which may be generally about an inch in diameter. The plug is manually removed when drainage is required, but must of course, be replaced prior to placing the boat in the water. Failure to replace the drain plug prior to placing the boat into water would result in flooding of the engine compartment and eventual swamping of the boat. Unfortunately, it is not an unheard of occurrence that the operator forgets to replace the plug into the drain hole prior to launching the boat, and suffers the above undesirable consequences. In part, this is because the described type of drain is located near or more often beneath a portion of the engine within the enclosed engine compartment, making the open/closed status of the drain unapparent and, in either event, hidden from view by the engine compartment and cover. Even when the operator remembers to insert the plug, the location of the plug under the engine makes access an inconvenient and sometimes messy job, and possibly dangerous, such as when the engine is hot or actually running. 
     Equally undesirable is forgetting to remove the drain plug when, for example, the boat is in unprotected storage where it could be flooded by a rain shower. Damage to the boat&#39;s electronics, motor or interior could result from allowing water to accumulate inside the boat undrained. Finally, the removable plug, being a separate component, may be lost or misplaced, meaning that the boat cannot be operated until a replacement has been obtained. 
     Needed, therefore, is an improved design for a boat drainage system that makes opening and closing the drain more convenient and more easily visualized. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an improved inboard motorboat boat bilge drainage system having a drain closure that is operable from a position outside of the engine compartment of the motorboat. Preferably, a handle for operating the drainage system is located to be accessible outside of and adjacent the covered portion of the motor compartment and is accessible with the engine compartment cover closed. 
     In a further improvement, the screw-in and screw-out drain plug of the prior art is replaced by a drain closure valve that preferably goes from a fully open position to a fully closed position in approximately one quarter to one-half of a turn of the handle, and still further the handle is able to function as a visual indicator of the drain status. The shaft of the handle may at an angle that is not perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the floor of the boat such that the drain closure status is made more conspicuous by the protrusion of at least a portion of the handle above the floor when the drain is open, and the handle turned up. 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the bilge drain is located external to the engine compartment covered by an engine compartment access cover and adjacent thereto and has a drain closure assembly associated with the drain. The drain closure may include a valve assembly operable by a handle. The outlet of the bilge drain through the hull of the boat is no longer within the engine compartment proper, but is rather beneath the floor area of the boat, adjacent the engine compartment, and in communication with the engine compartment. The drain closure, be it a threaded plug or a valve, is conveniently accessible without the need to enter and go through the engine compartment access cover. The best place for the bilge drain opening is near the lowest point along the hull to permit drainage by gravity. The bilge drain opening may also be used for draining motor oil, such as through a hose fed through the drain, to the outside of the boat, which is most convenient if the drain is near the motor. 
     The bilge drain in this embodiment of the present invention, is located in an area where it does not interfere with craft operations, and, preferably, in a well formed through the floor of the boat above the hull and with potential access out the hull to the outside of the boat below the hull. Because the engine compartment still must be drained, a channel to the bilge drain (compartment extension) is provided. 
     In further embodiments of the present invention, the bilge drain remains in its conventional location within the engine compartment and a drain closure assembly that is operable from a position external to the engine compartment is used to open and close the bilge drain. In a preferred embodiment, the bilge drain assembly includes a valve that can be operated to allow or prevent drainage through the bilge drain, but that is not removed in ordinary operation. The valve itself can be in a housing, and a valve stem handle is both accessible and visible without opening the engine compartment cover. To further increase visibility, the valve stem may be at an angle that is not perpendicular relative to the horizontal plane of the floor of the boat so that at least a portion of the handle protrudes above the boat floor, and is thus highly visible when the valve is in the open position. 
     In yet further embodiments of the present invention, a rotational drive of the valve at an angle is utilized to open and close the valve. Preferred embodiments of the rotational drive include an articulated coupling or a flexible connector interconnecting the handle and valve. 
     In a further embodiment, operation of the drain closure assembly also opens and closes an electrical circuit that can be used to activate an alarm or indicator light to signal the open or closed condition of the drain closure, or even to prevent the ignition circuit from being closed, without performing some override operation. 
     OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a drain system that is both simple and convenient to use. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a boat drainage system that is operable without accessing the engine compartment. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide boat bilge drainage that eliminates the necessity of removing the bilge plug that could become lost. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved drainage system that can be operated in a manner that is safer, simpler, and cleaner when compared to conventional systems. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an improved drainage system that employs a visual indication of the status of the boat&#39;s drainage aperture. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide an alarm to alert a vessel operator if a drain is not properly closed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an inboard motorboat in partial cutaway illustrating a typical configuration of a bilge drain and plug of the prior art; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a typical bilge drain plug of the prior art used in the boat of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an inboard motorboat in partial cutaway illustrating a first embodiment of the improved bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an inboard motorboat with a first embodiment of the improved bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in an open configuration pursuant to a first embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of an inboard motorboat in partial cutaway incorporating a second embodiment of the improved bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view along line  7 ,  8  of FIG. 6 of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in an open configuration pursuant to a second embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view along line  7 ,  8  of FIG. 6 of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in a closed configuration pursuant to a second embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the valve well and valve components shown in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the valve well and valve components shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 is an enlarged side view of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in an open configuration pursuant to a third embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 is an enlarged side view of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in a closed position pursuant to a third embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in an open configuration pursuant to a fourth embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 14 is an enlarged side view of a valve well in partial cross section and valve components in a closed position pursuant to a fourth embodiment of the bilge drainage system of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example only, and not limitation. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Novel features of the present invention may be combined from the teachings of the various embodiments. 
     FIG. 1 shows in outline form a conventional inboard motorboat of the prior art, generally designated by the reference numeral  10 , having a hull  15 , a portion of which is shown in partial cut-away and in cross section. The interior of boat  10  contains an engine compartment  20  within which is an in-board engine  22  used to provide power to drive a propeller  12  via a transmission  9  and shaft  13 . Engine compartment  20  is shown with its cover  21  in the lowered position. Engine  22  may be disposed in an engine pan  23 , which may form the lower portion of engine compartment  20  along hull  15 . Cover  21  may be connected by a hinge  24  to the lower portion of engine compartment  20  so that an operator, e.g., standing on a floor  11  of boat  10 , can raise cover  21  to access the interior of engine compartment  20 . A bilge drain  25  is formed through pan  23  (if present) and hull  15  within engine compartment  20 . Drain  25  is normally located at a low point of the boat hull&#39;s interior, commonly referred to as the bilge. Drain  25  allows water accumulated in boat  10  to be removed when boat  10  is out of the water. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, drain  25  typically has a threaded opening that must be closed by prior art plug  26 , prior to placing boat  10  into the water. When out of the water, it is advisable to remove plug  26  so that all accumulated water therein can drain. Before puffing boat  10  back into the water, it is necessary to replace plug  26  so that water does not enter through drain  25 , flooding and swamping boat  10 . Although many water craft of this type are equipped with a bilge pump  27  to pump accumulated water out of the water craft, an adequate drain system is still required so that water can be removed when bilge pump  27  is not in operation, and for complete hull drainage. Bilge pumps also may not protect the boat from being flooded during a heavy rain. Boat  10  may also have an ice chest  28  with a downwardly sloping outlet drain  28 A to engine compartment  20 , preferably near the low point of boat  10 , and drain  25 . In this manner, water can drain out of ice chest  28  through outlet drain  28 A to the engine compartment and out of boat  10  through drain  25  when plug  26  is removed or bilge pump  27  is engaged. The boat may be so constructed to allow water from other areas within the boat to also drain to the bilge area. 
     Drain  25  and plug  26  of the prior art are problematic in that operators of boat  10  desiring to access drain  25  must lift cover  21  and reach down into engine compartment  20 , risking injury from exposure to the components of the engine (whether in operation or not), such as the fan, and fan belt, such as being burned by a hot motor after operation, or at the very least risk becoming dirty and greasy from oil and dirt present on the engine components. 
     The improved bilge drainage system of the present invention eliminates the risks and inconvenience present in the prior art inboard motorboats  10 , such as illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. Moreover, the drain plugs of the prior art were hidden from view so that an operator of the boat would be unaware of the status of the drain plug, i.e., whether the drain was open or closed, with engine compartment cover  21  closed. 
     With reference to FIGS. 3-5, a boat in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally referred to by the numeral  30 . Boat  30  includes an improved bilge drainage system that overcomes the aforementioned difficulties encountered with conventional inboard motorboat bilge drain and plug configurations. Boat  30  has a drain  25  that is located external to engine compartment cover  21  and adjacent thereto and may be within a separate housing or protective well  40  from engine compartment  20 , as shown in detail in FIG.  5 . Well  40  permits easy hand access to a drain closure assembly, generally referred to by the reference numeral  42 , for opening and closing drain  25 . Well  40  is preferably configured to be water tight and may be configured to provide for sound proofing. Well  40  may also have a see-through portion to permit inspection of the water level in the bilge. 
     With reference to FIG. 5, while drain  25  may be closed by a thread-in plug, in one embodiment of the present invention the drain closure assembly includes a valve apparatus  42  located within protective well  40 , having a ball valve  50  that is coupled to drain  25  and has an outlet opening  44  in communication with drain  25  and an inlet opening  43 . When valve apparatus  42  is in the open position (as shown in FIG.  5 ), inlet opening  43  is facing toward and is in communication with intake port  45 . In this position, water can flow through intake port  45  into inlet opening  43 , through ball valve  50 , out outlet opening  44 , and exit boat  30  through drain  25 . When valve apparatus  42  in the closed position, inlet opening  43  is facing away from and is not in communication with intake port  45 . In this position, water cannot flow into inlet opening  43  and water cannot enter boat  30  from drain  25 . Valve apparatus  42  is moved from the closed to open position by rotation of ball valve  50  such that inlet opening  43  is offset adequately from intake port  45 , which is maximized when ball valve  50  is rotated 180 degrees. 
     Well  40  has a hand hole  47 A through which a boat operator may access a handle  48  attached to valve apparatus  42 . Handle  48  may be as shown, or may be a “T”-shaped handle, or a knob, or any other configuration suitable for use in its intended purpose. A valve stem  49  connects handle  48  to ball valve apparatus  50 . Valve stem  49  and handle  48  are so configured that when valve apparatus  42  is in the closed position, the position of handle  48  is such that it is entirely below the level of floor  11  of boat  30 , hiding handle  48  from view when all is well, i.e., valve apparatus  42  is closed and boat  30  is watertight. It should, of course, be understood that although in a preferred embodiment, handle  48  is flush with a surface indicating closure and safety, handle  48  may instead protrude in a particular manner to indicate the open/closed status, e.g., using indicia to indicate the instant state of the valve apparatus  42 . 
     Since protective well  40  is not within engine compartment  20 , an intake port  45  in connection with engine compartment  20  is provided so that water or other fluids may flow from within engine compartment  20 , and from engine pan  23  to and through valve apparatus  42 . It should be understood that additional openings may be strategically placed so that water or other fluids from any location inside boat  30  can be channeled and removed through drain  25 . For example, outlet drain  28 A of ice chest  28  as shown in FIG. 3 can empty into protective well  40 , preferably adjacent to inlet opening  43  of valve apparatus  42 . Additionally, valve apparatus  42  is configured such that a hose may be inserted from engine compartment  20  through intake port  45  and then through drain  25  to drain, motor oil, or other fluids from within boat  30 . 
     The sizes of inlet opening  43  and outlet opening  44  of ball valve  50  may be selected to be consistent with the aperture of drain  25  and ball valve  50  then being adequately sized to operate properly (seal and open) with the given size of inlet and outlet openings  43  and  44 . 
     Although valve apparatus  42  is shown to include a ball valve  50 , other types of valves, for example, a cone valve or other type of valve may prove just as suitable. When the cone valve is rotated even a small number of degrees about its axis, all fluid flow will stop therethrough by misaligning the valve inlet opening with the intake port. Alternatively, a threaded valve could be used having a multi-point lead and that opens and closes by screwing up and down such that less than one full turn is required to open the valve far enough to permit adequate drainage. It is appreciated that use of prior art drain plugs or other types of removable plugs would still be within the scope of this embodiment of the present invention. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 6-10, there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention which overcomes the aforementioned difficulties encountered with the prior art inboard motorboat configurations while leaving the drain opening unmoved from its prior art location. In the configuration of boat  65 , in accordance with this embodiment drain  25  remains in its conventional position internal to engine compartment  20 . A drain closure assembly including a valve assembly  142  is in communication with drain  25  and operates to open and close drain  25 . Valve assembly  142  is similar to valve assembly  42  disclosed in connection to FIGS. 3-5, except that handle  148  extends from a shaft  149  that may be at an angle to the central longitudinal axis of the drain  25 . Shaft  149  extends from ball valve  150  through an aperture in the engine compartment wall such that handle  148  is positioned adjacent to, but outside of, engine compartment  20 . The orientation of handle  148  in this position permits the operation of valve assembly  142  from a position external to engine compartment  20 . Similarly, drain  28 A from ice chest  28  drains into engine compartment  30  through anterior aperture in the engine compartment wall. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, it is preferred that when valve apparatus  142  is open, valve handle  148  is rotated to a position where at least a portion thereof protrudes out of well  40  or above the plane of floor  11 , clearly flagging the open status through hand hole  47 A. The upwardly-turned handle  148  can readily be seen and alerts an operator that valve apparatus  142  is open. Handle  148  may be brightly colored to provide a further visible indicator that valve apparatus  142  is open. A top view of handle  148  in its open position can be seen in FIG.  9 . shown in FIG. 8, when handle  148  is in a closed position, it is oriented so as to be flush with or below floor  11  within protective well  40 . To close valve apparatus  142 , handle  148  is rotated approximately 90 degrees in either direction such that inlet opening  143  is offset with intake port  145  opening and the intake port is blocked by the remainder of ball valve  150 . It is appreciated that ball valve  150  may be rotated more or less than 90 degrees to close intake port  145  as long as a portion of ball valve  150  sufficient to block port  145  is positioned to close intake port  145 . A top view of handle  148  in one of its closed positions can be seen in FIG.  10 . 
     Ball valve  150  has a diameter that is preferably, approximately twice the diameters of each of intake port  145  and drain  25 . For example, intake port  145  may have a diameter of approximately 1⅛ inches and ball valve  150  may have a diameter of approximately 2¼ inches. Inlet opening  143  and outlet opening  144  have a diameter that approximates the diameter of intake port  145  and drain  25 , respectively. 
     It should, of course, be understood that any number of valve types may be employed to implement the functionality of the present invention and the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the illustrative examples set forth herein. 
     Additionally, an alarm activation mechanism, generally designated by the reference numeral  70 , may be provided to warn the boat operator that drain  25  is open, and an audible alarm and/or a flashing light would result when the key is placed in the ignition if valve apparatus  142  is in an open position. In an alternative embodiment, engine  22  does not start at all until valve apparatus  142  is closed or a manual override procedure is executed. Any number of alarm activation means may be utilized without departing from the present invention and only one is shown by way of example only. The alarm activation mechanism  70  includes a protruding alarm tab  72  affixed to valve stem  149  of valve apparatus  142 . 
     As shown in FIG. 8, when valve apparatus  142  is fully closed, alarm tab  72  deflects an alarm actuator arm  74  from a straight-on position. When handle  148  is moved from a fully closed position, such as the fully open position illustrated in FIG. 7, alarm actuator arm  74  is armed or active upon deflection back to its straight-on position to sound an alarm when the key is inserted into the ignition. It should be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that many variations on the alarm mechanism are possible. 
     Further embodiments of the present invention will now be described wherein a rotational drive of the valve assembly at an angle is utilized to allow the handle to open and close the valve assembly. 
     Thus, with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, there is illustrated a further embodiment of the present invention which leaves the drain opening unmoved from its prior art location. In this regard, the embodiment here has certain similarities to the embodiment previously described in conjunction with FIGS. 6-10. Thus, drain  25  remains in its conventional position internal to engine compartment  20 . A drain closure assembly including a valve assembly  242  communicates with drain  25  and operates to open and close drain  25 . Valve assembly  242  is similar in many respects to valve assembly  142  disclosed in connection with FIGS. 6-10, except that shaft  149  is connected to ball valve  250  through an articulated coupling  252  at a position that is co-axial with drain  25  and outlet opening  244  of ball valve  250 , and perpendicular to inlet opening  243  of the ball valve. Rotation of handle  148  and hence shaft  149  thus causes articulated coupling  252  to rotate ball valve  250  such that inlet opening  243  rotates circumferentially into and out of alignment with intake port  245 . 
     An additional advantage provided by this particular embodiment of the present invention is that it permits the use of a common and readily available commercial ball valve in valve assembly  242 . Such a commercial ball valve is characterized by an L-shaped or elbow-shaped passageway connecting inlet opening  243  and outlet opening  244 . 
     As shown in FIG. 11, when valve assembly  242  is open, inlet opening  243  aligns with intake port  245  and outlet opening  244  aligns with drain  25 . Further, handle  148  rotates to a position where at least a portion thereof protrudes above the plane of floor  11 . The open status of the valve assembly is thus indicated in the same manner as described with relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 6-10. As shown in FIG. 12, when valve assembly  242  is closed, inlet opening  243  circumferentially rotates out of alignment with intake port  245  and communication between intake port  245  and drain  25  is blocked off. Further, handle  148  rotates to a position where it is flush with or below the plane of floor  11  within protective well  40 . The closed status of the valve assembly is thus also indicated in the same manner as described with relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 6-10. 
     With reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention which leaves the drain opening unmoved from its prior art location while providing rotational drive of the valve assembly at an angle. This particular embodiment is similar in many respects to the embodiment previously discussed with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, except for the mechanism interconnecting handle  148  and ball valve  250 . 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14, handle  148  is connected to ball valve  250  through a flexible connector generally referred to at  350 . Flexible connector  350  may be of any known construction. For example, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, flexible connector  350  may comprise a gooseneck type flexible shaft  351  mounted between handle  148  and ball valve  250  via conventional connecting elements  352  and  353 . Movement of handle  148  between open and closed positions causes the flexible connector to rotate ball valve  250  between open and closed positions. 
     Alternatively, flexible connector  350  may be constructed of a flexible cable having one end connected to handle  148  and another end connected to ball valve  250  In this regard, the cable can be connected between handle  148  and ball valve  250  in any known manner to rotate the ball valve between open and closed positions. For example, and without being limitative, rotation of handle  148  can cause the cable to move in a linear fashion within cable housing  351 , to rotate within cable housing  351 , or to create a push or pull motion within cable housing  351 . The only essential operation is that movement of handle  148  creates a corresponding movement of the cable that rotates the ball valve  250  in the desired direction between open and closed positions. 
     As shown in FIG. 13, when valve assembly  242  is open, handle  148  rotates to a position where at least a portion thereof protrudes above the plane of floor  11 . The rotation of handle  148  causes flexible connector  350  to rotate ball valve  250  such that inlet opening  243  aligns with intake port  245  and outlet opening  244  aligns with drain  25 . As shown in FIG. 14, when valve assembly  242  is closed, handle  148  rotates to a position where it is flush with or below the plane of floor  11  within protective well  40 . Rotation of handle  148  causes flexible connector  350  to rotate ball valve  250  such that inlet opening  243  rotates circumferentially out of alignment with intake port  245  and communication between intake port  245  and drain  25  is prevented. The open or closed status of the valve assembly is indicated by the position of handle  148  in the same manner described with respect to the two immediately preceding embodiments. 
     With regard to the embodiments of FIGS. 11-14, an alarm activation mechanism can be employed in the identical manner as described with reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 6-10. 
     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, movement of the valve assembly may be controlled from a conventional dashboard arranged, for example, between a front window  31  and front passenger seats  32  and  33  of the boat shown in FIG.  4 . In such an embodiment, a flexible connector such as that described in conjunction with the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 14 is connected to and runs from the valve assembly under floor  11  of the boat to the dashboard, where it is connected, for example, to a push-pull handle or lever arranged on the dashboard. Operation of the push-pull handle or lever causes the cable of the flexible connector to open and close the valve assembly, in a similar manner to a conventional throttle mechanism known per se in the motor art. In this way, the valve assembly can be conveniently operated from a point both outside of the engine compartment  20  and within the easy reach of a seated boat operator. 
     As discussed, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the low point of the hull interior may be located adjacent to but outside of the engine compartment  20 . In another embodiment of the present invention, valve apparatus  142  angles from a position outside engine compartment  20  to the aforedescribed low point which could be located underneath engine  22 . It should be understood that handle  148  in this alternative embodiment would provide the requisite facilitation of access and use as in the previous embodiments even though angled or tilted, and provide the requisite visual indicia or cue as to the current status of drain  25 . 
     It is believed that the operation and construction of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing description and, while the invention shown and described herein has been characterized as particular embodiments, changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.