AU5012101A - Electric powered water craft - Google Patents

Description

Electric Powered Water Craft.

This invention relates to an electric powered watercraft or electric surfboard designed for recreational use on water.

For many people surfing is too hard, tyring and relies solely on weather conditions to create waves. If there are no waves a surfboard is useless.

These problems are overcome by the present invention that is similar to a surfboard, but has a hull mounted underneath where batteries and the electric motor are kept. The rider lies, sits or stands on the board and controls the speed and direction of the craft via an attached hand held flexible controller.

In one form of the invention the motor runs off the batteries, via the controller, which drain of power and need recharging. In another form of the invention an auxiliary charging device or devices may be added to charge the batteries while the craft is in use.

The main features of the craft are its hull, electrics and a board. The hull is made from a polymer or plastic and composite materials, for example polyester resin and fibreglass. The hull is moulded into a streamline shape to allow greater movement in the water and may incorporate bow planes and or a fin or fins for greater stability. This hull houses the electrics that consist of "a bank or banks of batteries that power the motor or motors via the hand held controller. The motor or motors then spin the propeller or propellers to provide movement in the water. For grater directional movement a rudder or rudders may be used which could be controlled via the hand held controller.

Auxiliary drives may be added for a self charging device or devices that can recharge the batteries while the craft is being used so one can stay out on the water longer.

The board is made from lightweight coated materials, for example polystyrene coated in resin, and painted. It is attached to the hull and made watertight. There are watertight covers on the topside of the board, which can be used to access the motor space and a cover for the battery box. The battery box can be removable to allow greater ease in charging and transporting the craft on a vehicle. An anti slip material is used on the topside of the board for grip to make it harder to slip off the craft.

To assist with understanding the invention, references will be made to the accompanying drawings that show one example of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates one version of the craft fully assembled where the board (Fig. 2) is attached to the hull.

Figure 2 illustrates the board with the attached rudder ready to accept a hull as in (Fig. 3).

Figure 3 illustrates a hull section with motor and batteries in place ready to accept the board as in (Fig. 2) Referring to Fig 1, that illustrates the assembled craft the user rider sits or stands on the board holding on to the controller which is used to propel and steer the craft. The board has a watertight engine cover (9) that allows access to the motor for any engine maintenance required. The board also has a watertight cover for the removable battery box which slides up and out the top of the craft. The craft moves through the water when the rider users the accelerator on the control which supplies the motor and propeller with power from the batteries via a circuit (7) that regulates the crafts speed. The craft turns via a cable controlled rudder that is connected and controlled via the handheld controller To increase stability of the craft as it travels through the water bow planes and a fm (11) are added. The main safety feature is that if the rider should .i fall off or lets go of the accelerator trigger on the controller the engine will cut out, stop propelling and the craft will slow down to drift.

Referring to Fig. 2, that illustrates the board section in a pre- 0assembled state. The rider will notice that the board has an engine cover battery cover and a rudder which are painted completed and ready to accept the hull section as in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, that illustrates the hull section of the water craft in a pre-assembled state. The rider will notice that the battery box is in place and that the motor attached propeller are connected via the electric circuit and controller ready to accept a board section, as in Fig. 2.

It will be realised that the watercraft illustrated according to this invention is not restricted to one shape or size as shown. For example, the craft may use more than one motor and propellers, various number of batteries, auxiliary charging devices, different positioning of the rudder fins and bow planes, a fixed not a flexible controller.

Claims (8)

1. This invention is a recreational electric powered water craft device comprising of a hull, that houses the motor/s and batteries, and an attached board that the rider may sit or stand on.

2. The water craft of claim 1, where in the device will remain buoyant and stable while the craft is in use and in good condition.

3. The water craft of the above claims, where in the device will move through the water, speed and direction are controlled by the rider via a hand held controller.

4. The water craft of the above claims, where in the device will be powered and propelled by an electric motor/s that run off of batteries.

The water craft of the above claims, where in the device can use auxiliary charging devices to allow the batteries to recharge while the craft is in use.

6. The water craft device of any one of claims 1 to 5, where in the craft will stop accelerating and slow down if the rider falls off or releases the controller. •e

7. The water craft device of any of the above claims 1 to 6, has no one fixed shape or size and can use one or more, motor/s batteries, charging devices, fins bow planes and propellers in a number of different configurations.

8. An electric powered water craft device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying diagrams. Lukas Luszczyk 31't May, 2001