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 below the operator platform. A propulsion system is provided, as is a control column which provides the operator interface when the craft operator is kneeling, standing or sitting 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 main strut assembly having a forward end and a rearward end, said main strut assembly including a motor housing disposed at said forward end;    an operator platform positioned at said rearward end of said main strut assembly, said operator platform being so constructed and arranged to be capable of providing hydrodynamic lift in a fluid medium;    a motor provided in said motor housing;    a foil strut operatively coupled to said forward end of said main strut assembly and extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom;    at least one foil operatively coupled to said foil strut;    a control column having a proximal end operatively coupled to said main strut assembly, and a distal end having an operator interface thereon; and    a propulsion system.    
     
     
         2 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said foil strut is rotatable about a transverse horizontal axis relative to said main strut assembly.  
     
     
         3 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 2  wherein said foil strut is coupled to said motor housing in a substantially fixed relation, and wherein said motor housing is rotatable about a horizontal axis relative to a remainder of said main strut assembly.  
     
     
         4 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said control column is pivotably connected to said main strut assembly, and wherein said control column is operatively coupled to said foil strut in such a manner that a pivoting of said control column controls the rotation of said foil strut.  
     
     
         5 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said at least one foil is pivotably connected to said foil strut, and said control column and said at least one foil are operatively coupled such that an attitude of said at least one foil is controlled by said control column.  
     
     
         6 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said main strut assembly further comprises a forked strut having two arms extending forwardly to form a yoke around said motor enclosure, and wherein said motor enclosure is pivotably mounted to said two arms.  
     
     
         7 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said main strut assembly further comprises a forked strut having a single arm extending forwardly to form a half-yoke at one side of said motor enclosure, and wherein said motor enclosure is pivotably mounted to said single arm.  
     
     
         8 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said motor housing is maintained in a substantially fixed position relative to a remainder of said main strut assembly, and wherein said foil strut is pivotably coupled to said motor housing, so as to be rotatable relative to said main strut assembly.  
     
     
         9 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said control column is pivotably connected to said main strut assembly, and wherein said control column is operatively coupled to said foil strut in such a manner that a pivoting of said control column controls the rotation of said foil strut.  
     
     
         10 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said at least one foil is pivotably connected to said foil strut, and said control column and said at least one foil are operatively coupled such that an attitude of said at least one foil is controlled by said control column.  
     
     
         11 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one foil is pivotably connected to said foil strut, and is operatively coupled to said control column such that an attitude of said at least one foil is controlled from said control column.  
     
     
         12 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said operator platform is substantially saddle-shaped, and wherein said foil strut is sized such that, when pivoted upwardly toward said main strut assembly, said distal end of said foil strut rotates into a cavity formed at an underside of said operator platform.  
     
     
         13 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said operator platform has a foil mounted across a rearward end of said cavity.  
     
     
         14 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said operator platform has two integral chap extensions at a forward end of said operator platform.  
     
     
         15 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said operator platform is substantially saddle-shaped and has two integral chap extensions at a forward end of said operator platform.  
     
     
         16 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system includes a propeller shaft contained within said foil strut, said propeller shaft being operatively coupled to said motor.  
     
     
         17 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said propulsion system further comprises an open propeller operatively coupled to said propeller shaft, and disposed at said distal end of said foil strut.  
     
     
         18 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said propulsion system comprises an enclosed propulsor operatively coupled to said propeller shaft, and disposed at said distal end of said foil strut.  
     
     
         19 , A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said propulsion system comprises a duct for pumping water through said foil strut, and a nozzle positioned on the foil strut for discharging the water from the foil strut.  
     
     
         20 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 2  further comprising a foil strut positioning device.  
     
     
         21 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said foil strut positioning device comprises a link element pivotably coupled to said foil strut and operatively coupled to said main strut assembly in a manner permitting said link element to move forwardly and rearwardly along a portion of said main strut assembly.  
     
     
         22 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said foil strut positioning device comprises a link element pivotably coupled to said main strut assembly and operatively coupled to said foil strut in a manner permitting said link element to move along a portion of said foil strut.  
     
     
         23 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said foil strut positioning device comprises a hydraulic ram operatively coupled to said foil strut and to said main strut.  
     
     
         24 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising a foil strut positioning device.  
     
     
         25 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 24 , wherein said foil strut positioning device comprises a brace attached at one end to said motor housing, and at the other end to said control column.  
     
     
         26 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 25 , wherein said brace slidingly engages a slot provided in said control column, whereby said control column may be moved within a predetermined range of movement without moving said motor housing, and wherein, upon said brace traveling to an end of said slot, said control column is operable to rotate said motor housing.  
     
     
         27 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 24  wherein said foil strut positioning means comprises a plurality of gear teeth coupled to said motor housing, and means for engaging and moving said gear teeth.  
     
     
         28 . A hull-less personal water craft as recited in  claim 24 , wherein said foil strut and said motor housing are biased to an initial retracted position, and said foil strut positioning means comprises a cable assembly connected to said motor housing, and being so constructed and arranged to overcome said initial bias to move said foil strut away from said retracted position.