Laminar-Flow Interrupter Technology

[DaveC111]

Does any other boat companies use this technology or do they have similar hull designs ? Ranger/Cutwater had the patent ( US5819677A ) but let it expire years before the 20 year mark .

[tkeithlu]

If I understand it, you can get a small improvement in turning a high-speed hull by interrupting the laminar flow of water on the inside-the-turn hull side. That makes sense. I doubt that that effect is sufficient to justify incorporating the design in a low speed (cruising?) hull, and wonder how it could be anything but a drag on a sailing hull, which will heel while going in a straight line. I doubt that this technology has more than a very narrow application to boating.

Am I missing something here?

[DaveC111]

It only will be of value for non displacement hulls . Being I question some of claims Ranger tugs makes ( I have owned two, and the last has serious hull problems ) , I wonder if you can advertise '' our patented '' when you let the patent go ?

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by DaveC111

Does any other boat companies use this technology or do they have similar hull designs ? Ranger/Cutwater had the patent ( US5819677A ) but let it expire years before the 20 year mark .

It was issued in 1996 and expired 20 years later, as all U.S patents do, in 2016. Patents in the U.S. can't be renewed and are all issued for 20 years.

That said, I agree with previous posters that it's a gimmick on anything going at cruising speeds.

[DaveC111]

If you google it , they let the patent go , approx. 5 years before the ''expected '' expiry date in 2016 . The patent , from what i believe i read , is expired 2010/11/08 for lack of fee payment . That part doesn't really change the question though . One of my questions is can you advertise '' our patented '' when the patent is gone , and was abandoned . That is what it says on the Canadian Patent '' abandoned '' is ''our patented '' misleading or false advertising ?

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by DaveC111

If you google it , they let the patent go , approx. 5 years before the ''expected '' expiry date in 2016 . The patent , from what i believe i read , is expired 2010/11/08 for lack of fee payment . That part doesn't really change the question though . One of my questions is can you advertise '' our patented '' when the patent is gone , and was abandoned . That is what it says on the Canadian Patent '' abandoned '' is ''our patented '' misleading or false advertising ?

This is a somewhat pedantic side trip, so I apologize in advance. Are you talking about a U.S. patent? If so, I'd be curious to see the 2008 fee payment thing. U.S. patents are all issued for 20 years at the outset, so there's no fee to be paid at the 12 year mark and no way it could lapse for lack of payment.

In any event, it's lapsed everywhere now. I don't think you'll find a consumer protection agency that would go after someone calling something "their patent" if indeed they did patent it but it was lapsed. It's very common for people to list patents on their resume's, for example, even if they're expired. This is much the same, basically saying "hey, I've done cutting edge stuff".

[DaveC111]

From what I read is there are maintenance fees to pay to keep up a patent , and advertising a expired patent , as patented ,is a no no .

See https://patents.google.com/patent/ US5819677 ( a US patent ) I will try to attach a picture also .