Personal hydrofoil water craft

Abstract

A hull-less personal water craft is provided which reduces air, water, noise, and wake pollution over personal water craft presently on the market. The craft includes a strut assembly having forward and rearward ends, with an operator platform attached at the rearward end, and having at least one hydrofoil positioned substantially underneath the operator platform at a predetermined distance. A propulsion system is provided at the forward end of the strut, and is operatively coupled to a control column which provides the operator interface when the craft operator is kneeling or standing on the operator platform. The hydrofoil provides substantially all of the lift for the craft when in operation, and the elimination of a hull greatly reduces the power requirements and wake generated by the craft in operation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A hull-less personal water craft comprising: 
 a strut assembly having a forward end and a rearward end;    an operator platform disposed at and operatively coupled to said rearward end of said strut assembly;    a hydrofoil positioned at an underside of said operator platform and spaced apart therefrom at a predetermined distance;    a control foil system disposed at and operatively coupled to said forward end of said strut assembly;    a propulsion system; and    a control column having a proximal end operatively coupled to said propulsion system, said control column having an operator interface disposed at a distal end thereof.    
     
     
         2 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1    wherein said operator interface is a handlebar element having at least one control element thereon for controlling said propulsion system.  
     
     
         3 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 2    wherein said control column is pivotably coupled to said strut assembly, whereby said column can pivot between a raised and a lowered position.  
     
     
         4 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1    wherein said hydrofoil is secured to said strut assembly by at least one foil strut extending downwardly from the strut assembly substantially underneath said operator platform.  
     
     
         5 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1    wherein said hydrofoil has a ventilator for introducing air onto an upper surface of said hydrofoil when said hydrofoil is submerged in water.  
     
     
         6 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 5   , wherein said ventilator comprises a tube having a lower opening positioned immediately adjacent said upper surface of said hydrofoil and an upper opening at a predetermined distance above said hydrofoil.  
     
     
         7 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 5   , wherein said hydrofoil has a plurality of orifices disposed along a width of said upper surface, and said ventilator comprises a tube having an upper opening at a predetermined distance above said hydrofoil, and a lower end which extends into an interior of said hydrofoil and which is in fluid communication with said orifices in said upper surface of said hydrofoil.  
     
     
         8 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1    wherein said propulsion system further comprises a motor housing mounted to said strut assembly and containing a gas-powered motor therein; said gas powered motor being operatively coupled to a propulsor positioned beneath said strut assembly, wherein said propulsor is designed to remain substantially submerged in water during operation of said personal water craft.  
     
     
         9 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1   , wherein said control foil system comprises at least a first pivotable foil extending laterally from a control housing extending below said control column, and means operatively coupled to said at least first pivotable foil for pivoting said at least first pivotable foil to control a depth under a surface of a body of water at which a lower end of said control housing will travel when said craft is in operation.  
     
     
         10 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 8   , wherein said propulsion system includes a propulsor housing substantially rigidly coupled to said propulsor, and wherein said craft has means for pivotably changing an orientation of said propulsor housing relative to a longitudinal axis of said strut assembly.  
     
     
         11 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 10   , wherein said orientation changing means comprises linkage means attached to and extending from said control column to said propulsor housing, and wherein said control column is pivotably coupled to said strut assembly, whereby said column can pivot between a raised and a lowered position, and whereby said linkage means is so constructed and arranged to angle a front end of said propulsor housing downwardly and a rear end upwardly when said control column is pivoted toward said lowered position.  
     
     
         12 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1   , wherein said strut assembly comprises a central axial strut having an opening extending therethrough.  
     
     
         13 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 12   , wherein an exhaust system for said propulsion system is disposed within said opening in said central axial strut, and wherein said exhaust system is in fluid communication with an opening at a rear of said strut.  
     
     
         14 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1   , wherein said operator platform has a substantially foil-shaped cross-section, and wherein said operator platform is so constructed and arranged to provide a predetermined amount of floatation to a rear portion of said craft, and wherein said operator platform has an aspect ratio of about ½or greater.  
     
     
         15 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 1   , further comprising a plurality of hydrofoils positioned at said underside of said operator platform and spaced apart from said platform and from each other hydrofoil.  
     
     
         16 . A hull-less personal water craft comprising: 
 an operator platform having an aspect ratio of about ½or greater;    a hydrofoil positioned at an underside of said operator platform, and spaced apart therefrom at a predetermined distance; and    a propulsion system operatively coupled to said operator platform.    
     
     
         17 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 16   , wherein said operator platform is a substantially planar element.  
     
     
         18 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 17   , wherein said operator platform further comprises a seating member secured to and extending upwardly from an upper surface of said planar element.  
     
     
         19 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 17   , wherein said operator platform has an aspect ratio of about one or greater.  
     
     
         20 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 16   , wherein said operator platform comprises two wing sections extending laterally from a central raised saddle section.  
     
     
         21 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 20    wherein said operator platform is provided with nonskid surfaces on said wing sections and on said saddle section.  
     
     
         22 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in    claim 20    wherein said operator platform has an aspect ratio of about one or greater.