Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment – Seat and foot support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-06
2001-07-31
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
Seat and foot support
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267071
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of seats at the helm of a boat. More particularly, the present invention relates to a helm seat adjustment assembly that permits the helm seats to be adjustable vertically and horizontally. Most particularly yet, the present invention relates to such an adjustment assembly and to a control device for actuating the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The helm of a boat is the steering and control center of the boat and is situated in the boat cockpit. It typically comprises a steering wheel, engine throttle controls and the visual instruments that display speed, engine operating conditions, water depth, and radar and other navigation data. The term boat as used herein refers to an engine- and/or wind-propelled water craft, controlled by a human operator. For the purposes of this discussion, no distinction is made between work boats and pleasure boats.
The operational parameters of a boat constantly change while it is underway, primarily due to chances in boat speed, and/or wind and wave conditions. As boat speed increases, for example, the angle of the boat relative to the water surface also changes. It is critical for operational safety that the boat operator maintain a proper position relative to the helm, and that his or her view around the exterior of the boat be clear. Thus, the changing parameters frequently require that the boat operator change his or her position within the boat in order to maintain optimal seating position relative to the helm and to maintain the clear line-of-sight that is vital to safe operation of the boat.
Apart from the variable boating conditions, the variation in physical size from one boat operator to the next also makes desirable a helm seat that can be adjusted. Conventional helm seats are mounted on the floor of the boat in the cockpit by a vertical pier or the like. In addition to being difficult to adjust, such floor-mounted helm seats have the further disadvantage that they take up valuable floor space and make it difficult to access hatches that need to be opened to reach equipment or storage areas beneath the floor in the vicinity of the helm. Also, floor-mounted helm seats make it difficult to clean and/or maintain the cockpit area.
Therefore, what is needed is a method of, and apparatus for, providing a helm seat that will readily and comfortably accommodate the necessary position changes of the boat operator during navigation. What is further needed is such a method and apparatus that will improve the utilization of space and simplify cleaning and maintenance tasks in the cockpit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For the reasons cited above, it is an object of the invention to provide a method of mounting a helm seat that readily and comfortably allows the boat operator to adjust his or her seated position at the helm, vertically and/or horizontally. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a method that will improve the utilization of floor space beneath the helm seat and simplify cleaning and maintenance tasks in the cockpit. It is a yet further object to provide a vertical and horizontal position-adjustment apparatus according to the method.
The objects of the invention are achieved by providing a method of controlling and modifying the vertical and horizontal position of a helm seat mounted to a cockpit wall of the boat cockpit. Further, the objects are achieved by providing apparatus for adjusting the vertical and/or horizontal position of a helm seat according to the method, and a control device for controlling and modifying the horizontal and vertical position of the helm seat.
The goal of providing improved access to that area of the boat deck under the helm seat is met by providing a cantilevered mount for the seat. An adjustable helm seat according to the present invention has a vertical-adjustment assembly that includes a pair of vertical rails. The vertical-adjustment assembly is rigidly affixed to a wall of a boat cockpit by conventional means, such as bolts or other threaded fasteners or rivets. A vertically adjustable helm-seat frame component is slidably arranged between the pair of vertical rails. The helm seat further has a horizontal-adjustment assembly that includes a pair of horizontal rails and a horizontal-adjustment actuating device is affixed to the vertically adjustable seat frame component. The vertical adjustment and horizontal adjustment may be manually, electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically controlled, such as by a mechanical crank mechanism, or conventional electrical or hydraulic control means. A position-control device that, in the Preferred Embodiment, connects and activates both the horizontal adjustment and the vertical adjustment, is provided in a location that is readily accessible to the boat operator.
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patent: 5810125 (1998-09-01), Gezari
patent: 6042145 (2000-03-01), Mitschelen
Bohan Thomas L.
Mathers Patricia M.
Morano S. Joseph
Wright Andrew
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