Ships – Boats – boat component – or attachment – Sectional
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-12-04
Avila, Stephen (Department: 3617)
Ships
Boats, boat component, or attachment
Sectional
C114S357000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325014
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates methods of constructing boat hulls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The so-called Jon boat is a conventional boat design that serves a multitude of purposes. It is used commercially as a work boat, and it is also used for fishing and hunting. Current manufacturing practice for the construction of a Jon boat is to make the hull of aluminum. This requires cutting of sheet metal, welding, riveting, labor-intensive assembly practices, and anti-corrosion treatments.
As a result of the conventional construction technique, a Jon boat has a fixed length which cannot be altered once the hull has been fabricated. Due to consumer preferences, it is sound business practice to manufacture and offer for sale a variety of Jon boats having different lengths. For each length, the Jon boat manufacturer must have a respective hull design and a respective hull fabrication procedure. As a result, the manufacturer would need to maintain an inventory of boats or boat hulls of different lengths.
There is a need for a method of manufacturing boat hulls which reduces the manufacturing time and which is environmentally friendly from the recycling standpoint. Preferably such a boat hull would be made of a material which is not susceptible to corrosion. It would also be desirable to provide a modular boat hull the length of which is selected at the time of assembly, thereby obviating the need to maintain an inventory of boat hulls of different lengths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a modular boat hull comprising a hull bow section, a hull stern section and one or more hull center sections. Preferably these modular sections are rotomolded thermoplastic parts. These modular hull sections can be quickly assembled by coupling a center section to the bow section and then coupling the stern section to the center section. To increase the length of the hull, additional hull center sections can be added as desired, in which case the hull center sections are coupled in series and the hull stern section is coupled to the last hull center section. The modular sections enable a boat dealer and others to assemble boat hulls of various lengths selected at the time of assembly, rather than requiring that boat hulls of different fixed lengths be stored in inventory.
Each modular hull section has a lattice for supporting the deck. The deck can be a single piece installed inside the assembled hull. Alternatively, the deck may comprise deck bow and stern sections designed to fit inside the boat hull of shortest length, and deck center sections designed to be installed between the deck bow and stern sections in boat hulls having greater lengths.
The modular hull sections are coupled by locking arrangements and then secured by installing support members which bridge the joints between the gunwale sections of adjacent hull sections. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the rear portion of the hull bow section has a female locking portion incorporated on each side; the front portion of the hull center section has a male locking portion incorporated on each side; the rear portion of the hull center section has a female locking portion incorporated on each side; and the front portion of the hull stern section has a male locking portion incorporated on each side. The male locking portions on the hull center section respectively interlock with the female locking portions on the hull bow section; while the male locking portions on the hull stern section respectively interlock with the female locking portions on the hull center section. It will be readily appreciated, however, that the positions of the male and female locking parts can be reversed, e.g., the rear portion of the hull bow section may incorporate a male locking portion on each side while the corresponding female locking portion is incorporated in the front portion of the center section, and so forth. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the male locking portion is a member (i.e., key) in the shape of a truncated pyramid, whereas the female locking portion is a recess (i.e., lock) having the same shape and dimensioned to receive the key member, preferably with a snug fit. When the key members of one section are inserted in the locking recesses of an adjacent section, the coupled sections are interlocked so that they are unable to move relative to each other in the longitudinal and lateral directions. The coupled sections are then secured to each other, e.g., using extruded aluminum channel moldings which are respectively fastened to the starboard and port gunwales such that the joints between adjacent sections are bridged.
The boat hull disclosed herein has application in power boats and boats which have no propulsion unit. A propulsion unit or outboard motor can be mounted on the rear wall or transom of the boat hull. In accordance with the preferred embodiment disclosed herein, a formed metal plate is affixed to the plastic transom to support an outboard motor.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3400414 (1968-09-01), Windle
patent: 5301629 (1994-04-01), Kleyh et al.
patent: 5540169 (1996-07-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5634425 (1997-06-01), MacDougall
patent: 5758594 (1998-06-01), Siewert
patent: 5803007 (1998-09-01), Stevens
Avila Stephen
Flaherty Dennis M.
Genmar Holdings, Inc.
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