WO1999043508A1

WO1999043508A1 - Arch for a boat or car and a kit for building such an arch

Info

Publication number: WO1999043508A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/000264
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Rosenthal; Leif Lankarbro
Original assignee: John Rosenthal; Leif Lankarbro
Priority date: 1998-02-27
Filing date: 1999-02-25
Publication date: 1999-09-02
Also published as: SE9800611L; SE513531C2; SE9800611D0

Abstract

A Targa arch for a boat or car and an arch construction kit are based on a U-shaped frame (1) which includes two tubular members (111, 140) that are mutually spaced in the longitudinal direction of the car/boat and that are covered with outer and inner shell profiles (17, 15) which coact to define a clamping slot (180) between the mutually facing edges of the adjacent outer shell profiles. The kit includes a tape that carriers one half of a zip-fastener and that is clamped in said slot (180).

Description

ARCH FOR A BOAT OR CAR AND A KIT FOR BUILDING SUCH AN ARCH

The present invention relates to a construction kit for constructing an arch for a boat or a car, particularly an open boat or car, in accordance with the preamble of the Claim directed to the construction kit.

The invention also relates to an arch constructed from the construction kit.

It is often desirable to equip a boat or car, particularly an open boat or car, with an arch (a so-called Targa arch) . An arch of this kind forms a protection for passengers in the area embraced by the arch. The arch can also be used to sup- port equipment, such as antennas, lamps, lights, and so on.

Such an arch includes a generally U-shaped supportive frame that includes two legs and a cross-member that interconnects the legs, wherewith the free ends of the legs are provided with attachment means for attachment to opposing side-parts of the boat/car, such as to provide a flexurally rigid arch attachment in the longitudinal direction of the boat/car.

A canopy arch of the kind concerned in the accompanying independent Claims is known from U.S. 2,829,660.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction kit for the construction of an arch of the aforedescri- bed kind, with which the kit components can be adapted readily to the dimensions that prevail with regard to the boat or car in question. In this regard, the object is to provide kit components which facilitate construction of the arch and enable the frame structure of the arch to be covered with material and to provide a favourable possibility of readily fitting a canopy to the arch. 2 This object is achieved either totally or partially with a construction kit according to the accompanying Claim 1.

Embodiments of the construction kit are set forth m the dependent Claims.

An inventive arch structure is defined m the dependent Claim directed towards the arch.

The Targa arch includes a generally U-shaped frame that has two straight stanchions which are interconnected by a cross- member, wherewith the free ends of the stanchions are provided with attachment means for attachment to opposing side-parts of the boat/car. In addition to the two attachment devices, the kit also includes a first profiled element which can be cut into chosen lengths to form said frame stanchions, a second profiled element which can be cut into a chosen length such as to form the frame cross-member, and two curved corner pieces which connect the cross-member to respective stanchions. The kit also includes inner and outer shell profiles which are fastenable to the inside and outside of the frame respectively, for covering the frame. Each of the profiled elements and cross-members of the frame structure preferably include at least two tubular members which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the boat/car, said shell profile bridging over the profiled elements and cross-member of said frame structure. The width of the outer shell profile is conveniently much greater than the width of the inner shell profile, and both profiles are intended to be fastened to the outside and inside of the frame structure respectively. The inner shell profile is adapted to lie closely adjacent to the outer shell profile with a small clearance therebetween, such as to form a clamping slot at a substantial distance from the edge of said outer shell profile. A tape carrying one half of a zip-fastener can be readily clamped m said slot and extended around the whole of 3 the arch. A corresponding zip-fastener half can be fastened to one edge of a canopy so to enable said canopy to be readily fastened to and unfastened from the zip-fastener half on the arch. The edge part of the outer shell profile bridges over the zip-fastener and protects the same against the influence of weather and wind. Equipment such as antennas, lamps, lighting, etc., can be mounted on the outside of the arch.

The invention will now be described with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings .

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an arch.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II m Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic, perspective view of the frame structure clad with shell elements.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV m Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of part of the arrangement shown m Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 illustrates the arch as seen m the longitudinal direction of a boat on which the arch is mounted.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view taken on the line VII-VII m Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 illustrates a variant of the Fig. 4 embodiment.

A so-called Targa arch is based generally on a U-shaped frame 1 that includes two stanchions 11 and a cross-member 12 interconnecting said stanchions. In the illustrated case, the 4 bottom ends of the stanchions 11 are connected to a generally horizontal bar 2 which extends along and adjacent to the freeboard edges of the boat and connected to the boat.

Each stanchion 11 is comprised of two straight tubular elements which are provided with a transverse hole 112 at their bottom ends. A generally U-shaped attachment device 113 fits around the bar 2 and includes bores or holes 114 that can be brought into alignment with the hole 112, wherewith a bolt and associated nut are fitted m the bores 112, 114. The stanchions 11 are formed conveniently of straight tubes that can be readily cut, for instance aluminium tubes. The upper ends of the stanchions are dimensioned, or sized, to enable them to be inserted into appropriate sleeves in a corner piece 13. The corner piece 13 has the form of tubular parts

130 which are curved around an angle of about 110° and fixed to ties or struts 131. The downwardly extending ends of the tubular members 130 diverge through some few degrees, so that the stanchions 11 will have a greater width at the base than at the upper part thereof. The other horizontal end-parts of the corner pieces 13 are essentially parallel so as to be able to receive the ends of parallel, straight profile elements 140 forming the cross-member 12, and consist of tubing that can be readily cut. The tubular members 111, 140 are secured m the corner piece 13 with the aid of glue or some appropriate fastener means. When the arch 1 has been erected, the tubular members 140 shall lie on essentially the same horizontal level, and the tubular members 111 in respective stanchions 11 shall "pitch" a plane that includes the longi- tudinal direction of the boat.

As shown m Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the arch frame structure 1 is covered with inner shell panels 15 and outer shell panels 17, which cover the two tubular members 140/111. The shells 15, 17 are produced m several parts, which are butt-jomted or overlap-jointed along and around the arch. The outer shell 5 part 17 has m its central region a gutter 171 for carrying away water. The outer shell part also includes edge portions 172 which project out beyond respective tubular members 140. The inner shell part 15 has edge portions that are curved outwardly through an angle of about 90°'. The edge extremities 151 of the edge portions are located closely adjacent to the collared edge portions 172 of the shell parts 17, such as to form a narrow slot 180 therebetween. It will be seen from Fig. 4 that the width of the edge portions 151 is substan- tially greater than the diameter of the tubular members 140. This provides room for housing instruments m the web of the shells 15. The edge portions 172 and 151 lie against the tubular members 140 and are riveted/screwed thereto.

As shown m Fig. 5, a tape 16 that carries one half a zip- fastener is clamped in the slot 180 and secured therein when the shell portions 15, 17 are fixed to respective pairs of tubular members. It will also be seen from Fig. 5 that a canopy 20 has provided around its edge a tape 16' that carries the other half of the zip-fastener for coaction with the zip-fastener half clamped m said gap or slot. It will also be seen that the zip-fastener is located beneath the edge portion 172 of the outer shell 17 folded over the tubular member 140.

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the shell part 17a covering the corner region of the frame structure, and the shell portion 17b covering the frame stanchions 11, have principly the same cross-section although each with a width that is adapted to the width between the tubular members in the longitudinal direction of the boat.

The same applies for the inner shell 15. 6 The zip-fastener connection shown m Fig. 5 is, of course, also suitable for the right-hand part of Fig. 4, when so desired.

One advantage afforded by the inventive arch is that it can be erected easily with the aid of a construction kit, wherewith the tubular members 111, 140 can be readily cut to desired lengths, and wherewith the lengths of the panels 15, 17 can also be cut/sawn and thereby adapted to the final shape of the tubular frame structure.

As will be evident from Fig. 1, the construction kit may also include a straight mounting bar 2 which interconnects the attachment devices 113 that are, in turn, attached to the bottom ends of the tubular members 111.

Fig. 6 illustrates a variant m which the corner pieces are integral with respective ends of the cross-member 12, said cross-member including two tubular parts that can be joined with a conventional joint, e.g., in the symmetry plane of the arch, i.e. the ends 12A of the tubular members are threaded onto an inner support sleeve, after having been cut to a desired length, and are then butt joined and connected to the support sleeve (not shown) .

Fig. 8 corresponds to Fig. 4 with the exception that one edge portion 172 of the shell part has been drawn down to the level of the underside of the tubular member 140 and then raised to form a channel 173. The bottom shell 15 has also been placed essentially m a bottom tangential plane to the tubular member 140. The arrow 175 indicates the primary direction of movement of the vehicle on which the arch is erected. In exceptional cases, a zip-fastener tape can also be clamped m the front clamping slot. The clamped tape 16 is shown to have a bead on its free edge so that it can be shape-bound.

Claims

7 CLAIMS

1. An arch construction kit for a boat or car, said arch comprising a generally U-shaped frame (1) which includes two stanchions (11) and a cross-member, wherein those ends of the stanchions (11) that are to be connected to the boat/car are provided with attachment devices (113) which enable the frame to be fastened flexurally rigidly to opposing side-parts of the boat/car m the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein m addition to said two fastener devices (113) the construction kit also includes first profiled elements (111) which can be cut to form the frame stanchions (11), a second profiled element (140) which can be cut to form the cross- member (12) of said frame, and two corner pieces (13) for connecting the cross-member (12) to respective stanchions (11), characterised m that inner and outer shell profiles (15, 17) are attachable to the inside and the outside of the frame (1) along said frame such as to spread out in the longitudinal direction of said boat/car; m that the outer shell profile (17) and the inner shell profile (15) when fixed to the frame (1) have two closely adjacent edge portions (151) at the front and/or the rear part of said frame, said closely adjacent edge-portions defining therebetween a narrow clamping slot (180), wherewith a tape that carries one half of a zip-fastener half (16) included m said kit has a thickness adapted to said slot (180) so that the tape can be clamped therein; and m that the outer shell profile (17) has an edge portion (172) which projects out over said clamped zip-fastener half and covers said zip- fastener half, and possibly also a zip-fastener half fastened to the first-mentioned half.

2. A construction kit according to Claim 1, characterised in that the corner piece is fixedly connected to the cross- member or to a stanchion. 8

3. A construction kit according to Claim 1, characterised m that the first and the second profiled elements each comprise two generally parallel tubular members which are spaced apart m the longitudinal direction of the boat/car.

4. An arch intended for boats or cars and comprising a generally U-shaped frame (1) which includes two stanchions (11) and a cross-member, wherein the ends of the stanchions (11) are provided with attachment devices (113) for flexurally rigid connection to opposing side-parts of the boat/car, wherewith each stanchion (11) is comprised of a first profiled element (111) which is connected via a corner piece to second profiled elements (140), said profiled elements forming the cross-member of said frame, and wherewith inner and outer shell profiles (15, 17) are attached to the inside and outside of the frame (1) respectively such that said profiles cover said frame, characterised m that the outer shell profile (17) and the inner shell profile (15) when fixed to the frame (1) have at the front and/or the rear part of said frame two closely adjacent edge portions (151) which define a narrow clamping slot (180), wherewith a tape that carries one half (16) of a zip-fastener has a thickness which is adapted to the width of said slot or gap (180) and is clamped therein; and m that the outer shell profile (17) has an edge portion (172) which projects out over said clamped half of said zip-fastener and covers said half, and possibly also the other half of said zip-fastener fastened to said first half.