CA2315497A1 - Adjustable boat decking - Google Patents

Adjustable boat decking Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2315497A1
CA2315497A1 CA002315497A CA2315497A CA2315497A1 CA 2315497 A1 CA2315497 A1 CA 2315497A1 CA 002315497 A CA002315497 A CA 002315497A CA 2315497 A CA2315497 A CA 2315497A CA 2315497 A1 CA2315497 A1 CA 2315497A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
boat
decking
hatch
cabin
movable
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002315497A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Graham Stanley Mee
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to AUPP6019A priority Critical patent/AUPP601998A0/en
Priority to AU33204/99A priority patent/AU719302B2/en
Priority to NZ337915A priority patent/NZ337915A/en
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA002315497A priority patent/CA2315497A1/en
Publication of CA2315497A1 publication Critical patent/CA2315497A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63BSHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B19/00Arrangements or adaptations of ports, doors, windows, port-holes, or other openings or covers
    • B63B19/12Hatches; Hatchways
    • B63B19/14Hatch covers
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63BSHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B29/00Accommodation for crew or passengers not otherwise provided for
    • B63B29/02Cabins or other living spaces; Construction or arrangement thereof
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63BSHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B17/00Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for
    • B63B17/02Awnings, including rigid weather protection structures, e.g. sunroofs; Tarpaulins; Accessories for awnings or tarpaulins

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Bridges Or Land Bridges (AREA)
  • Soil Working Implements (AREA)
  • Supports For Plants (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention is for a boat having a decking or a cabin or for a decking to be installed on existing boats, wherein the decking or cabin include a hatch that can move from a first positron to as second position. In the first position the movable decking simply assists in defining the decking or cabin, whilst in the second position the decking has been lifted upwardly from the boat allowing use by a person to that section of the boat previously covered by the decking.
Generally the decking will be moved upwardly to a height sufficient to allow a normal person movement thought the boat.

Description

The present invention relates to boats and specifically to boats that have a decking over the bow area or an enclosed cabin. In particular the invention relates to an adjustable decking or cabin area that increases the utilisation of the boat.
The simplest design of a boat is an open aluminium hull that allows the use of and access to essentially all of the boat. To provide an on-board shelter some medium size and larger motor boasts have a cabin or decking that is located towards the bow of the boat. However by providing this cabin or decking, the useable space of the boat for recreational activities, such as fishing, is greatly reduced, only the aft of the boat being usable. Some access can be provided to the bow of the boat through a hatch, but his is only generally meant as a thoroughfare wherein the hatch is generally mounted on the boat as a door.
It is an object of the present invention to over come at least some of the above mentioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative, by providing an adjustable decking or cabin that improves the use and/or access of the boat.
In one aspect of the invention there is proposed a boat of the type having a hull and decking including at least a part of said decking being movably mounted to the boat by a plurality of arms and movable from a first closed position to a second open position, wherein in said open position the decking has been raised generally upwardly from said boat.
In preference said arms are pivotably mounted to said boat.
In preference the decking moves upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the boat from the closed to the open position.
Preferably said movable decking includes a windscreen which in the closed position provide protection for a user and which allows a user when the decking is in the open position to move unimpeded underneath said raised decking.
In preference said decking is located towards the bow of the boat.
Preferably said movable decking is a hatch disposed between a windscreen of the boat and the bow of the boat.
In preference said decking is raisable to a height greater than the typical height of a user.
In preference the raisable decking includes a flange adapted to sealingly engage a lip on the boat when in the closed position.
Preferably located on the flange is a sealing member. For example said sealing member is preferably a rubber strip.
In preference said decking is movable by the use of a power means such as an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.
In preference said arms include a plurality of gas struts to assist the lifting of the decking.
In preference said decking is lockable in a plurality of positions in between and including the open and the closed positions.
In a further aspect of the invention there is proposed decking for use with a boat, said decking adapted to sealingly engage said boat and including: a hatch forming part of said decking and movable from a first to a second position, wherein in said first position said hatch sealingly engages said decking and in said second position said hatch is moved to a distance apart from said decking.
In a yet further aspect of the invention there is proposed a boat including a hull and a cabin; said cabin fixedly attached to the hull; said cabin including a hatch enabling access to said cabin; said hatch movably attached to said cabin by a plurality of arms adapted to move said hatch from a first position to a second position wherein in said first position said hatch engages said cabin and in said second position said hatch is moved distally apart from said cabin to thereby provide access from the boat through said cabin.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical boat incorporating an adjustable cabin or decking according to a first embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention when applied to a different style boat.
Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of an adjustable decking according to a second embodiment of the invention when in a raised position;
Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of an adjustable decking according to a third embodiment of the invention exhibiting a partially foldable windscreen enabling access to the front of the boat.
Figure 5 is the adjustable decking of Figure 3 but when in a closed position;
and Figure 6 is a side view of the invention according to a fourth embodiment exhibiting the invention where an upper boat deck is added to an existing boat hull.
The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Although the description includes exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible, and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing form the spirit and scope of the invention.
Instead, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts.
Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention where a boat 10 includes a hull 11 with a bow area 12 and an aft area 14. Generally the boat is driven by an outboard motor 16 that is controlled by controls 18 by a user 20. A seat 22 provides a sitting area for the user 20 when the boat is being driven.
Located at the bow area is decking 24 a substantial part of which 26 is pivotably mounted on arms 30 to the boat enabling it to be raised from a closed to an open position. Additionally windscreen 28 may be mounted on said pivotably decking, whilst side windows 32 may be mounted to the fixed part of the decking.
The movable decking includes a flange 34 that sealingly co-operates with lip 36 so that when the decking 26 is in the closed position an effective seal against the elements is provided. To assist in this regard a sealing strip may be included in the flange although this is not shown. Other sealing arrangements may equally well be employed. When the decking is in the closed position the windscreen 28 also sealingly engages side windows 32. One can therefore see that when the boat is moving it may be desirous to have a closed decking area providing protection against the elements for the user 20 as well as for any other user that may be taking advantage of the sheltered area or cabin defined by the sealed decking.
It is to be understood though that the controls 18 may also be mounted to the movable decking so that they are 'moved' away from the boat when not required and allow more space for use.
When one wishes to use the boat recreationally such as for fishing or exploring the waters the decking can be lifted to a position that allows free access to the bow of the boat and yet provided protection against the sun for persons located under the raised decking.
As shown in Figure 2, the present invention can accommodate decking of different shapes and size as well as include different attachments on the decking. Thus as shown in Figure 2 the opening 38 defined when the decking has been raised is of a more circular construction than that shown in Figure 1.

At times it may be desirous or indeed necessary to retain the windscreen fixedly mounted to the boat. Shown in Figures 3 and 5 is a second embodiment of the invention including raisable decking with respect to the bow and windscreen of the boat. This would still allow one to use to bow of the boat whilst leaving protection 5 for a driver and the like.
To further assist in a user gaining unimpeded access from one end of the boat to the other, the windscreen 28 may be foldable. Thus as shown in Figure 5, one embodiment of the invention includes a windscreen having two separate and pivotable windows. The windows being pivotably connected to each other allow one of the windows 29 to fold back onto the other window 31. This feature then allows a person to walk through form the back to the front of the boat without having to duck underneath the windscreen. Of course it is to be understood that there is no preferred window that is folded. Further it may be that both windows are pivotably connected to the boat sides and are foldable so that they are pivoted so as to be generally flush with the side of the boat. This feature (although not shown) would allow a greater width of passage from the rear to the front of the boat.
Although the invention can be applied to new boats during manufacture, existing open boats may be modified to take advantage of the invention. As shown in Figure 6, decking 24 can be sealingly fixed to the hull 11, the decking including a raisable portion 26. In this way existing small boats, such as aluminium dinghies may be modified to provide protection for users whilst still providing substantial use of the whole boat.
The lifting of the deck through arms 30 may be accomplished by manual or by assisted means such as gas struts. Alternatively the lifting may be powered by the use of an electrical or hydraulic motor. To keep the raised deck in position, the arms may be lockable in position. It is further envisaged that the decking may be lockable in a number of different positions so as to provide flexibility for the user.
When in the raised position, it is also preferable for the decking to be angled downwardly towards the front of the boat. This ensures that if the decking is in the raised positron and the boat is moving that the movement of the wind provides a downward force on the decking. Thus the lifting arms are designed to be of such a length and location that no matter at what height the hatch is lifted to, including the fully open position, the front will always be lower than the rear, with respect to the horizontal plane. This design feature is such that, if the boat is moving or is experiencing winds then raising the hatch does no cause the front of the hatch to be at a higher point than the rear of the hatch, in which case the hatch is liable to experience an uplifting force due to the motion of the wind which could act so as to tear the hatch from the top deck.
The lifting mechanism of the invention includes four pivot points mounted on the boat deck. The external lifting arms attach to these pivot points. The use of external lifting arms allow greater room inside the boat. The positioning of the lifting arms also allows the decking to extend rearward over the windscreen to form a canopy when the hatch is fully raised. The present embodiment further allows for easy access by the ability to easily remove the decking completely for fine weather conditions. This is achieved by providing quick action release pins (not shown) on the lifting arms and pivot points. Of course other embodiments may equally well be adapted. It is also to be noted that the decking is designed such that when it is released it moves rearwardly enabling greater access through the opening 38.
There are several distinct advantages with respect to this invention, one advantage being that more headroom is clearly given when the decking is in an open position. At the same time, the bulk of the boat design can be reduced when the decking (also referred to as the hatch) is in the closed position so as to provide for easier storage and travelling.
The top deck accordingly provides a decking which opens in a pop up action and by raising gives more head room when at rest such as fishing or dining or even sleeping. When the decking is in the closed position it provides aerodynamic advantages for the boat and wind cheating when being towed.
There are further advantages with respect to this invention. Some if these are that with the cabin in an open position one has the ability to enter the boat from a bank or beach at the front of the boat and not from the rear of the boat.
Furthermore with a quickly detachable top the boat can become a bow rider or runabout with the option of a canvas soft top for fine weather. The use of the opening hatch allows one easier anchoring whilst the creation of two separate areas allows for the creation of independent activities such as simply reading and resting at the front of the boat while fishing at the rear.
The creation of the separate area also allows one to separate people undergoing activities form those just enjoying the ride. This may be appropriate in the case of water skiing.
Other improvements to the invention may include side curtains (not shown) that drop from the raised decking so as to provide an enclosed cabin space of larger dimensions. Many other features can be incorporated into the invention to assist in the pleasure activities of boating. These may include the ability to adjust positionally the windscreen and the steering so as to provide even more room to the front cabin space. The addition of the cabin on existing open boats also provides high sides which thereby increases passenger safety.
A further improvement may be that the arms are slidably extendable enabling the raised section to be lifted even furkher. One can thus envisage an embodiment where the decking is lifted rearwardly into the desired position and the arms are then extended to raise it to the desirable height. Of course, the height can be variable and the arms lockable in place.
Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Claims (20)

1. A boat of the type having a hull and a decking including at least a part of said decking being movably mounted to the boat by a plurality of arms and movable from a first closed position to a second open position, wherein in the open position the decking has been raised generally upwardly from said boat.
2. A boat as in claim 1 wherein said arms are pivotably mounted to said boat.
3. A boat as in claim 1 wherein the decking moves upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the boat from the closed to the open position.
4. A boat as in claim 1 wherein said movable decking includes a windscreen which in the closed position provide protection for a user and which allows a user when the decking is in the open position to move unimpeded underneath said raised decking.
5. A boat as in claim 1 wherein said boat includes a foldable windscreen and wherein when said decking is in the open position said windscreen can be folded to allow for uninterrupted access form one end of said boat to the other.
6. A boat as in claim 1 wherein said decking is located towards the bow of the boat.
7. A boat as in claim 1 wherein said movable decking is a hatch disposed between a windscreen of the boat and the bow of the boat.
8. A boat as in claim 1 wherein said decking is raisable to a height greater than the typical height of a user.
9 9. A boat as in claim 1 wherein the raisable decking includes a flange adapted to sealingly engage a lip on the boat when in the closed position.
10.A boat as in claim 9 wherein located on the flange is a sealing member.
11.A boat as in clam 10 wherein said sealing member is a rubber strip.
12.A boat as in claim 1 wherein said decking is movable by the use of a power means such as an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.
13.A boat as in claim 1 wherein said arms include a plurality of gas struts to assist the lifting of the decking.
14.A boat as in claim 1 wherein said decking is lockable in a plurality of positions in between and including the open and the closed positions.
15.A decking for use with a boat, said decking adapted to sealingly engage said boat and including a hatch forming part of said decking and movable from a first to a second position, wherein in said first position said hatch sealingly engages said decking and in said second position said hatch is moved to a distance apart from said decking.
16.A boat including:
a hull and a cabin;
said cabin fixedly attached to the hull;
said cabin including a hatch enabling access to said cabin;
said hatch movably attached to said cabin by a plurality of arms adapted to move said hatch from a first position to a second position wherein in said first position said hatch engages said cabin and in said second position said hatch is moved distally apart from said cabin to thereby provide access from the boat through said cabin.
17.A boat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
18.A boat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 5.
19.A boat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4.
20.A boat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 6.
CA002315497A 1998-09-18 2000-08-09 Adjustable boat decking Abandoned CA2315497A1 (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPP6019A AUPP601998A0 (en) 1998-09-18 1998-09-18 Adjustable boat latch
AU33204/99A AU719302B2 (en) 1998-09-18 1999-06-04 Adjustable boat decking
NZ337915A NZ337915A (en) 1998-09-18 1999-09-17 Adjustable boat decking
CA002315497A CA2315497A1 (en) 1998-09-18 2000-08-09 Adjustable boat decking

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPP6019A AUPP601998A0 (en) 1998-09-18 1998-09-18 Adjustable boat latch
CA002315497A CA2315497A1 (en) 1998-09-18 2000-08-09 Adjustable boat decking

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2315497A1 true CA2315497A1 (en) 2002-02-09

Family

ID=25645874

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002315497A Abandoned CA2315497A1 (en) 1998-09-18 2000-08-09 Adjustable boat decking

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AUPP601998A0 (en)
CA (1) CA2315497A1 (en)
NZ (1) NZ337915A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005073071A1 (en) * 2004-01-30 2005-08-11 Hendriks Henricus Cornelis Joz A vessel provided with a height adjustable canopy
FR2891523A1 (en) * 2005-10-04 2007-04-06 Ormaco Lifting and moving system for upper deck section of boat has hinged bars with obtuse-angled section of central forward bar connected to power cylinder
US20130104793A1 (en) * 2011-10-26 2013-05-02 Kenneth Pierce Composite Tender with Retractable Bimini Hard-Top

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005073071A1 (en) * 2004-01-30 2005-08-11 Hendriks Henricus Cornelis Joz A vessel provided with a height adjustable canopy
FR2891523A1 (en) * 2005-10-04 2007-04-06 Ormaco Lifting and moving system for upper deck section of boat has hinged bars with obtuse-angled section of central forward bar connected to power cylinder
US20130104793A1 (en) * 2011-10-26 2013-05-02 Kenneth Pierce Composite Tender with Retractable Bimini Hard-Top
US9102384B2 (en) * 2011-10-26 2015-08-11 Kenneth Pierce Composite tender with retractable bimini hard-top

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AUPP601998A0 (en) 1998-10-15
NZ337915A (en) 2001-01-26

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
FZDE Discontinued