Ballast bladder and ballast system for a boat

Abstract

A ballast system for a boat includes a ballast tank, a ballast bladder, and a fluid coupling. The ballast tank includes a plurality of walls defining a tank cavity for storing water therein. The ballast bladder includes one or more panels defining a bladder cavity for storing water therein. At least one of the panels is a flexible panel. The fluid coupling includes a receiver and a plug engageable with the receiver to fluidly connect the tank cavity with the bladder cavity. One of the receiver or the plug is a tank coupling component directly attached to one of the plurality of walls of the ballast tank and the other one of the receiver or the plug is a bladder coupling component directly attached to one of the panels of the ballast bladder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ballast system for a boat comprising:
 a ballast tank including a plurality of walls defining a tank cavity for storing water therein;   a ballast bladder including one or more panels defining a bladder cavity for storing water therein, at least one of the panels being a flexible panel;   a fluid coupling including a receiver and a plug engageable with the receiver to fluidly connect the tank cavity with the bladder cavity, one of the receiver or the plug being a tank coupling component directly attached to one of the plurality of walls of the ballast tank and the other one of the receiver or the plug being a bladder coupling component directly attached to one of the panels of the ballast bladder.   
     
     
         2 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the tank coupling component is positioned on an upper portion of the ballast tank. 
     
     
         3 . The ballast system of  claim 2 , wherein the bladder coupling component is directly attached to the one of the panels at a lower portion of the ballast bladder. 
     
     
         4 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls includes an upper wall, and the tank coupling component is directly attached to the upper wall. 
     
     
         5 . The ballast system of  claim 2 , wherein the ballast bladder includes a plurality of panels, and the one of the panels to which the bladder coupling component is directly attached is a lower panel. 
     
     
         6 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the tank coupling component includes an opening with a hand insertion area, and the hand insertion area has a minimum dimension of at least 3.5 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the tank coupling component includes a circular opening having a diameter of 3.5 inches to 10 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The ballast system of  claim 7 , wherein the bladder coupling component includes a circular opening having a diameter of 3.5 inches to 10 inches, and
 wherein, when the plug is engaged with the receiver, the opening of the tank coupling component is aligned with the opening of the bladder coupling component to form a flow path to fluidly connect the tank cavity with the bladder cavity.   
     
     
         9 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the plug engages with the receiver by rotating at least one of the plug and the receiver, the relative rotation between the plug and receiver being from 1/72 of a turn to ½ of a turn. 
     
     
         10 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the plug engages with the receiver without the ballast bladder rotating more than one full turn. 
     
     
         11 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the receiver or the plug includes a slot and the other one of the receiver or the plug includes a locking projection engageable with the slot. 
     
     
         12 . The ballast system of  claim 11 , wherein the slot is shaped for the locking projection to move from a disengaged position to an engaged position by rotation of less than a full turn. 
     
     
         13 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the bladder coupling component includes an opening into the bladder cavity and at least one projection projecting into the bladder cavity proximate the opening. 
     
     
         14 . The ballast system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one projection has a curved shape. 
     
     
         15 . The ballast system of  claim 1 , wherein the bladder coupling component includes an opening into the bladder cavity and a grating located in the opening, and the grating projects into the bladder cavity. 
     
     
         16 . The ballast system of  claim 15 , wherein the grating has a dome shape. 
     
     
         17 . A boat comprising:
 a hull;   the ballast system of  claim 1 , the ballast tank being located in the aft third of the hull.   
     
     
         18 . The boat of  claim 17 , further comprising a compartment located above the ballast tank, with the ballast bladder being located in the compartment. 
     
     
         19 . The boat of  claim 17 , further comprising a ballast fill mechanism fluidly connecting the ballast tank to an exterior of the hull to draw water from the exterior of the hull and into the ballast tank and the ballast bladder through the fluid coupling when the ballast bladder is engaged with the ballast tank. 
     
     
         20 . The boat of  claim 19 , wherein the ballast fill mechanism includes a pump to draw water from a body of water in which the boat into the ballast tank.