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  Outboard jet drive marine propulsion system and control lever thereforUSPTO Application #: 20060014445Title: Outboard jet drive marine propulsion system and control lever therefor Abstract: A jet pump for an outboard propulsion marine engine includes a support member and at least one impeller blade extending helically from said support member At least one induction blade extends helically from said support member. A stator having a volume reduction member is disposed downstream of the blades. The jet pump is supported in a housing having a stepped profile to reduce drag. A single lever controls both the speed and direction of the jet stream exiting the stator. (end of abstract) Agent: Edwards & Angell, LLP - Boston, MA, US Inventors: William Lawson, Scott Porta, Jason Hill, Leonard Hill USPTO Applicaton #: 20060014445 - Class: 440047000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Marine Propulsion, Jet Drive, Having Means To Increase Fluid Drive Means Efficiency The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060014445. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This Application is a Non-Provisional of Provisional (35 USC 119(e)) Application No. 60/574,019 filed on May 25, 2004 and Application No. 60/653,652 filed on Feb. 16, 2005. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to outboard jet drive marine propulsion systems. The present invention relates to an outboard jet drive for a boat and especially to an outboard jet drive having an engine and jet drive mounted in a housing, which is removably attached to a boat hull. [0003] There have been several proposed types of outboard jet drives for watercraft but most are similar to an outboard motor in which the outboard motor propeller and lower unit have been replaced with a jet drive. The jet drive includes a jet pump in the lower unit that operates to provide propulsion force for a watercraft. There are advantages in employing jet pumps for propulsion units as opposed to propellers. The jet drive permits operation in shallower water, also the propeller is shrouded, and there is less likelihood of injury. There has been a variety of proposed constructions for outboard jet drives for positioning the jet pump in different positions relative to the hull transom and bottom of the transom but in a typical jet drive, the engine and jet drive are located directly in the hull with an opening in the bottom of the hull for capturing water passing under the hull and then utilizing the jet pumps to thrust the water out the rear of the hull to propel the boat. Outboard jet drive units are made similar to typical outboard motors with a motor driving a drive unit, which operates a jet drive unit. [0004] Generally, the engine package includes an internal combustion engine mounted in a thin fiberglass hull. The base plate of the hull includes a water inlet scoop for feeding water to the pump and an exhaust port for exhausting the water. The pumps high-pressure water outlet is pointed in the aft direction above the water line to propel the craft by the reaction force resulting from the high velocity water jet. In the F. C. Clark U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,175, a marine propulsion unit takes a conventional outboard motor and replaces the prop unit with a marine jet motor using a pump to issue a jet of water to propel a boat. The Parker U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,319, is for a boat with a removably inboard jet propulsion unit in which the integral jet power unit is encased in a waterproof housing and positioned in a well located in the hull and is mounted to be removed from the hull. [0005] A well matched water jet allows a diesel engine nearly ideal working conditions for reliability, fuel economy and performance in any planing boat, up to 50 mph; however until now this has only been demonstrated on larger vessels. This is evidenced by an increasing number of larger vessels seen using diesel jet propulsion while very few diesel jets are seen on smaller vessels. The weight of the diesel engine, gearbox and jet, coupled with the traditional inline installation make it much more difficult to properly match a waterjet with a diesel engine in a small vessel. [0006] Many of the shortcomings of the prior art were overcome by Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,600 in which an outboard jet propulsion unit is detachably mounted to a boat so that the main fuel tank and controls are mounted within the hull of a boat while the outboard jet drive unit is mounted away from the boat in a housing with an engine and is removably attached to the transom of the boat. The fuel tank and controls are connected between the hull and outboard drive through quick disconnect couplings. The housing is shaped to support an engine on a platform directly over the jet drive unit for actuating the jet drive unit through a clutch mechanism with the engine and jet drive positioned parallel to each other. [0007] Over many years, the reliability of inboard diesel engines (the most reliable method of marine propulsion) in pleasure boat use has been documented. Approximately 30% of engine failure is raw water pump related, 30% is due to water ingression from exhaust risers or engine height, and 30% of failures are installation related. It is very hard to guarantee the reliability of individually fitted engines regardless of how adept or experienced the installer is. Less than 10% of all pleasure boat engine failures are deemed engine or component failure. [0008] The outboard jet unit as designed by Applicant was satisfactory, however, it did not fully realize the efficiencies of jet propulsion. Accordingly, an outboard jet propulsion unit, which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art, is desired. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] An outboard jet drive includes a housing sealed against the intrusion of water, the housing having front and rear sides and a top and bottom. An engine is disposed in the housing, supported generally horizontally within the housing, and a jet drive unit is disposed in said housing. The jet drive housing is shaped so that at least the bottom surface, when submerged in water, creates a high-pressure area along the bottom of the housing. [0010] In a preferred embodiment, the jet drive unit includes an exhaust for exhausting a water jet. A bucket mechanism is mounted at the water exhaust, the bucket mechanism includes a housing disposed on said jet drive, which communicates with a water jet exiting said jet drive unit. The housing has a first exhaust and a second exhaust and a bucket member movably attached to the housing to selectively cause the water jet to either exit through the first exhaust or the second exhaust. [0011] In yet another embodiment, the housing includes a heat exchange unit, which is vertically disposed within the housing. The heat exchange unit allows automatic draining of water from the heat exchangers. [0012] In yet another embodiment of the invention, a stabilizing structure is provided to support a jet drive unit internally of the housing to reduce excessive vibration of the jet unit thereby reducing wear and tear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the written description and the drawings in which: [0014] FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken through an outboard jet drive as mounted on a boat in accordance with the present invention; [0015] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an outboard jet drive housing having a jet drive unit mounted therein; [0016] FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the jet drive unit of FIG. 2; [0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the connected fuel tanks; [0018] FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a drive assembly for an outboard jet drive constructed in accordance with the invention; [0019] FIG. 6 a rear elevation view of an outboard jet drive housing constructed without the jet drive housing attached thereto; [0020] FIG. 7 is a drive shaft housing constructed in accordance with the invention; Continue reading... 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