GB2427388A

GB2427388A - Boat chair with adjustable attachment means

Info

Publication number: GB2427388A
Application number: GB0512528A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Phillip Andrew Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-06-20
Filing date: 2005-06-20
Publication date: 2006-12-27
Also published as: GB0512528D0

Abstract

A chair 10 for use in a boat 110 which includes means for attaching the chair to the boat and a seat. The attachment means (22,fig 1) is moveable relative to the seat of the chair to provide additional stability in a variety of different boat sizes. The chair also includes stabilisers (70) engageable with an inner surface of the boat. The chair further includes a wheel 18 so that it may be used as a wheelbarrow and to assist in transportation of the chair.

Description

BOAT CHAIR

Field of the Invention This invention relates to chairs for boats and in particular to chairs for boats which can also be utilised as wheelbarrows. These chairs are designed to be transported and installed in the boat by a user.

Background of the Invention Although boats are usually fitted with a seat such a thwart board which is used during operation of the boat for a user to sit on to operate the boat, these are not optimal for all uses. For example, when fishing, and in particular fly fishing, it is desirable for the seat to be level with the gunnels of the boat to allow maximum clearance for the fishing line. In a first known chair for use in a boat, a conventional chair is provided with a clamp provided at the back of the chair to attach the chair to a gunnel of the boat. This suffers from the disadvantage that the orientation of the chair relative to the boat is not variable. As boats are available in a number of sizes, the centre of mass of the user in the chair may not be in the centre of the boat resulting in instability. Boat chairs of this type are sold under the trade name "Stonefly Boat Seats". In a second known chair, a chair is provided on a base and is moveable with respect thereto. The base rests on the gunnels of the boat but is not attached thereto. This allows for the centre of mass of the chair and user to be orientated with respect to the boat to prevent listing of the boat. However as no attachment of the seat relative to the boat is provided, the chair is not secure. Boat chairs of this type are sold under the trade name "Rutland Boat Seats".

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the invention, a chair for a boat comprises a seat and means for attaching the chair to a boat wherein the attachment means is moveable relative to the seat. The attachment means allows the chair to be fastened to the gunnel of the boat thereby providing stability for a user of the chair when the boat is afloat. By being able to move the seat relative to the attachment means, a user can orientate the centre of mass of the user and chair relative to the boat to avoid listing of the boat when the chair is in use. This provides a secure position from which the chair can be used. Furthermore, the chair can therefore be used with a variety of boats having different dimensions. According to a further aspect of the invention, the chair includes one or more stabilisers which engage with an inner surface of the boat. The stabilisers provide additional stability and may be used in place of one of the attachment means where use of an attachment means is not desirable or practical, e.g. where the design of the boat is such that an attachment means cannot be used. Preferably, at least one of the attachment means includes two anchor points to attach the chair to the gunnel of the boat at two places. This provides further stability. Both attachment means may have two anchor points. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilisers are pivotable with respect to the seat to facilitate storage of the chair. Pivitoable stabalisers have the added advantage that in certain orientations of the chair in certain boats, there may be insufficient space for the stabilisers to be used. They can then be safely kept out of the way. In a further aspect of the invention, a chair for a boat is provided which includes means for attaching the chair to a boat and a wheel. A user may then use the chair as a wheelbarrow for transporting goods. An added advantage of being able to use the chair as a wheelbarrow is that this facilitates transport of the chair as wheeling the chair is easier than carrying it. Description of Preferred Embodiments An arrangement embodying the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boat chair according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the boat chair of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the boat chair of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of a detail of the boat chair of Figure 1 illustrating the chair in collapsed and extended positions; Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the chair of Figure 1 in a collapsed position; Figure 6 is a side view of the boat chair of Figure 1 installed in a boat in a first position; Figure 7 is a side view of the boat chair of Figure 1 installed in a boat in a second position; and Figure 8 is a detail of an attachment means of the boat chair of Figure 1. In the accompanying Figures, like numerals have been used to designate like elements, where appropriate. Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a boat chair 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The chair 10 includes a tail section 12, a body 14 and a front section 16. The tail section 12 includes an elongate bar 17 with a wheel 18 mounted to one side of the elongate bar 17 by brackets 20. A clamp 22 is attached to the opposite side of the tail section 12 to the wheel 18. The clamp 22 includes a brace 24 and two screws 26 and 28 mounted to a support 30. With reference to Figure 4, the body 14 includes two outer sleeves 50 and 52 and a central sleeve 54. Three cross bars 56, 58 and 60 are attached to the outer sleeves 50 and 52 and to the central sleeve 54. Referring back to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the body 14 includes a seat 40 attached to an upper side thereof. The seat 40 has a base 42 and a backrest 44. Also attached to either side of the body 14 is a seat belt 46 which includes a buckle 48. In the embodiment illustrated, the seat belt 46 and buckle 48 are of the type found in passenger airplanes which are light-weight and durable. Two legs 70 and 72, attached to one another by a cross-bar 74, are also attached to the body 14. The legs 70 and 72 pivot in the directions of arrow 76 with respect to body 14. For the sake of clarity, the legs 70 and 72 are not illustrated in Figure 4. The front section 16 includes a three bars 80, 82 and 84 attached to one another in a u-shape. The bars 80 and 84 are engaged with respective outer sleeves 50 and 52. As illustrated in Figure 3, the body 14 further includes a wishbone having two sections 32 and 34 attached to a central sleeve 54 for added support. The tail section 12 is engaged with the sleeve 54. With reference to Figure 4, the bars 80 and 84 of front section 16 are respectively engaged with the outer sleeves 50 and 52 so that the bars 80 and 84 slide in direction of arrows 90 and 92. The front section is thereby moveable between the position shown by bold outline and dotted lines 94 (where it is fully retracted) and the position shown by dotted lines 96 (where it is fully retracted). The elongated bar 17 of the tail section 12 engages with the central sleeve 54 and is also moveable between an extended position shown in dotted outline 98 and a retracted position shown by the bold outline and dotted outline 100 in the direction of arrows 102 and 104. The sleeves 50, 52 and 54, the elongate bar 17, the bars 80 and 84 and the bars 32 and 34 are all constructed from square steel tubes and are appropriately dimensioned so that sliding engagement is permitted, where desired. The tubes may, in alternative embodiments, be constructed from carbon fibre or other strong, light-weight materials. The tail section 12 can be removed from the central sleeve 54, rotated through 180[deg] and reinserted to provide two modes of operation. The first mode is illustrated in Figure 1 where the wheel 18 is orientated downwards. In this orientation the chair 10 acts as a wheelbarrow. A user can then wheel the chair from place to place and any apparel may be placed in the seat, secured in place by the seat belt 46, and safely transported. Central sleeve 54 includes a clamp 55 which screws into and out of the central sleeve 54. When the clamp 55 is screwed out, free movement of the elongate member 17 relative to the central sleeve 54 is permitted. When the clamp 55 is screwed in, it engages with the elongate member 17 and prevents movement of the elongate member 17 relative to the central sleeve 54. When the chair 10 is configured so that the elongate member 17 and the front section 16 are fully retracted, the chair 10 may be easily transported and is dimensioned to fit into the boots of many different manufactures of automobiles. In the embodiment shown, the length of the chair is 1m when the elongate member 17 and the front section 16 are fully retracted. When only the elongate member 17 is extended, the length is 1.6m and when both the elongate member 17 and the front section 16 are extended, the length is 2.4m. It has been found that these dimensions provide a boat chair which is small enough to be transported in the boot of many cars when fully retracted and large enough, when fully extended, to fit the width of many boats used in fly fishing. In the second mode of operation, illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the tail section 12 is arranged so that the clamp 22 is orientated downwards. In this mode, the chair can be attached to a boat 110 (Figure 6) or boat 130 (Figure 7). Boat 110 includes gunnels 112 and 114. The brace 24 of the clamp 22 abuts the inner side of gunnel 112. As illustrated in Figure 8, the screw 26 of clamp 22 includes a threaded potion 27 engaged with support 30. At one end of the threaded portion 27 is a head 29. Although not illustrated in detail, screw 28 is constructed in the same manner as screw 28. When the chair is installed in a boat 110 as illustrated in Figure 6, the screws 26 and 28 are rotated so that the gunnel 112 is clamped between the heads of the screws and the brace 24. This anchors the chair in position. In the embodiment illustrated, the clamp 22 includes two screws 26 and 28. Although it is possible to construct the clamp 22 with a single screw, it has been found that two screws provide additional stability when the chair 10 is installed in a boat. In Figure 6, the legs 70 and 72 (only leg 70 being shown) have been pivoted relative to the body 14, in direction of arrow 76, to the position shown. The leg 70 has an extension 120 which is slideably engaged and a foot 122 attached to the end of the extension 120. The extension 120 is secured in place by a clamp (not shown). The foot 122 is attached to the extension 120 by means of a ball joint so that the foot 122 engages with the inner surface of the boat 110 with a bottom surface 124 of the foot 122 flush against the inner surface of the boat 110 regardless of the orientation of the leg 70 with respect to the body 14 of the chair 10. By adjustment of the elongate member 17 of the tail section 12 relative to the central sleeve 56 and of the extension 120 relative to the leg 70, a user can ensure that the base 42 of the seat 40 is level and that the centre of mass of the user and chair 10 is orientated so that the boat does not list in the water, providing a comfortable, secure seat for the user. Figure 7 illustrates the chair 10 installed in a boat 130 in an alternative configuration to that illustrated in Figure 6. Boat 130 includes a thwart board 132. In this instance, the legs 70 and 72 cannot be extended as the thwart board 132 is in the way. The front section 16 is extended so that bar 82 extends over the gunnel 14. Attached to bar 82 are two abutments 116 and 118 (see Figure 5) which prevent the front section 16 moving relative to the gunnel 114 when installed as illustrated in Figure 7. As the elongate section 17 of the tail section 12 is moveable relative to the central sleeve 54 and the bars 80 and 84 of the front section 16 are moveable relative to the two outer sleeves 50 and 52, a user can again orientate the base 42 of the seat 40 relative to the boat 130 so that the boat does not list in the water. It is to be realised that the configurations illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 and interchangeable, depending on the requirements of a user. So, for example, the front section 16 may be extended and engaged with gunnel 114 when the chair is installed in a boat as illustrated in Figure 6 to provide additional support. The backrest 44 of the seat 40 is articulated relative to the base 42 and pivots in the direction of arrows 140 and 142 illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. A releasable clamp (not shown) allows the backrest 44 to be secured relative to the base 42 so that a user can secure the seat when the backrest is inclined at a chosen angle. When the chair 10 is used in the first mode (i.e. when used as a wheelbarrow), the backrest can be fully reclined to provide a greater storage space for apparel to be transported. This orientation is illustrated in Figure 5. The height of the chair when the backrest 44 is orientated in the configuration shown in Figure 5 is 0.4m. This facilitates the transport of the chair, e.g. allowing it to be transported in the boot of a car. In an alternative embodiment, the seat 40 is rotatably mounted to the body 14 to allow a user, when seated, to rotate relative to the boat. Means for rotatably mounting the seat 40 to the body 14 are well-known in the art and may be a screw and thread arrangement.

Claims

1. A chair for a boat comprising a body having a seat and an attachment means engaged with the body for attaching the seat to the boat wherein the attachment means is moveable relative to the seat.

2. The boat chair according to claim 1 which includes a second attachment means.

3. The boat chair according to claim 2 wherein the second attachment means is moveable relative to the seat.

4. The boat chair according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the first and second attachment means are attached to opposing sides of the seat for attachment to opposing gunnels of the boat.

5. The boat chair according to any preceding claim further comprising a stabiliser attached to the body, the stabiliser comprising at least one engagement point for engaging an inner surface of the boat.

6. The boat chair according to claim 5 wherein the stabiliser comprises two engagement points.

7. The boat chair according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the stabiliser is pivotally attached to the body.

8. The boat chair according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the stabiliser includes at least one leg, the leg including a retractably engaged extension portion.

9. The boat chair according to claim 8 wherein the leg includes a foot attached to the extension portion.

10. The boat chair according to claim 8 or 9 wherein the stabiliser includes a pair of legs.

11. The boat chair according to any preceding claim wherein the first attachment means is retractably engaged with the body.

12. The boat chair according to any preceding claim wherein the first attachment means includes at least two anchor points.

13. The boat chair according to claim 12 wherein the first attachment means includes a clamp having a first and a second screw and a brace so that, when the chair is installed in a boat, a gunnel of the boat is clamped between the screws and the brace.

14. The boat chair according to any preceding claim wherein the first attachment means is associated with a tail section removably attached to the body.

15. The boat chair according to any preceding claim wherein the second attachment means is retractably engaged with the body.

16. The boat chair according to any preceding claim wherein the second attachment means includes at least two anchor points.

17. The boat chair according to claim 16 wherein the second attachment means includes a pair of abutments for preventing movement of the chair relative to a gunnel of a boat when the chair is installed in the boat.

18. The boat chair of any one of claims 2 to 17 wherein the second attachment means is associated with a front portion retractably engaged with the body.

19. The boat chair according to claim 18 wherein the front portion is formed in a U-shape.

20. The boat chair according to any preceding claim further including a wheel so that the chair may be used as a wheelbarrow.

21. The boat chair according to any preceding claim wherein the first attachment means includes a wheel and is rotateable between a first position and a second position wherein, when in the first position the attachment means is arranged for attachment to a gunnel of the boat and in the second position, the wheel is arranged so that the chair is operable as a wheelbarrow.

22. A chair for a boat which includes an attachment means for attaching the chair to the boat and a wheel arranged so that the chair may be used as a wheelbarrow.

23. The boat chair according to claim 22 wherein the wheel is associated with the attachment means.

24. The boat chair according to claim 23 wherein the attachment means is rotateable between a first position and a second position wherein, when in the first position the attachment means is arranged for attachment to the gunnel of the boat and in the second position, the wheel is arranged so that the chair may be used as a wheelbarrow.

25. A boat chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.