U.S. patent application number 10/924109 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-23 for rotatable wakeboard support.
Invention is credited to Terry G. Aff.
Application Number | 20060037527 10/924109 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35908468 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060037527 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Aff; Terry G. |
February 23, 2006 |
Rotatable wakeboard support
Abstract
A wakeboard support includes a clamp fixed a substantially
vertical standard on a boat. The clamp has an outside surface that
is substantially rotationally symmetric about an axis aligned with
the standard. A collar surrounds the clamp. The collar has an
inside surface reflecting the clamp outside surface allowing
rotation of the collar around the clamp and standard. The collar
outside surface has support members adapted to carry a wakeboard. A
lock is coupled to the collar and engaged with the clamp to fix the
collar at selected positions around the standard.
Inventors: |
Aff; Terry G.; (Noblesville,
IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
INDIANAPOLIS OFFICE 27879;BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
ONE INDIANA SQUARE, SUITE 1600
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46204-2033
US
|
Family ID: |
35908468 |
Appl. No.: |
10/924109 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
114/364 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B 32/70 20200201 |
Class at
Publication: |
114/364 |
International
Class: |
B63B 1/00 20060101
B63B001/00 |
Claims
1. A wakeboard support for use on a boat having a substantially
vertical standard, the wakeboard support comprising: a clamp
adapted to be fixed to a standard, the clamp having an outside
surface rotationally symmetric about an axis aligned with the
standard, a collar adapted to surround the clamp, the collar having
an outside surface adapted to receive support members adapted to
carry a wakeboard, the collar having an inside surface, adapted to
confront the outside surface of the clamp, reflecting the geometry
of the clamp outside surface allowing rotation of the collar around
the clamp and standard, and a lock adapted to be coupled to the
collar and engaged with the clamp to fix the collar at selected
positions around the clamp.
2. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the clamp outer surface
comprises an upper protruding ring and a lower protruding ring
separated by an indented cylindrical surface.
3. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the clamp outer surface
includes a plurality of spaced holes for engagement by the
lock.
4. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the clamp comprises a
pair of semi-cylindrical segments and coupling elements coupling
the pair of segments together at a selected fixed position on the
standard.
5. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the collar outside
surface comprises a planar segment, the support members being
coupled to the planar segment.
6. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the clamp outside
surface includes at least one substantially horizontal portion, and
the collar inside surface includes at least one substantially
horizontal portion engaging the corresponding portion on the clamp
for supporting the collar against downward displacement due to
gravity.
7. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the collar includes an
opening between the outside surface and the inside surface of the
collar, said lock being aligned to penetrate the opening to contact
the clamp.
8. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises a
biasing member providing a force between the lock and the collar
urging the lock into engagement with the clamp.
9. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the lock includes a
handle for manipulation of the lock and collar.
10. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the support members on
the collar outside surface are upward inclined to provide a
gravitational force toward the standard on any wakeboard placed
thereon.
11. The wakeboard support of claim 1 wherein the support members on
the collar outside surface comprise two unitary forks having tines
vertically spaced from each other, the unitary forks being fixed to
the collar outside surface.
12. The wakeboard support of claim 1 further comprising a back
board coupled to the outside surface of the collar including said
support members.
13. The wakeboard support of claim 12 further comprising coupling
elements coupling the back board and the collar together while
allowing some limited pivotal movement between the back board and
collar.
14. A wakeboard support for use on a boat having a substantially
vertical standard, the wakeboard support comprising: a clamp fixed
to the standard, the clamp having an outside surface rotationally
symmetric about an axis aligned with the standard, a collar
surrounding the clamp, the collar having an outside surface
including a substantially vertical planar segment, and two unitary
forks having tines vertically spaced from each other, the unitary
forks being fixed to the planar segment of the collar outside
surface so that the tines are upward inclined to provide a
gravitational force toward the standard on any wakeboard placed
thereon, the collar having an inside surface confronting the
outside surface of the clamp reflecting the geometry thereof
allowing rotation of the collar around the clamp and standard, and
a lock coupled to the collar and engagable with the clamp to fix
the collar at selected positions around the clamp.
15. The wakeboard support of claim 14 wherein the clamp outer
surface comprises an upper protruding ring and a lower protruding
ring separated by an indented cylindrical surface, the clamp
comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical segments, and coupling
elements within the upper and lower protruding rings coupling the
pair of segments together at a selected fixed position on the
standard.
16. The wakeboard support of claim 15 wherein each of the
protruding rings includes a substantially horizontal surface
portion, and the collar inside surface includes at least two
substantially horizontal portions engaging the corresponding
portions on the clamp for supporting the collar against downward
displacement due to gravity.
17. The wakeboard support of claim 14 wherein the clamp outer
surface includes a plurality of spaced holes lying in a common
horizontal plane, and wherein the collar includes an opening
between the outside surface and the inside surface of the collar,
the opening in the collar lying in the same common horizontal plane
as the holes in the clamp outer surface, said lock being aligned to
penetrate the opening in the collar to contact any of the holes in
the clamp.
18. The wakeboard support of claim 17 wherein the lock comprises a
pin projecting into the opening in the collar and a biasing member
coupled between the collar and the lock providing a force urging
the pin into engagement with the clamp, and a handle for
withdrawing the pin from any hole in the collar.
19. The wakeboard support of claim 14 further comprising a back
board imposed between the unitary forks and the planar segment of
the collar.
20. The wakeboard support of claim 19 further comprising coupling
elements coupling the back board and planar segment of the collar
together while allowing some limited pivotal movement between the
back board and planar segment.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to devices for the support and
storage of sporting equipment, and particularly to an apparatus for
storing wakeboards and water skis in a boat.
[0003] 2. General Background
[0004] Wakeboarding is an aquatic sport in which a wakeboarding
enthusiast stands on a wakeboard, similar in appearance to a
snowboard or skateboard, while being towed from a ski boat with a
speed sufficient to allow the wakeboard to support the user on the
surface of the water. As such, wakeboarding is closely related to
water skiing on a single or slalom ski. Wakeboards differ from
slalom skis by being wider and shorter than a slalom ski, and
wakeboards have upwardly-curved back ends which facilitate a wider
variety of wakeboarding maneuvers or tricks. Wakeboards, like
slalom water skis, have two boot-like bindings to receive the
skier's feet and a downwardly-extending fin at the bottom rear of
the wakeboard which provides the user with both lateral stability
and maneuverability.
[0005] While generally shorter than water skis, wakeboards still
take up a considerable amount of space when not in use,
particularly in relatively compact ski boats. When individual
wakeboarders desire to use a variety of different wakeboards,
carrying these wakeboards in a ski boat is rather cumbersome. These
wakeboards alone, or in combination with water skis, simply tend to
pile up and to occupy an undesirably large percentage of space on
the floor of the water ski boat. Since each wake board and slalom
water ski has two upwardly-projecting bindings or boots attached to
the top surface, they are also quite difficult to effectively
stack. In addition, haphazardly piling wakeboards and slalom water
skis, one upon another, tends to scratch or damage both the boots
and the board surfaces which are often decorated or finely
finished. Furthermore, boating safety becomes somewhat compromised
since persons in the boat can easily trip over loose or poorly
stacked wakeboards.
[0006] To reduce these problems, racks have been designed to hold
several wakeboards and slalom skis in an organized fashion. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,133 to Mareno discloses a wakeboard
rack fixed to a vertically extending tow pylon. The rack includes a
collar that is fixed to the vertically extending tow pylon. A
plurality of spaced apart support arms or members are connected to
the collar and adapted to support at least one horizontally
oriented wakeboard. A plurality of attaching members, which are
preferably either flexible hook and loop type attaching straps or
resiliently flexible cords, are connected to the support arms and
having a length sufficient to wrap around the wakeboard to secure
the wakeboard to the rack.
[0007] While the Mareno apparatus performs the intended function,
the actual placement of the wakeboard in the rack, or the
withdrawal of the wakeboard from the rack, can be very awkward,
particularly when there are only one or two people involved in the
wakeboarding activity, one of which is in the water, not in the
boat. What is needed is a better wakeboard rack that will
facilitate the placement and withdrawal of a wakeboard or slalom
ski while inside the boat.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0008] A wakeboard support of the present invention is intended for
use on a boat having a substantially vertical standard. The
standard can form a portion of a wakeboard towing frame or tower.
The term wakeboard is not intended to limiting of the function of
the support as the support can also be employed to store slalom
water skis and other water sports equipment on board a boat. The
wakeboard support of the present invention includes a clamp that
can be fixed to such a standard at a suitable position. The clamp
has an outside surface that is substantially rotationally symmetric
about an axis aligned with the standard to which the clamp is
secured. A collar is adapted to surround the clamp. The collar has
an inside surface, adapted to confront the outside surface of the
clamp, that generally reflects the geometry of the clamp outside
surface allowing rotation of the collar around the clamp and any
standard to which the clamp is fixed. The collar also has an
outside surface including support members adapted to carry a
wakeboard. A lock is provided that can be coupled to the collar and
engaged with the clamp to fix the collar at selected positions
around the clamp.
[0009] The clamp can take the form of a pair of semi-cylindrical
segments with coupling elements, such as threaded fasteners,
coupling the pair of segments together at any selected fixed
position on the standard. The clamp outer surface can include an
upper protruding ring and a lower protruding ring separated by an
indented cylindrical surface. The clamp outside surface can also
include at least one substantially horizontal portion, while the
collar inside surface includes at least one substantially
horizontal portion engaging the corresponding portion on the clamp,
for supporting the collar against downward displacement due to
gravity. At least one of the substantially horizontal portions of
the clamp outside surface can be formed by an upper surface of the
lower protruding ring. A plurality of spaced holes can be provided
on the clamp outer surface for engagement by the lock.
[0010] The collar outside surface can include a planar segment,
with the support members being coupled, directly or indirectly, to
the planar segment. The support members on the collar outside
surface can be upward inclined to provide a gravitational force
toward the standard on any wakeboard or other water sports
equipment placed thereon. The support members can take the form of
two unitary forks having tines vertically spaced from each other,
the unitary forks being fixed to the collar outside surface. The
support members can take the form shown in my co-pending design
application Ser. No. 29/208431, which is hereby incorporated by
reference. The collar can include an opening between the outside
surface and the inside surface of the collar, with the lock being
aligned to penetrate the opening to contact the clamp.
[0011] The lock can take the form of a pin than is inserted into
the collar opening. The opening in the collar can lie in the same
common horizontal plane as the holes in the clamp outer surface so
that the lock pin can be aligned to penetrate the opening in the
collar to contact any of the holes in the clamp. A biasing member
can be provided to supply a force between the lock and the collar
urging the lock into engagement with the clamp. A handle can be
provided on the lock that enables one to manually disengage the
lock from contact with the clamp. The handle can also be used to
facilitate rotation of the collar and support members around the
clamp and standard to facilitate placement or withdrawal of a
wakeboard.
[0012] Other features and advantages of the present system will be
come apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, which can be considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ski boat having a tow
tower including two wakeboard racks of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the wakeboard racks
shown in FIG. 1.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of a clamp
used in a wakeboard rack of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view, partially broken away, of
the clamp of FIG. 3.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of a
collar designed to cooperate with the clamp of FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0018] FIG. 6 is an elevation view of one half of the collar shown
in FIG. 5.
[0019] FIG. 7 is an exploded assembly view of the clamp and collar
of FIGS. 3-6.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a back elevation view of a back board showing the
connection between the back board and the collar.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] A boat 10 is shown in FIG. 1 that has substantially vertical
standards 12. Lower ends 14 of the standards 12 are coupled to a
support 16 adjacent to the gunwales 18 of the boat 10. Upper ends
20 of the standards 12 are coupled together by a header 22. A
bracing member 24 can be coupled between the header 22 and the prow
26 of the boat 10. The standards 12 and header 22 can form a
tow-tower 28 to which lines or ropes, not shown, can be connected
to tow water skiers and wakeboarders behind the boat 10.
[0022] Wakeboard racks 30 of the present invention are shown
coupled to each of the standards 12. The wakeboard rack 30 on the
port side 32 of the boat 10 is shown to be located in an inboard or
deployment position while the wakeboard rack 30 on the starboard
side 34 is shown to be located in an outboard or storage position.
The wakeboard racks 30 of the present invention can be rotated
about the standards 12 so that they can be selectively located at a
number of positions, including the two illustrated positions,
relative to the boat 10 to facilitate placement and withdrawal of a
wakeboard 36 or other water sports device on the rack 30. With the
wakeboard rack 30 rotated to the outboard or storage position, the
available room within the boat 10 for passengers is maximized.
[0023] A wakeboard rack 30 of the present invention is shown in
greater detail in FIG. 2. The rack 30 includes a collar 38 that has
an outside surface 40 that can include a planar segment 42 shown in
FIGS. 5 and 7. A substantially planar back board 44 can be secured
to the outside surface 40 of the collar 38, and preferably to the
planar segment 42. The planar back board 44 can be secured to the
planar segment 42 by the fastening elements 86, 88 as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8. A pair of support members 46 can be coupled directly
to the planar segment of the collar 38 or to a first surface 43 of
the back board 44. The back board 44 permits the pair of support
members 46 to be spaced from each other by a distance that can be
greater than the distance that might be achieved were the support
members 46 secured directly to the collar planar segment 42. The
support members 46 can be upward inclined to provide a
gravitationally induced force toward the standard 12 on any
wakeboard or other water sports equipment placed thereon. The
planar segment 42 can also be inclined to provide a similar effect.
The support members 46 can take the form of two unitary forks 48
having tines 50 that are vertically spaced from each other. The
support members 46 can take the form shown in my co-pending design
application Ser. No. 29/208431, which is hereby incorporated by
reference. Alternatively, the support members 46 can also take the
form of a simple multi-prong design.
[0024] The collar 38 is shown in an exploded view in FIG. 7 along
with an exploded view of a clamp 52 that can be secured to a
standard 12 at any desired height. The clamp 52, which is also
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, can take the form of a pair of
semi-cylindrical sectors 54 with coupling elements 56, such as
threaded fasteners, coupling the pair of sectors 54 together at any
selected fixed position on the standard 12. The clamp 52 has an
inside surface 53 that can be dimensioned to match substantially
the dimensions of the outside surface 13 of the standard 12 to
which the clamp 52 is to be fixed. The clamp 52 has an outer
surface 58 that can include an upper protruding ring 60 and a lower
protruding ring 62 separated by an indented cylindrical surface 64.
The clamp outside surface 58 can also include substantially
horizontal portions 66 that connect the protruding rings 60 and 62
to the indented cylindrical surface 64. In addition to various
openings 68 provided to receive the coupling elements 56, a
plurality of spaced holes 70 can be provided on the clamp outer
surface 58 for engagement by a lock 72, which is shown in FIG. 2.
The outside surface 58 of the clamp 52 is substantially
rotationally symmetric about an axis Y, which is aligned with the
standard 12 around which the clamp 52 is secured.
[0025] The collar 38, which is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 through 7, is
adapted to surround the clamp 52. The collar 38 can be formed by
two sectors 37 and 39 that can be coupled together by fasteners 41,
which can also engage backboard 44. Sector 37 can include the
planar segment 42. Both sectors 37 and 39 of the collar 38 have an
inside surface 74 that is adapted to confront the outside surface
58 of the clamp 52. The inside surface 74 of the collar 38 can
reflect the general geometry of the clamp outside surface 58
allowing rotation of the collar 38 around the clamp 52 and any
standard 12 to which the clamp 52 is fixed. The inside surface 74
of the collar 38 can include substantially horizontal portions 76
for engaging the horizontal surfaces 66 on the clamp 52, for
supporting the collar 38 against any downward displacement due to
gravity. The substantially horizontal portions 76 can constitute
the edges of channels 77 adapted to receive the protruding rings 60
and 62 of the clamp 52. The orientation of the collar 38 with
respect to the clamp 52 and standard 12 is governed by the lock 72.
Sector 39 of the collar 38 can include an opening 78 between the
outside surface 40 and a channel 77 in the inside surface 74 of the
collar 38.
[0026] The lock 72 can take the form of a pin 80 than is inserted
into the opening 78 in the collar 38. The opening 78 in the collar
38 can lie in the same common horizontal plane as the holes 70 in
the clamp outer surface 58 so that the lock pin 80 can be aligned
to penetrate the opening 78 in the collar 38 to contact any of the
holes 70 in the clamp 52. A biasing member 82 can be provided to
supply a force between the lock 72 and the collar 38 urging the
lock 72 into engagement with the clamp 52. A handle 84 can be
provided on the lock 72 that enables one to manually disengage the
lock 72 from contact with the clamp 52. The handle 84 can also be
used to facilitate rotation of the collar 38 and support members 46
around the clamp 52 and standard 12 to facilitate placement or
withdrawal of a wakeboard.
[0027] The planar segment 42 on the sector 37 of the collar 38 can
include at least one fastener 86 for securing the back board 44 to
the collar. Additional pin elements 88 can be fixed to the planar
segment 42 to limit the tilt angle of the back board 44 with
respect to the Y-axis of the collar 38. The fastener 86 can include
an enlarged head 90 that can be received in a pocket or recess 92
within the back board 44 as shown in FIG. 8. Arcuate slots 94 can
be provided in the second surface 45 of the back board 44 on either
side of the recess 92 to receive the pin elements 88. The freedom
of movement between the back board 44 and the sector 37 of the
collar 38 can be controlled by providing frictional resistance
between the surfaces 42 and 45 by adjusting the force applied
through the fastener 86.
[0028] By use of a wakeboard rack of the present invention, the
placement and withdrawal of a wakeboard or slalom ski is
facilitated even when only one or two people are involved in the
water sports activity, one of which is in the water, not in the
boat. Additionally, once the wakeboard or slalom ski is stored in a
wakeboard rack of the present invention, the rack can be easily
rotated and locked so that the space within the boat is
maximized.
[0029] The foregoing detailed description should be regarded as
illustrative rather than limiting, and the following claims,
including all equivalents, are intended to define the spirit and
scope of this invention.
* * * * *