Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment – Protective cover or shield
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-10
2002-09-03
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
Protective cover or shield
Reexamination Certificate
active
06443090
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
(NOT APPLICABLE)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camper back boat assembly which may be readily secured to a boat to protect the occupants from inclement weather.
At the present time, camper back cover structures exist for the attachment to power boats and other boats to enclose the rear portion of the boat from inclement weather. These camper back structures require a supporting hardware which is permanently attached to the power boat to provide the support for the canvas roof covering portion. However, when the prior art camper back structures are not in use, the supporting hardware necessarily remains permanently attached to the boat. Also, if it is desired to remove the supporting hardware from the boat, the use of glass fibers to repair the boat hull is required. Thus, existing camper back cover structures are permanently mounted to the boat hull. Also, the existing camper back structures, when not in use, either obstruct the usage of the boat or require hinged mountings which permits the supporting frame hardware to be collapsed to nest along the sides and rear of the boat. Such nesting occupies significant space and substantially reduces the useful space within the boat.
Another disadvantage of existing camper back structures is that they include significant multiple pieces of canvas which must be rolled and stored within the boat. And, because existing camper back structures require the supporting hardware to be permanently attached to the boat, such structures provide an area which is unsightly and provide supporting hardware which is noisy when the boat is in use. Finally, existing permanent stainless steel supporting structures lower and reduce the amount of headroom available for the occupants in the boat.
Typical cover structures additionally have been primarily limited to covering the back or transom of the boat, thereby limiting potentially useful space. Moreover, existing cover structures have not been suitable for other vehicles such as golf carts and the like or for use independently as a stand-alone unit.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a camper back assembly which is engageable with the back or transom of a boat and the existing awning structure on the boat and which does not require fixed anchoring mountings to the boat deck or hull.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a camper back assembly which is significantly less time consuming to install to provide quicker protection from the elements than existing camper back structures.
A further object of the present invention is a camper back assembly which is less costly, which is easier to store and which does not require permanent hardware to be affixed to a boat hull to anchor the camper back assembly.
Still a further object of the present invention is a camper back assembly which eliminates the need for permanent hardware for attachment to the boat while providing increased headroom for the occupants of the boat.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a camper back assembly which is releaseably mounted to the boat transom and to the existing boat framework or awning structure.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camper back assembly which is inexpensive, which contains less parts and which is significantly easier to install to a boat and remove from the boat than existing camper back assemblies.
The present invention relates to a camper back assembly which is readily mountable to a boat hull to permit rapid installation without the requirement of the use of mounting frames or hardware permanently secured to the boat hull. The camper back assembly of the present invention consists of a covering portion which is structurally arranged to be releaseably secured to the boat hull using the existing snap members that are present on the boat hull.
The camper back assembly further includes a plurality of flexible struts or frame members having one end releaseably secured to the rear or transom of a boat by anchoring the one ends to the covering portion secured to the boat hull and the ends of the strut opposite the one end being releaseably secured to the existing awning secured to the boat. Importantly, the length of the flexible struts is greater than the planar distance between the anchor or securing sites on the boat transom and awning structure. The flexible struts form and define an arch or dome shell which supports the covering portion to provide a protective shell or dome over the covered area.
Preferably, the side and rear edges of the covering portion are releaseably secured to the boat by snap members to provide the protective shell or domed cover over the enclosed area. The front edge of the covering portion is, preferably, releaseably secured to the existing awning structure mounted to the boat to complete the domed enclosure. The flexible struts may be disassembled to permit portability of the camper back assembly. One advantage of the camper back assembly in accordance with the present invention is that the assembly affords significantly more standing headroom in the boat than existing coverings, and this extra headroom permits people to sit or stand in the back of the boat while the camper back is mounted on the boat.
Additionally, the present invention provides a camper back assembly which eliminates the need for a permanent framework to be attached or anchored to the boat and permits the use of a camper back assembly which is significantly less time consuming in assembly, thereby providing quicker protection to the occupants from inclement weather. Also, the camper back assembly in accordance with the present invention may be readily stored within a convenient carrying bag which permits significant savings of boat storage space.
In an alternative strut support structure in accordance with the present invention, the strut support structure utilizes an auxiliary support rod member which is structurally arranged and mounted to extend across the width of the boat under the awning member. The strut support structure is readily affixed to the existing canvas support framework or radar arch. The ends of the flexible strut members are anchored to the auxiliary support rod member and to the transom of the boat. The ends of the strut may be anchored in pockets in the existing awning structure and in pockets in the rear portion of the covering portion. The covering portion is then secured to the boat in the same manner as the first embodiment, as previously described.
The present invention consists of certain novel features and structural details hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanied drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.
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Burk Terry
Erskine Edward J.
Giffin Jeffery J.
Lysne Allen J.
Mathewson Michael
Giffin Jeffery J.
Morano S. Joseph
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Wright Andrew
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