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Archive for patent

Honda Air Bag Propeller Guard Patent Application

Honda Motor Co of Japan filed a U.S. patent application for a propeller guard partially consisting of an air bag The patent application, US 2023/0278686 A1 “Outboard Motor Control Apparatus and Control Method for Outboard Motor” was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on September 7, 2023. Honda’s patent application has to do […]

Brunswick wireless lanyard patent application

Brunswick’s wireless lanyard patent application was published 30 January 2020 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Brunswick’s wireless lanyard is made possible by the combination CANbus systems now used by boats and marine drives in conjunction with data available from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and today’s digital controls (like digital shift/throttles). Brunswick’s […]

The Leash awarded 2nd U.S. Patent

The Leash was awarded U.S. Patent 10,435,128 “Outboard Motor Tether” on October 8, 2019. This new patent enhances their patent portfolio increasing their level of patent protection beyond their earlier patent, U.S. Patent 9,771,136. The Leash, a tether to prevent outboard motors from breaking off and flipping into boats, continues to be a popular accessory […]

Sensor Based Detection of people near boat propellers: Patents

The phrase Virtual Propeller Guard broadly refers to methods used to detect the presence or likely presence of people or objects in the water that may be struck by or pulled into a boat propeller. Long ago we posted a more concise definition of Virtual Propeller Guards. With increasing activity in the use of sensors […]

Brunswick Neural Network Person Detection patent issued

We continue to salute Brunswick for their efforts to detect people in the water near a recreational boat. Basics of the Patent U.S. Patent 10,372,976 Person Detection in a Marine Environment invented by Troy Kollmann and Jon Nowick, assigned to Brunswick issued on 6 August 2019. The patent’s first claim describes detecting people in the […]

Kickup bracket with jack plate patent application

David Vance Jr. filed a patent application for a jack plate integrated with a kickup bracket. The kickup portion of the assembly is chained to prevent over rotation of the outboard when a submerged object is struck. The patent application was published 22 November 2018. Mr. Vance, the inventor, says this design is for faster […]

Brunswick Patent Application prevents groundings

Brunswick Patent Application US 2018/0335788 A1 for “Systems and Methods for Raising and Lowering a Marine Device on a Marine Vessel” was published 22 November 2018. The patent application provides some automatic modes for monitoring drive trim, jack plate height, water depth, GPS location, heading, navigational map water depth, speed, throttle position, and other variables […]

Brunswick follows our lead, patents active trim cylinder US Patent 9,290,252

In December 2013 we published a report, Approaches to Prevent Outboard Motors From Flipping Into Boats After Striking Floating or Submerged Objects in which we identified several ways to prevent outboard motors from breaking off and flipping into boats after striking submerged objects. One of those was was active trim control (see pages 33-34 of […]

Licensing Propeller Safety Technologies That Are Part of Industry Standards / Regulations: Similar Case Heads to Court

A case currently before U.S. District Court in Seattle may have bearing on the licensing of propeller guards and other propeller safety technologies. In the past, some have said that swim ladder switches such at Keith Jackson / MariTech’s Prop Stopper could not be included in any USCG propeller safety regulation because they are a […]

3PO Navigator Propeller Guard Invented by Guy Taylor Receives U.S. Patent

Guy Taylor received U.S. Patent 8,257,121 for a “Boat Propeller Shield” on September 4, 2012. His 3PO Propeller Shield automatically swings up from his hexagonal shaped Navigator guard when underway to reduce drag. The shield automatically falls down to protect people behind the boat when the boat is at rest or backing up.