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Fresh water flushing system for boat engines

Fresh water flushing system for boat engines description/claims

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/951,348 filed Jul. 23, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In the boating world, the marine engines are not equipped with radiators that are found on automobile engines. However, the marine engines still must somehow dissipate the heat generated by the friction of the moving parts. The most popular cooling system is the raw water system. The raw water system simply takes water from the body of water surrounding the boat, pumps it through the engine to draw out the generated heat and discharges the heated water through the exhaust system.

Therefore, boats operating in fresh water are cooled with fresh water and boats operating in salt-water are cooled with salt water. The water is pumped through the engine while the motor is operating, once the boat is shut down the water remains in the engine. When a boat is cooled with salt water the salt water becomes a corrosive agent by being one of the elements that cause electrolysis, which is highly destructive to most metals. This dramatically shortens the life of an engine. To counter this problem the operator must flush the engine after each use using fresh water. There are several products currently on the market that can achieve this, however, they are somewhat difficult to use, require more than one operator, or are made of cheap non-durable materials such as plastic.

There is a need for a user friendly system for flushing marine engines that can be installed easily, be used by one operator; be extremely durable and can be configured to fit in most boat engine configurations. The present invention fulfills all of these needs.

In a preferred embodiment, the system for flushing marine engines with fresh water comprises: (a) a three way valve configured to receive three hose connections; (b) a raw water inlet; (c) at least one hose connected to said valve to supply fresh water to the system; (d) hoses to connect said valve to a marine engine; (e) union rings at the junction of each hose connection.

The system of has a union ring at each of said hose connections. Preferably, valve is resistant to corrosion from water and sea water and has a connection that may be, but would not be limited to screw on, quick connect/disconnect, barbed hose, or any combination thereof. The union rings in the system do not contact water flushed through the system.

In a preferred embodiment, the valve component in the system of the present invention is composed substantially out of 316 L stainless steel with the exception of various seals to ensure a water tight operation. The union rings of the system are made of 304 L stainless steel, another stainless steel which is highly resistant to salt water. The union rings, being an external part, do not come in direct contact with the salt water. The present invention is advantageous because having union rings of a different or un-matched material has been shown to impart increased integrity and increased usability of the threaded parts of the valve in the system of the present invention. A preferred embodiment, comprising components of substantially polished stainless steel, has demonstrated the additional attribute of resistance to degradation in appearance and function. The bright polished surfaces of the valve in the system of the present invention have a cosmetic appeal for performance boat enthusiasts. Although one embodiment comprises stainless steel composition, any acceptable material may be used. Other materials which may include, but are not limited to, any type of steel or iron, brass, bronze, composite metals, plastics, polymers and combinations thereof.

The valve in the system of the present invention is constructed and arranged to be easily removed, cleaned, and returned to the position of use. The valve in the system of the present invention further has a unique configuration having union ends that allows the valve to be lifted straight out by simply unscrewing the union rings, sliding them away from the valve and lifting the valve out for service.

In a preferred embodiment, the present system uses a three way ball valve and union rings. This configuration allows the system to be easily removed, cleaned, and put back into service. It also can flush the boat engine while still in the water, even if it's in salt water.

Another novelty of the present invention is to allow the user to flush out the out drives on a boat as well as the engine. Flushing the out drives utilizing current methods are a two-person operation in order to be safe, but the present invention only requires one person.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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