Johnson Outdoors Inc.

Dennis L Starner

Darrel A Bernloehr

Steven J Knight

A bow mount trolling motor for a boat is disclosed. The bow mount trolling motor includes a chassis adapted to be mounted to a bow of the boat, a lower propulsion unit and at least one shaft supporting the lower propulsion unit and pivotally coupled to the chassis about a first axis. The at least one shaft pivots in a first direction about the first axis from a deployed position to a stowed position. The at least one shaft pivots in an opposite second direction about the first-axis when the at least one shaft of the lower propulsion unit encounters an obstruction while the boat is moving in a forward direction.

Trolling motor bow mount impact protection system

The trolling motor system includes a chassis adapted to be coupled to a boat, a housing pivotally coupled to the chassis, a lower propulsion unit, at least one shaft supported by the housing and coupled to the lower propulsion unit at a first end and a drive system including at least one actuator. The at least one shaft extends along a first axis. The first end is movable relative to the housing along the first axis. The drive system includes at least one actuator, a linear drive, a pivot drive and a coupler. The linear drive moves the first end of the first shaft along the first axis while the pivot drive pivots the housing about a second axis. The coupler connects the actuator and the pivot drive to pivot the housing. In one embodiment, the coupler connects the actuator and the pivot drive based upon the position of the at least one shaft along the first axis. In one embodiment, the system includes a foot control operator interface and a control circuit coupled to the operator interface and the linear drive. The control circuit generates control signals based upon input from the operator's foot which cause the linear drive to linearly move the at least one shaft. In one embodiment, the at least one shaft includes an inner shaft coupled to the lower propulsion unit and an outer shaft receiving the inner shaft.

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Madison Lake, MN, United States of America

Dennis L Starner