Automated boat lift and trolley

Abstract

An automated system is provided for moving a boat from a storage position in a boat garage to a deployed position in a dock channel. The system can include a boat trolley. The boat trolley can include a frame that couples to and rides on rails of a track that extends between the boat garage and the dock channel. The boat trolley can also include bunker supports for supporting the hull of the boat. A dock lift mechanism can lower the trolley frame into the water, from which the boat can be deployed. Once done using the boat, the user can navigate the boat onto the trolley frame, and the dock lift mechanism used to lift the trolley frame and boat out of the water, and the boat trolley operated to move the boat from the dock to the boat garage for storage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automated boat lift and trolley system for moving a boat between a boat garage and a dock, comprising:
 a track comprising a pair of track rails, the track configured to run from a proximal end within a boat garage and a distal end proximate a dock;   a boat trolley configured to support a boat thereon, the boat trolley having a set of wheels that movably couple the trolley to the pair of track rails;   a lift assembly disposed at the dock, the lift assembly comprising a platform spaced from the distal end of the track, the platform having a pair of platform rails onto which the boat trolley is moved from the track rails, the lift assembly operable to lower the platform with the boat trolley and boat thereon to a lowered position to facilitate removal of the boat from the boat trolley for use, the lift assembly operable to raise the platform with the boat trolley and boat thereon to a raised position, the pair of platform rails being substantially aligned with the pair of track rails when the platform is in the raised position to facilitate movement of the boat trolley between the platform and the track;   a drive assembly as least partially disposed in the garage and configured to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between the track and the platform; and   a controller at least partially disposed in the garage, the controller configured to automatically control operation of the drive assembly to move the boat trolley along the track between the track and the platform, and to control the lift assembly to lower the boat trolley with the boat thereon to the lowered position based at least in part on the sensed information communicated by one or more sensors to the controller.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly comprises a motor disposed in the garage, the motor operatively coupled to a track chain drive having a drive sprocket in or proximate the garage, a driven sprocket at or proximate a distal end of the track, and a chain coupled to the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, the chain operatively coupled to the boat trolley, wherein operation of the motor to rotate an output shaft thereof in one direction causes the drive and driven sprockets to rotate in a first direction and the chain to move in a second direction thereby causing the boat trolley to move in the second direction, and wherein operation of the motor to rotate the output shaft in an opposite direction causes the drive and driven sprockets to rotate in a third direction opposite the first direction and the chain to move in a fourth direction opposite the second direction thereby causing the boat trolley to move in the fourth direction. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the chain of the track chain drive operatively couples to the boat trolley via a mule coupled to the chain, the mule being movably coupled to one of the pair of track rails and configured to move between a first end position in the garage and an opposite end position proximate the distal end of the track, the mule comprising a grabber armlet actuatable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the grabber armlet is configured to couple with the boat trolley so that the mule can exert a force on the boat trolley to move the boat trolley in the second or fourth directions, and wherein in the disengaged position the grabber armlet is configured to decouple from the boat trolley to allow the mule to move independently of the boat trolley. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the mule further comprises one or more rechargeable batteries, a wireless transmitter, an electronic actuator configured to operate the grabber armlet and one or more proximity sensors configured to communicate with the controller, the controller configured to operate the drive system to stop movement of the boat trolley when the proximity sensors sense an obstruction on the track. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising an inductive power transmitter disposed in or near the garage, the inductive power transmitter configured to charge the one or more rechargeable batteries of the mule when the mule is at or near the first end position in the garage. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the mule further comprises one or more rechargeable batteries, a wireless transmitter, an electronic actuator configured to operate the grabber armlet, and the boat trolley comprises one or more proximity sensors configured to receive power from the one or more rechargeable batteries when the mule is coupled to the boat trolley, the one or more proximity sensors configured to communicate with the controller, the controller configured to operate the drive system to stop movement of the boat trolley when the proximity sensors sense an obstruction on the track. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to selectively lock the track to the platform when the track rails are substantially aligned with the platform rails to facilitate movement of the boat trolley between the track and the platform, the locking mechanism comprising one or more pins actuatable between a retracted position in which the platform is decoupled from the track and an extended position in which the platform is coupled to the track. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the lift assembly comprises a platform drive assembly comprising a motor operatively coupled to a platform chain drive having a drive sprocket proximate a first location on the platform track, a driven sprocket proximate a second location on the platform track spaced from the first location, and a chain coupled to the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, the chain operatively coupleable to the boat trolley when at least a portion of the boat trolley is on the platform and configured to move the boat trolley along the platform rails. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the chain of the platform chain drive operatively couples to the boat trolley via a platform mule coupled to the chain, the platform mule being movably coupled to one of the pair of platform rails and configured to move between the first location and the second location on the platform track, the platform mule comprising a grabber armlet actuatable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the grabber armlet is configured to couple with the boat trolley so that the platform mule can exert a force on the boat trolley to move the boat trolley, and wherein in the disengaged position the grabber armlet is configured to decouple from the boat trolley to allow the platform mule to move independently of the boat trolley. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the platform mule further comprises a wireless transmitter, an electronic actuator configured to operate the grabber armlet and one or more proximity sensors configured to communicate with the controller, the controller configured to operate the platform drive assembly to stop movement of the boat trolley when the proximity sensors sense an obstruction on the platform track. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a wireless transceiver, the controller configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote control to operate one or both of the motion of the boat trolley and a garage door of the boat garage. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the remote control is a mobile electronic device. 
     
     
         13 . An automated boat lift and trolley system for moving a boat between a boat garage and a dock, comprising:
 a track comprising a pair of track rails, the track configured to run from a proximal end within a boat garage and a distal end proximate a dock;   a boat trolley configured to support a boat thereon, the boat trolley having a set of wheels that movably couple the trolley to the pair of track rails;   a drive assembly as least partially disposed in the garage and configured to drive the movement of the boat trolley along the track and between the track and a dock; and   a controller at least partially disposed in the garage, the controller configured to automatically control operation of the drive assembly to move the boat trolley along the track between the track and the dock.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a lift assembly disposed at the dock, the lift assembly comprising a platform spaced from the distal end of the track, the platform having a pair of platform rails onto which the boat trolley is moved from the track rails, the platform movable between a raised position where the platform rails are substantially aligned with the track rails and a lowered position to facilitate movement of the boat trolley between the track rails and platform rails, the lift assembly being operable to lower the platform with the boat trolley and boat thereon to the lowered position to facilitate removal of the boat from the boat trolley for use, the controller configured to control the movement of the platform between the lowered position and the raised position. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the drive assembly comprises a motor disposed in the garage, the motor operatively coupled to a track chain drive having a drive sprocket in or proximate the garage, a driven sprocket at or proximate a distal end of the track, and a chain coupled to the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, the chain operatively coupled to the boat trolley, wherein operation of the motor to rotate an output shaft thereof in one direction causes the drive and driven sprockets to rotate in a first direction and the chain to move in a second direction thereby causing the boat trolley to move in the second direction, and wherein operation of the motor to rotate the output shaft in an opposite direction causes the drive and driven sprockets to rotate in a third direction opposite the first direction and the chain to move in a fourth direction opposite the second direction thereby causing the boat trolley to move in the fourth direction. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the chain of the track chain drive operatively couples to the boat trolley via a mule coupled to the chain, the mule being movably coupled to one of the pair of track rails and configured to move between a first end position in the garage and an opposite end position proximate the distal end of the track, the mule comprising a grabber armlet actuatable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the grabber armlet is configured to couple with the boat trolley so that the mule can exert a force on the boat trolley to move the boat trolley in the second or fourth directions, and wherein in the disengaged position the grabber armlet is configured to decouple from the boat trolley to allow the mule to move independently of the boat trolley. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the mule further comprises one or more rechargeable batteries, a wireless transmitter, an electronic actuator configured to operate the grabber armlet and one or more proximity sensors configured to communicate with the controller, the controller configured to operate the drive system to stop movement of the boat trolley when the proximity sensors sense an obstruction on the track. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising an inductive power transmitter disposed in or near the garage, the inductive power transmitter configured to charge the one or more rechargeable batteries of the mule when the mule is at or near the first end position in the garage. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the mule further comprises one or more rechargeable batteries, a wireless transmitter, an electronic actuator configured to operate the grabber armlet, and the boat trolley comprises one or more proximity sensors configured to receive power from the one or more rechargeable batteries when the mule is coupled to the boat trolley, the one or more proximity sensors configured to communicate with the controller, the controller configured to operate the drive system to stop movement of the boat trolley when the proximity sensors sense an obstruction on the track. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to selectively lock the track to the platform when the track rails are substantially aligned with the platform rails to facilitate movement of the boat trolley between the track and the platform, the locking mechanism comprising one or more pins actuatable between a retracted position in which the platform is decoupled from the track and an extended position in which the platform is coupled to the track. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the lift assembly comprises a platform drive assembly comprising a motor operatively coupled to a platform chain drive having a drive sprocket proximate a first location on the platform track, a driven sprocket proximate a second location on the platform track spaced from the first location, and a chain coupled to the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, the chain operatively coupleable to the boat trolley when at least a portion of the boat trolley is on the platform and configured to move the boat trolley along the platform rails. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the chain of the platform chain drive operatively couples to the boat trolley via a platform mule coupled to the chain, the platform mule being movably coupled to one of the pair of platform rails and configured to move between the first location and the second location on the platform track, the platform mule comprising a grabber armlet actuatable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the grabber armlet is configured to couple with the boat trolley so that the platform mule can exert a force on the boat trolley to move the boat trolley, and wherein in the disengaged position the grabber armlet is configured to decouple from the boat trolley to allow the platform mule to move independently of the boat trolley. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the platform mule further comprises a wireless transmitter, an electronic actuator configured to operate the grabber armlet and one or more proximity sensors configured to communicate with the controller, the controller configured to operate the platform drive assembly to stop movement of the boat trolley when the proximity sensors sense an obstruction on the platform track. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller comprises a wireless transceiver, the controller configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote control to operate one or both of the motion of the boat trolley and a garage door of the boat garage. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the remote control is a mobile electronic device.