Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Convertible or combined
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-09
2004-09-21
Elkins, Gary E. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Convertible or combined
C114S347000, C114S364000, C224S406000, C224S539000, C224S543000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793106
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.Field of Invention
The invention relates to the field of small boats. More particularly, it relates to canoes or other open-hulled boats that have a pointed bow, pointed stern, or both. More particularly still, the invention relates to storage compartments that can be installed on said boats.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the field of canoeing, there is an ancient and well-known device, the “wanigan,” for carrying items in a secure fashion within the vessel while it is underway. A wanigan typically is a wooden box having a rectangular cross-section and a hinged or removable lid and, sometimes, equipped with carrying handles on the sides. The wanigan is filled with items that are to be taken along on the voyage, and then it is placed within the canoe, typically in a manner permitting its bottom to rests directly on the floor of the canoe.
A number of patents have issued for canoe storage compartments that are essentially modifications of the traditional wanigan design. Linnell, II et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,623) describes a travel box for a canoe that differs very little from the traditional wanigan design aside from the addition of a storable panel that may be attached to the edge of the box and used as a table. Linnell, II et al. lacks any means of securing the box immovably to the canoe. The securing means taught be Linnell, II et al. consist of flexible loop handles attached to the box and deployed by passing them around the canoe thwarts or struts would not prevent the box from shifting while the canoe is underway, a potentially serious hazard. Also, the box of Linnell, II et al. appears not to make efficient use of the space within the canoe, its exterior shape not conforming sufficiently with the inner shape of the hull. In fact, the shape of the box taught by Linnell, II et al. requires that the box be placed in the middle portion of the canoe (“amidships”) where passengers typically sit, thus interfering with the full use of the canoe. Finally, the box disclosed by Linnell, II et al. extends above the canoe's gunwales, a circumstance that not only raises the center of mass of the canoe+load (with the concomitant degrading of stability), but also can interfere with the paddling.
Mathleu (U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,488) describes an insulated cooler box intended for use within a canoe and which avoids some of the problems set out above. The box taught by Mathleu is tapered longitudinally, narrowing toward the rear (the end intended to be proximal to one end or the other of the canoe), and is equipped with a metal channel along each of the upper, outside edges. This configuration allows the box to be mounted on and suspended from the flanges extending inboard from the two gunwales, and then slid toward an end of the canoe, such that its tapered shape fits snugly against the inside of the hull so as to hold It securely in place. While the box of Mathleu does permit the container to be rigidly mounted within the canoe, its shape does not appear to be directed toward fitting it into either the extreme fore or aft of the vessel, the most unused spaces In a canoe. Furthermore, by its nature, it mounts in the canoe in such a way that its metal channels rest atop the gunwales, again creating the potential for Interference with the paddle. Furthermore, the above-the-gunwales mount means that the center-of-mass height of the canoe/box combination is not minimized.
Shay (U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,642) describes a carrying case that can be mounted within a canoe. The case described by Shay is designed to fit over the center thwart of the canoe, and is held in place by several mechanical latches fastened to the flange of the canoe. This case described by Shay is designed so that the upper portion of the case extends several inches above the gunwales of the canoe. The complexity of the mechanism for securing this invention limits the convenience of its use. In addition, its position astride one of the canoe's thwarts is undesirable because of center-of-mass height considerations.
Carlson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,289) describes a storage compartment intended for mounting within a canoe. In use, the compartment described by Carlson sits crosswise in the center of the canoe, being held in place by screw clamps affixing it to the gunwales. The compartment of Carlson has the disadvantage of not being easily mounted or removed from the canoe. In addition, its shape prevents it from making efficient use of space and causing it to sit high within the canoe, to the detriment of center of mass height.
A more recently disclosed storage compartment intended for use within a canoe is taught by Salathe (U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,061). It is shaped to fit within a canoe, thus improving the use of space, but is intended to be held in place simply by gravity. Skid pads affixed to the bottom of the Salathe box to reduce the likelihood of its sliding along the bottom of the canoe. In addition to being shaped to conform more with hull shape, the Salathe box is presented as doubling as a seat for a canoeist. While it may play such a role In those canoes that do not feature integral seats, it will be rather awkward to use in the majority of canoes that already have a seat for the canoeist. Use of the Salathe box in a canoe already equipped with one or more seats would require either the removal of one of those seats, or the Installation of the box in a location away from the seats. Furthermore, there is a question of whether, even in a canoe where the Salathe box can serve as a seat, the box is so high that it will raise the center of mass of the canoeist above what it would otherwise be.
A wanigan design described by Hanna et al. (U.S. Pat. No. D294, 659) discloses novel ornamental elements for a container intended for use within a canoe, but does not suggest functional features of such a container and hence does not offer solutions to the problems noted above in the utilitarian prior art.
Therefore, what is needed is a canoe box with which to convey securely and without water damage all of the items that a canoeist might wish to transport. What is further needed is such a box that is easy to affix to and to remove from a canoe and that, once affixed will not shift with the motion of the canoe. What is yet further needed is such a box that makes efficient use of the space within a canoe without constraining the canoe hull from flexing, and does not interfere with the comfort of canoe passengers or the efficiency of the paddling of the canoe. Finally, what is needed is such a box that once affixed to a canoe will remain affixed should the canoe capsize and will serve as additional flotation for a capsized or swamped canoe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage container (alternately referred to herein as a box) that is readily affixable to and removable from the regions of a watercraft that contain the space that is least valuable to the users of the watercraft. It is a further object to provide such a container that when affixed in those regions it does not interfere the occupants of the watercraft, nor, when the watercraft is a canoe, with the paddling nor the seaworthiness of the canoe. (Although for definiteness, the watercraft will be referred to as a canoe from this point forward, it is to be understood that the present invention has equal applicability to any boat presenting a bow or stern configuration generally similar to that of a canoe.) It is a yet further object that the canoe box of this invention does not raise the center of mass of the canoe plus contents once it is in place.
These objects are met by producing a box that it will fit snugly into either the bow or stem of the canoe for which it is intended, something that to first order requires that the box be tapered from front to rear in conformance with the shape of the canoe hull near its extremities. Although there are some variations in this shape when one looks at the entire universe of canoes, one canoe feature that is constant across most of that universe is t
Bohan Thomas L.
Mathers Patricia M.
LandOfFree
Bow-stern canoe box does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Bow-stern canoe box, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bow-stern canoe box will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3260847