Marine propulsion inventions 03/07

20070066154 - Steering system for small boat: A steering system for a small boat can include an outboard motor mounted to a hull, a steering wheel operated by a boat operator for steering the boat, a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of the steering wheel, a steering device for moving the outboard motor relative... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070066155 - Converter: A converter includes at least device(s) for sensing the currents fed to the electric motor powered by the converter, the device(s) for current detection being arranged inside the converter, and the signals of the device(s) being fed to a nonlinear filter, whose output signals are fed to an additional filter... Agent: Kenyon & Kenyon LLP

20070066156 - Steering method and steering system for boat: A steering method for a boat with a marine propulsion unit at the stern is provided in which a reaction torque is applied to a steering wheel in response to external force to the boat. The steering method includes: detecting a steering angle and the behavior of the boat; determining... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070066157 - Outboard motor steering control system: In an outboard motor steering control system having a plurality of outboard motors each mounted on a stern of a boat by a shaft to be movable by an outboard motor actuator relative to the boat and each having an internal combustion engine and a propeller powered by the engine... Agent: Carrier Blackman And Associates

20070066158 - Cooling system for outboard motor: A boat has an outboard motor mounted to a hull and a remotely mounted cooling air system. The outboard motor has a cowling housing an engine. The cooling air system receives air from within the hull and includes a ventilating fan box. The ventilating fan box may be located within... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070066159 - Cooling water piping attachment structure for small boat: A cooling water attachment device for a small boat can include a joint attachment part having a cooling water inlet/outlet port provided on a side surface of an engine opposite an exhaust pipe. A joint member can be formed with a recess for communication with the cooling water inlet/outlet port... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070059996 - Fuel trim system for multiple drive propulsion systems: An apparatus to monitor fuel, thrust, engine and vessel speed on marine vessels. Sensors measure the thrust forces developed by each of the ship's propellers. The system compares the thrust produced to the gallons of fuel consumed by each system and prompts the vessel's operator to make the proper throttle... Agent: Gerard L. Janelle C/o Janelle Engineering, Inc.

20070059997 - Small planing boat: An air passage and a cooling water passage can be formed in an intercooler provided on a small planing boat. A cooling water inlet of a cooling water passage in the intercooler can be provided at the lower end of the intercooler. A cooling water outlet can be at the... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070054569 - Outboard motor: An outboard motor includes a cowling enclosing an engine, an ambient air intake defined by the cowling, and an intake passage introducing ambient air taken through the ambient air intake to the engine. The intake passage extends out of and above a top section of the cowling. An inlet portion... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070054570 - Throttle opening controller for small planing boat: A throttle opening controller for one embodiment of a small planing boat includes: a throttle valve for changing the degree of opening in response to displacement of a throttle lever; a remaining fuel amount detector; a fuel consumption calculating means; and a throttle opening limiting means. In one embodiment, when... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070054571 - Watercraft: A watercraft has an outboard motor mounted to a hull and a remotely mounted air intake system. The outboard motor has an engine and an air/fuel mixing device. The air intake system is disposed within the hull and may include one or more filters for removing foreign materials and/or moisture... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070049136 - Boat and control system for a boat: A control system for a boat including a first hierarchical control module which includes sensors connected to a throttle to emit a control signal corresponding to the required acceleration and sensors connected to a control device to emit a control signal corresponding to the required direction of travel. A second... Agent: Novak Druce & Quigg, LLP (volvo Prosecution)

20070049137 - Warning device for marine engines for small craft: An apparatus provides a warning of propeller rotation or CO/CO2 hazard in a marine craft and includes a sensor in communication with the propeller to directly or indirectly sense rotation of the propeller and to generate a signal in response to the hazard, a controller coupled to the sensor to... Agent: Daniel L. Dawes Myers Dawes Andras & Sherman LLP

20070049138 - Transportable outboard motor: A transportable outboard drive for a boat has a head, a pylon, a shaft connecting the head and the pylon, an electric motor and a cable running inside the shaft. The shaft has at least two shaft sections and wherein the head, shaft and pylon can be arranged in a... Agent: Crowell & Moring LLP Intellectual Property Group

20070049139 - Action control device for small boat: An action control device for a small boat can include a running condition detecting device, a running environment determining device configured to determine a running environment based upon the running condition, and a steering control device configured to set a steering handle operative characteristic in response to the running environment.... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP