Single person steering device for use with personal watercraft

Abstract

This invention is directed toward a steering device that can be used by a water skier or wakeboarder to remotely control a personal watercraft the user is riding behind. The invention has two steering cables that are attached to the two handles, thereby allowing a user to “steer” the PWC merely by pulling on one side or the other of the tow rope. Because the invention can be used on a standard personal watercraft, there is no reason to spend money on a separate, and expensive, personal watercraft that is unusable other than as a tow vehicle.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A device for controlling a PWC, where the PWC has a bow and a stern, and a right side and a left side, an engine, and right handlebar and a left handlebar, and a kill switch slot and a kill switch key, where the kill switch key must be in the kill switch slot for the engine to run, comprising: a tow bar, a curved handle, a left tow rope, a right tow rope, two pulleys, a right pulley and a left pulley, two connectors, a right connector and a left connector, a kill switch line, which additionally comprises a key connector and a PFD connector,
 where, the curved handle has a right end and a left end and the tow bar has a right end and a left end, and where the right end of the curved handle is attached to the right end of the tow bar, and where the left end of the curved handle is attached to the left end of the tow bar,   and where, the right tow rope has a user end and a PWC end, and the left tow rope has a user end and a PWC end, and where the right user end is attached to the right end of the two rope, and where the left user end is attached to the left end of the tow rope, and where the PWC end of the right tow rope is attached to the right connector, and where the right connector is attached to the right handlebar of the PWC, and where the PWC end of the left tow rope is attached to the left connector, and where the left connector is attached to the left handlebar of the PWC,   and where the right pulley is attached to the PWC at the right side at the stern, and there where left pulley is attached to the PWC at the left side at the stern, and where the right tow rope is threaded through the right pulley and where the left two rope is threated through the left pulley,   such that as the user pulls back on the right end of the curved handle, the right tow rope is retracted, causing the right handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a right turn, an such that as the user pulls back on the left end of the curved handle, the left tow rope is retracted, causing the left handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a left turn, such that the use can modify a direction of the PWC by pulling back on either the right end of the curved handle of the left end of the curved handle,   and where the kill switch line has two ends, a key end and a PFD end, and were the key end additionally comprises the key connector, where the key connection comprises a key clip which attaches to the key of a PWC, and where the PFC end comprises a PFC clip which attaches to a PFC worn by the user of the invention, such that when a user falls off the PWC, the kill switch line is pulled back, thereby pulling back on the key clip, thereby removing the key of the PWC from the key slot, thereby stopping the engine of the PWC.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a transmitter, where the transmitter is located in the tow bar, and where the transmitter transmits an on-off signal and a throttle signal, and additionally comprising a transmitter receiver, where the transmitter receiver can be removably attached to a PWC, and where the transmitter receiver receives the on-off signal from the transmitter, and causes the PWC to turn on and turn off, and where the transmitter receiver receives the throttle signal from the transmitter and adjusts a throttle of the PWC. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , where the throttle control comprises a “slider control” which sends a variable signal to PWC, where the slider control has a “high end” and a “low end”, where when the rider adjusts to the slider control to the “high end” the PWC moves at a higher speed than when the rider adjusts the slider control to the “low end”. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , where the throttle control comprises a plurality of “speed buttons”, where each speed button is set to a different speed, and each speed button sends a signal to the PWC, that causes the PWC to move at a different speed, and the rider adjusts the speed of the PWC by pressing one of the plurality of speed buttons, and additionally comprising two pulleys, where one of each of the two pulleys is attached to a right, stern section of the PWC and one of each of the two pulleys is attached to a left, stern section of the PWC. 
     
     
         5 . A device for controlling a PWC, where the PWC has a bow and a stern, and a right side and a left side, an engine, and right handlebar and a left handlebar, and a kill switch slot and a kill switch key, where the kill switch key must be in the kill switch slot for the engine to run, comprising: a tow bar, with a right tow bar end and a left tow bar end, a left tow rope, a right tow rope, two pulleys, a right pulley and a left pulley, two connectors, a right connector and a left connector,
 and where, the right tow rope has a user end and a PWC end, and the left tow rope has a user end and a PWC end, and where the right user end is attached to the right end of the two rope, and where the left user end is attached to the left end of the tow rope, and where the PWC end of the right tow rope is attached to the right connector, and where the right connector is attached to the right handlebar of the PWC, and where the PWC end of the left tow rope is attached to the left connector, and where the left connector is attached to the left handlebar of the PWC,   and where the right pulley is attached to the PWC at the right side at the stern, and there where left pulley is attached to the PWC at the left side at the stern, and where the right tow rope is threaded through the right pulley and where the left two rope is threaded through the left pulley,   such that as the user pulls back on the right tow bar end, the right tow rope is retracted, causing the right handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a right turn, an such that as the user pulls back on the left tow bar end, the left tow rope is retracted, causing the left handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a left turn, such that the use can modify a direction of the PWC by pulling back on either the right tow bar end or the left tow bar end.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , additionally comprising a curved handle,
 where, the curved handle has a right end and a left end and where the right end of the curved handle is attached to the right tow bar end, and where the left end of the curved handle is attached to the left tow bar end.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , where the curved handle is attached to the tow bar, and,
 such that as the user pulls back on the right end of the curved handle, the right tow rope is retracted, causing the right handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a right turn, an such that as the user pulls back on the left end of the curved handle, the left tow rope is retracted, causing the left handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a left turn, such that the use can modify a direction of the PWC by pulling back on either the right end of the curved handle of the left end of the curved handle,   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , additionally comprising a kill switch line, which additionally comprises a key connector and a PFD connector. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , where, the kill switch line has two ends, a key end and a PFD end, and were the key end additionally comprises the key connector, where the key connection comprises a key clip which attaches to the key of a PWC, and where the PFC end comprises a PFC clip which attaches to a PFC worn by the user of the invention, such that when a user falls off the PWC, the kill switch line is pulled back, thereby pulling back on the key clip, thereby removing the key of the PWC from the key slot, thereby stopping the engine of the PWC. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 5 , additionally comprising a kill switch line, which additionally comprises a key connector and a PFD connector. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , where, the kill switch line has two ends, a key end and a PFD end, and were the key end additionally comprises the key connector, where the key connection comprises a key clip which attaches to the key of a PWC, and where the PFC end comprises a PFC clip which attaches to a PFC worn by the user of the invention, such that when a user falls off the PWC, the kill switch line is pulled back, thereby pulling back on the key clip, thereby removing the key of the PWC from the key slot, thereby stopping the engine of the PWC. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 3 , additionally comprising a kill switch line, which additionally comprises a key connector and a PFD connector, where, the kill switch line has two ends, a key end and a PFD end, and were the key end additionally comprises the key connector, where the key connection comprises a key clip which attaches to the key of a PWC, and where the PFC end comprises a PFC clip which attaches to a PFC worn by the user of the invention, such that when a user falls off the PWC, the kill switch line is pulled back, thereby pulling back on the key clip, thereby removing the key of the PWC from the key slot, thereby stopping the engine of the PWC, additionally comprising a transmitter, where the transmitter is located in the tow bar, and where the transmitter transmits an on-off signal and a throttle signal, and additionally comprising a transmitter receiver, where the transmitter receiver can be removably attached to a PWC, and where the transmitter receiver receives the on-off signal from the transmitter, and causes the PWC to turn on and turn off, and where the transmitter receiver receives the throttle signal from the transmitter and adjusts a throttle of the PWC. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , where the throttle control comprises a “slider control” which sends a variable signal to PWC, where the slider control has a “high end” and a “low end”, where when the rider adjusts to the slider control to the “high end” the PWC moves at a higher speed than when the rider adjusts the slider control to the “low end”. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , where the throttle control comprises a plurality of “speed buttons”, where each speed button is set to a different speed, and each speed button sends a signal to the PWC, that causes the PWC to move at a different speed, and the rider adjusts the speed of the PWC by pressing one of the plurality of speed buttons. 
     
     
         15 . A device for controlling a PWC, where the PWC has a bow and a stern, and a right side and a left side, an engine, and right handlebar and a left handlebar, and a kill switch slot and a kill switch key, where the kill switch key must be in the kill switch slot for the engine to run, comprising: a tow bar, a curved handle, a left tow rope, a right tow rope, two pulleys, a right pulley and a left pulley, two connectors, a right connector and a left connector, a kill switch line, which additionally comprises a key connector and a PFD connector, and a transmitter,
 where, the curved handle has a right end and a left end and the tow bar has a right end and a left end, and where the right end of the curved handle is attached to the right end of the tow bar, and where the left end of the curved handle is attached to the left end of the tow bar,   and where, the right tow rope has a user end and a PWC end, and the left tow rope has a user end and a PWC end, and where the right user end is attached to the right end of the two rope, and where the left user end is attached to the left end of the tow rope, and where the PWC end of the right tow rope is attached to the right connector, and where the right connector is attached to the right handlebar of the PWC, and where the PWC end of the left tow rope is attached to the left connector, and where the left connector is attached to the left handlebar of the PWC,   and where the right pulley is attached to the PWC at the right side at the stern, and there where left pulley is attached to the PWC at the left side at the stern, and where the right tow rope is threaded through the right pulley and where the left two rope is threated through the left pulley,   such that as the user pulls back on the right end of the curved handle, the right tow rope is retracted, causing the right handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a right turn, an such that as the user pulls back on the left end of the curved handle, the left tow rope is retracted, causing the left handlebar of the PWC to pull back, thereby creating a left turn, such that the use can modify a direction of the PWC by pulling back on either the right end of the curved handle or the left end of the curved handle,   and where the kill switch line has two ends, a key end and a PFD end, and were the key end additionally comprises the key connector, where the key connection comprises a key clip which attaches to the key of a PWC, and where the PFC end comprises a PFC clip which attaches to a PFC worn by the user of the invention, such that when a user falls off the PWC, the kill switch line is pulled back, thereby pulling back on the key clip, thereby removing the key of the PWC from the key slot, thereby stopping the engine of the PWC, and where the transmitter additionally comprises on on/off switch, where the on/off switch transmits a signal to the on/off switch on the PWC to turn the PWC “on” or “off” depending on the desires of the rider.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , where the transmitter additionally comprises a throttle control. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , where the throttle control comprises a “slider control” which sends a variable signal to PWC, where the slider control has a “high end” and a “low end”, where when the rider adjusts to the slider control to the “high end” the PWC moves at a higher speed than when the rider adjusts the slider control to the “low end”. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , where the “slider control” additionally comprises a locking device that allows a user to “lock” the throttle control at a certain level of power. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 16 , where the throttle control comprises a plurality of “speed buttons”, where each speed button is set to a different speed, and each speed button sends a signal to the PWC, that causes the PWC to move at a different speed, and the rider adjusts the speed of the PWC by pressing one of the plurality of speed buttons. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , where each of the plurality of “speed buttons” can be programmed to a specific speed by the user of the invention.