CA2227713A1 - Pneumatic kill switch - Google Patents
Pneumatic kill switch Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2227713A1 CA2227713A1 CA 2227713 CA2227713A CA2227713A1 CA 2227713 A1 CA2227713 A1 CA 2227713A1 CA 2227713 CA2227713 CA 2227713 CA 2227713 A CA2227713 A CA 2227713A CA 2227713 A1 CA2227713 A1 CA 2227713A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- boat
- switch
- pneumatically
- mountable
- pneumatic actuator
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Landscapes
- Rotary Switch, Piano Key Switch, And Lever Switch (AREA)
Abstract
A remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic actuator mountable on or through an exposed non-wetted surface of a boat, such as the transom, or hot tub so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a boat motor coupled to a boat propeller, or a hot tub motor coupled to a pump.
Description
PNEUMATIC KILL SWITCH
Field ofthe Invention This invention relates to the field of mechanisms for shutting off motors in emergency sitwations and in particular to pneumatically actuated switches mountable on a boat or hot tub for shutting off a motor while the device is in operation.
Background of the Invention The fact that boat motor propellers are dangerous to users while a boat is in operation is well known. Accidents involving people being injured by rotating propellers are well documented. Currently switches for turning a boat motor off to thereby stop the rotating of a propeller are commonly mounted forward in the boat in the area of the driver cockpit. Previously, it has been unknown to provide a motor kill switch located in the area of the boat where the boat passenger activity takes place if such passengers are entering the water from the boat or entering the boat from the water, namely, the transom area of the boat. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a kill switch mounted in the transom area or other area of the boat which may be actuated by passengers or the like in the event of an emergency to thereby minimi7t~
the delay in stopping the rotation of a propeller. This device may also be used to cut off all power to products such as hot tubs in the instance a user's long hair gets drawn into an intake and caught by a pump or rnotor or other rotating device whîch will draw the user under water as the long hair gets entangled.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a motor kill switch in the area of a boat transom which will minimi7e the risk of igniting explosive fumes, such as gasoline fumes, which quite often may build up in the engine compartment beneath the transom.
In the prior art, applicant is aware of United States patent No. 4,022,146 whichissued to Sadler on May 10, 1977 for a Fluid Pressure Controlled Circuit Breaker As Boat Safety Apparatus. The Sadler device teaches a marine safety apparatus for preventing accidents in small watercraft where the watercraft's power plant operation is interrupted when the watercraft operator is displaced fiom the operator's seat. Sadler teaches in particular an air bladder seat cushion or floor cushion for use in the driver cockpit area, where the air bladder is connected to an air pressure actuated electrical switch which is toggled by the weight of the boat operator being applied to or removed from the air bladder. It is neither taught nor suggested to provide a remote pneumatic actuator mountable in a transom area of a boat, such as a runabout boat, where use of an electrical s~;vitch would risk explosion but where such an actuator is advantageously located as being close to the area of most concern, namely, the area of the boat propeller.
Summary of the Invention In summary, the present invention comprises a remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic achlator mountable on or through an exposed non-wetted surface of a boat, such as the transom, so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a boat motor coupled to a boat propeller.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is, in perspective view, a boat with the pneumatic kill switch of the present invention installed.
Figure 2 is, in diagrammatic view, the electrical circuitry of the kill switch of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is, in plan view, a hot tub with the pneumatic kill switch of the present invention installed.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Thus, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, the kill switch 10 of the present invention is a non-electrically actuable switch communicating with the electrical circuitry of a motor. In one embodiment the switch actuator is a pneumatic button actuator 12 mounted on an exterior surface.
For boat appli.cations, the exterior surface may be the transom area 14 of a boat 16. As seen in Figure 3, in a hot tub application, the exterior surface may be the control panel 15 of a hot tub 17.
Button actuator 12 communicates by means of an air hose 18 to a pneumatically actuable on/off air switch 20 to selectively interrupt or disrupt the electrical ignition circuit of the boat or the pump motor ciircuit (not shown) of the hot tub. Switch 20 diverts the current to ground by means of grounding wire 24 thereby tripping circuit breaker 26 installed on 12 volt power wire 28.
Advantageously, circuit breaker 26 is a 3 amp breaker which may be manually reset by the user.
IJse of the circuit breaker prevents unintentional restart of the motor if the push button actuator 12 is inadvertently pushed twice in rapid succession.
The remote actuator such as the pneumatic button 12 may be commercial air actuators such as presently used in commercially available hot tubs and supplied, for example, by Tri Delta Industries, Inc., of Mentor, Ohio. The pneumatically actuated on/off air switch 20 may be a snap switch also available from Tri Delta Industries, Inc.
It is understood that other commercially available pneumatic switches remotely actuable from a mounting location on an exterior surface of a boat in the boat transom or other area may be used so long as the pneumatic actuator is watertight and does not rely on an electrically operable switch at any point in its system so as not to produce a spark and thereby cause an explosion. Of course, the advantage of having the pneumatic actuator watertight is to prevent incursion of the water which may otherwise lead to maintenance and operational difficulties ancl potentially to shorting of the electronic system of the boat motor. The switch may be mounted in a water-tight box-like housing mountable in the engine compartment or otherwise in a dry area in proximity to push button 12.
s Advantageously, the remote pneumatic actuator switch might be mounted on an upper surface of the boat in the transom area centered between the sides of the boat possibly over the engine compartment cowling. The remote pneumatic actuator if it is a push button pneumatic actuator is advantageously located so that a downward motion in direction A of a hand 30 hitting l O the button will toggle the pneumatic on/off air switch thereby killing the motor (only coil 32 is shown). Resta.rting the motor will require resetting the circuit breaker 26 and turning of the key in the boat's ignition switch.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
Field ofthe Invention This invention relates to the field of mechanisms for shutting off motors in emergency sitwations and in particular to pneumatically actuated switches mountable on a boat or hot tub for shutting off a motor while the device is in operation.
Background of the Invention The fact that boat motor propellers are dangerous to users while a boat is in operation is well known. Accidents involving people being injured by rotating propellers are well documented. Currently switches for turning a boat motor off to thereby stop the rotating of a propeller are commonly mounted forward in the boat in the area of the driver cockpit. Previously, it has been unknown to provide a motor kill switch located in the area of the boat where the boat passenger activity takes place if such passengers are entering the water from the boat or entering the boat from the water, namely, the transom area of the boat. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a kill switch mounted in the transom area or other area of the boat which may be actuated by passengers or the like in the event of an emergency to thereby minimi7t~
the delay in stopping the rotation of a propeller. This device may also be used to cut off all power to products such as hot tubs in the instance a user's long hair gets drawn into an intake and caught by a pump or rnotor or other rotating device whîch will draw the user under water as the long hair gets entangled.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a motor kill switch in the area of a boat transom which will minimi7e the risk of igniting explosive fumes, such as gasoline fumes, which quite often may build up in the engine compartment beneath the transom.
In the prior art, applicant is aware of United States patent No. 4,022,146 whichissued to Sadler on May 10, 1977 for a Fluid Pressure Controlled Circuit Breaker As Boat Safety Apparatus. The Sadler device teaches a marine safety apparatus for preventing accidents in small watercraft where the watercraft's power plant operation is interrupted when the watercraft operator is displaced fiom the operator's seat. Sadler teaches in particular an air bladder seat cushion or floor cushion for use in the driver cockpit area, where the air bladder is connected to an air pressure actuated electrical switch which is toggled by the weight of the boat operator being applied to or removed from the air bladder. It is neither taught nor suggested to provide a remote pneumatic actuator mountable in a transom area of a boat, such as a runabout boat, where use of an electrical s~;vitch would risk explosion but where such an actuator is advantageously located as being close to the area of most concern, namely, the area of the boat propeller.
Summary of the Invention In summary, the present invention comprises a remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic achlator mountable on or through an exposed non-wetted surface of a boat, such as the transom, so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a boat motor coupled to a boat propeller.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is, in perspective view, a boat with the pneumatic kill switch of the present invention installed.
Figure 2 is, in diagrammatic view, the electrical circuitry of the kill switch of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is, in plan view, a hot tub with the pneumatic kill switch of the present invention installed.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Thus, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, the kill switch 10 of the present invention is a non-electrically actuable switch communicating with the electrical circuitry of a motor. In one embodiment the switch actuator is a pneumatic button actuator 12 mounted on an exterior surface.
For boat appli.cations, the exterior surface may be the transom area 14 of a boat 16. As seen in Figure 3, in a hot tub application, the exterior surface may be the control panel 15 of a hot tub 17.
Button actuator 12 communicates by means of an air hose 18 to a pneumatically actuable on/off air switch 20 to selectively interrupt or disrupt the electrical ignition circuit of the boat or the pump motor ciircuit (not shown) of the hot tub. Switch 20 diverts the current to ground by means of grounding wire 24 thereby tripping circuit breaker 26 installed on 12 volt power wire 28.
Advantageously, circuit breaker 26 is a 3 amp breaker which may be manually reset by the user.
IJse of the circuit breaker prevents unintentional restart of the motor if the push button actuator 12 is inadvertently pushed twice in rapid succession.
The remote actuator such as the pneumatic button 12 may be commercial air actuators such as presently used in commercially available hot tubs and supplied, for example, by Tri Delta Industries, Inc., of Mentor, Ohio. The pneumatically actuated on/off air switch 20 may be a snap switch also available from Tri Delta Industries, Inc.
It is understood that other commercially available pneumatic switches remotely actuable from a mounting location on an exterior surface of a boat in the boat transom or other area may be used so long as the pneumatic actuator is watertight and does not rely on an electrically operable switch at any point in its system so as not to produce a spark and thereby cause an explosion. Of course, the advantage of having the pneumatic actuator watertight is to prevent incursion of the water which may otherwise lead to maintenance and operational difficulties ancl potentially to shorting of the electronic system of the boat motor. The switch may be mounted in a water-tight box-like housing mountable in the engine compartment or otherwise in a dry area in proximity to push button 12.
s Advantageously, the remote pneumatic actuator switch might be mounted on an upper surface of the boat in the transom area centered between the sides of the boat possibly over the engine compartment cowling. The remote pneumatic actuator if it is a push button pneumatic actuator is advantageously located so that a downward motion in direction A of a hand 30 hitting l O the button will toggle the pneumatic on/off air switch thereby killing the motor (only coil 32 is shown). Resta.rting the motor will require resetting the circuit breaker 26 and turning of the key in the boat's ignition switch.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.
Claims (5)
1. A remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic actuator mountable on an exposed non-wetted surface of a boat, such as the transom, so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a boat motor coupled to a boat propeller.
2. A remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic actuator mountable under, so as to be exposed through an aperture in, an exposed non-wetted surface of a boat, such as the transom, so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a boat motor coupled to a boat propeller.
3. A remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic actuator mountable on an exposed non-wetted surface of a hot tub, so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a motor coupled to a hot tub pump.
4. A remotely mountable water-tight pneumatic actuator mountable under, so as to be exposed through an aperture in, an exposed non-wetted surface of a hot tub, so as to pneumatically communicate with a pneumatically selectively actuable on/off switch for interrupting or disrupting electrical operation of a motor coupled to a hot tub pump.
5. The pneumatic actuator of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 wherein said electrical operation is via an electrical circuit and wherein said circuit includes a circuit breaker, and wherein said switch diverts current in said circuit to ground, said diverting of said current tripping said circuit breaker.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US3419997P | 1997-01-21 | 1997-01-21 | |
| US60/034,199 | 1997-01-21 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2227713A1 true CA2227713A1 (en) | 1998-07-21 |
Family
ID=21874918
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2227713 Abandoned CA2227713A1 (en) | 1997-01-21 | 1998-01-21 | Pneumatic kill switch |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2227713A1 (en) |
-
1998
- 1998-01-21 CA CA 2227713 patent/CA2227713A1/en not_active Abandoned
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |