Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment – Canoe or kayak
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2001-11-13
Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3617)
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
Canoe or kayak
C114S354000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314904
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a collapsible canoe which facilitates assembly without compromising the integrity of the assembled canoe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Collapsible canoes have been available for many years. One early canoe which was well suited for packing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,157. More recently, collapsible canoes which offer improvements on the design of the '157 canoe have been developed and marketed by ScanSport, Inc. Another collapsible canoe is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,615,634 and 5,964,178.
FIGS. 1 through 4
illustrate a prior art collapsible canoe
10
which represents an earlier design marketed by ScanSport, Inc. The collapsible canoe
10
has a frame
12
which includes a pair of gunwales
14
, each having a bow end
16
and a stern end
17
. A pair of gunwale terminators
18
connect the bow ends
16
of each of the gunwales
14
together and connect together the stem ends
17
of each of the gunwales
14
.
The frame
12
also includes a series of ribs
20
, each attached to the gunwales
14
with gunwale-engaging clips
22
, one of which is shown in detail in FIG.
2
. At least one thwart
24
is connected to the gunwales
14
to maintain a separation therebetween. In the collapsible canoe
10
illustrated, the thwart
24
is attached to the rib
20
′, and is connected to the gunwales
14
thereby.
The frame
12
has a keel stringer
26
, which traverses the ribs
20
. The frame
12
also has supplemental bottom stringers
28
which traverse the ribs
20
and are symmetrically disposed with respect to the keel stringer
26
. The keel stringer
26
and supplemental bottom stringers
28
are engaged by stringer-engaging clips
30
on the ribs
20
, and define a bottom region of the frame
12
. The stringer-engaging clips
30
limit lateral motion of the keel stringer
26
and the supplemental bottom stringers
28
along the ribs
20
, while allowing longitudinal motion normal to the ribs
20
.
A pair of stem elements
32
(only one of which is visible) are slidably engaged with and terminate the keel stringer
26
. Each of the stem elements
32
extends up to one of the gunwale terminators
18
. The supplemental bottom stringers
28
terminate at bottom stringer terminators
34
(as better shown in
FIG. 3
) which are affixed to the stem elements
32
. In combination, the stringer-engaging clips
30
and bottom stringer terminators
34
maintain the supplemental bottom stringers
28
in position.
The collapsible canoe
10
has a skin
36
which covers the frame
12
. In the view of
FIG. 1
, the skin
36
is shown partially cut away to better show the structure of the collapsible canoe
10
. The frame
12
supports the skin
36
, and also is supported thereby, since the elements of the frame
12
are, for the most part, not secured to each other. Such cooperation between the frame
12
and the skin
36
reduces the number of connectors needed for assembly of the collapsible canoe
10
to simplify assembly and disassembly.
The skin
36
has a pair of gunwale sleeves
38
which engage the gunwales
14
of the frame
12
to secure the skin
36
to the frame
12
. Tension of the skin
36
secures the gunwales
14
to the gunwale-engaging clips
22
on the ribs
20
. The skin
36
also has a pair of side panels
40
which may be formed integrally with the gunwale sleeves
38
, but which are preferably constructed as separate elements to better accommodate the curvature of the frame
12
and to allow the use of a lighter weight fabric for the side panels
40
to minimize weight. A bottom panel
42
is attached to the side panels
40
. The side panels
40
are attached to the bottom panel
42
and to each other at two end seam regions
44
(only one of which is shown).
Means for tensioning the skin
36
are provided by a pair of inflatable compartments
46
which reside between the side panels
40
and the frame
12
when the collapsible canoe
10
is assembled. The inflatable compartments
46
, when inflated, help maintain the skin
36
tautly in place on the frame
12
. The inflatable compartments
46
are preferably removably attached to the skin
36
to facilitate replacement if damaged.
In the collapsible canoe
10
, each stem element
32
is provided with means for securing one of the gunwale terminators
18
to the stem element
32
. The means for securing one of the gunwale terminators
18
to the stem element
32
are provided by a gunwale terminator securing strap
47
in combination with a vertical stop
48
, as better shown in FIG.
4
. The gunwale terminator securing strap
47
is attached to the stem element
32
, passes over the stem element
32
and around the gunwale terminator
18
, and is secured to the vertical stop
48
with snaps
49
. The vertical stop
48
is in turn affixed to the stem element
32
. The gunwale terminator securing strap
47
binds the gunwale terminator
18
to the stem element
32
to secure it thereto, and the vertical stop
48
limits motion of the gunwale terminator
18
with respect to the stem element
32
as well as securing the gunwale terminator securing strap
47
.
While the gunwale terminator securing strap
47
and the vertical stop
48
provide means to secure the gunwale terminator
18
to the stem element
32
, it has been found that such securing means are not necessary. Upwards forces on the stem element
32
, which are discussed in greater detail below, in combination with tension in the skin
36
, serve to secure the stem element
32
with respect to the gunwale terminator
18
, making the securing of these elements together by employing additional frame elements unnecessary. Elimination of such additional frame elements simplifies fabrication and assembly/disassembly of the collapsible canoe
10
.
FIGS. 5 through 8
illustrate the bow end of another prior art collapsible canoe
50
which represents a more recent model marketed by ScanSport, Inc., and which offers several improvements over the collapsible canoe
10
discussed above. These improvements, which are discussed in greater detail below, may be summarized as follows. The collapsible canoe
50
eliminates the means to secure the gunwale terminator to the stem element and instead connects the gunwale terminator and stem element together using hardware which is identical to that which connects the ribs to the gunwales, which facilitates fabrication of the collapsible canoe
50
. The skin of the collapsible canoe
50
is provided with terminator panels at the ends, minimizing leakage of the skin. Finally, the collapsible canoe
50
is provided with inflatable compartment support rods which improve the appearance.
The overall layout of the collapsible canoe
50
is similar to that of the collapsible canoe
10
. The stern end of the collapsible canoe
50
(not shown) is similar to the bow end which is illustrated. The collapsible canoe
50
again has a frame
52
which includes a pair of gunwales
54
, each having a bow end
56
and a stern end (not shown). A gunwale terminator
58
connects the bow ends
56
of each of the gunwales
54
together.
The frame
52
also includes a series of ribs
60
, each of which is attached to the gunwales
54
with gunwale-engaging clips
62
. At least one thwart
64
is connected to the gunwales
54
to maintain a separation between the gunwales
54
. In the collapsible canoe
50
, the thwart
64
is attached to the rib
60
′, which in turn is attached to the gunwales
54
.
The frame
52
has a keel stringer
66
and supplemental bottom stringers
68
which traverse the ribs
60
and are engaged by stringer-engaging clips
70
on the ribs
60
. A stem element
72
terminates the keel stringer
66
, and extends up to the gunwale terminator
58
. The supplemental bottom stringers
68
terminate at bottom stringer terminators
74
which are affixed to the stem element
72
.
The collapsible canoe
50
has a skin
76
which covers and supports the frame
52
.
FIG. 7
is an exploded view of the skin
76
. The skin
76
has a pair of gunwale sleeves
78
w
Semprebon Jeffrey E.
Sotelo Jesus D.
Weins Michael J.
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