Patent ID: 7699013

Claim:
A water uptake device mounted on a hull of a marine vessel, the uptake device configured to bring water into the hull of the marine vessel moving forwardly through water, said device comprising: a through-hull fitting secured through a bottom surface of the hull of the marine vessel, the fitting having a longitudinal bore extending between a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and an aperture communicating with said longitudinal bore; a scooping member with a proximal end positioned within said longitudinal bore and a distal end, said scooping member further having a water-intake opening on one side of said distal end, wherein the water-intake opening is oriented in the direction of a forward motion of the marine vessel; orientation stabilizing structure adapted to maintain said scooping member in non-rotating orientation relative to said through-hull fitting and to keep said water-intake opening in said distal end of said scooping member always facing in the direction of said forward motion of the marine vessel; and remote deployment mechanism adapted for remotely moving said scooping member between a fully retracted state and a fully deployed state, wherein in said fully retracted state said water-intake opening is not exposed beyond said distal end portion of said through-hull fitting, and wherein in said fully deployed state relative to said through-hull fitting said water-intake opening in said scooping member is fully exposed beyond said distal end of said through-hull fitting, whereby said scooping member is deployably positioned within said longitudinal bore so as to allow said distal end of said scooping member to protrude beyond said distal end portion of said through-hull member, said proximal end portion of said through-hull fitting being connected via independent plumbing to a fluid receiving container in the marine vessel, remote activation of said remote deployment mechanism moving said scooping member from said fully retracted state where no water enters said scooping member to said fully deployed state wherein said distal end of said scooping member enters the water stream immediately surrounding the marine vessel and allows maximum water flow into said water-intake opening in said scooping member, and movement thereafter of the water flow into the fluid receiving container in the marine vessel, said remote deployment mechanism capable of positioning the scooping member in an intermediate position between said fully deployed state and said fully retracted state, thereby regulating protrusion of said scooping member beyond said distal end portion of said through-hull fitting into the water stream surrounding the marine vessel and a corresponding adjustment in the volume and pressure of the water flow entering said water-intake opening in said scooping member.