U.S. patent application number 13/168097 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-26 for convertible seat for watercraft.
This patent application is currently assigned to CONFLUENCE HOLDINGS CORP.. Invention is credited to Robert McDonough.
Application Number | 20120017821 13/168097 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45492506 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120017821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McDonough; Robert |
January 26, 2012 |
CONVERTIBLE SEAT FOR WATERCRAFT
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure include convertible seats
for watercraft, and more particularly to seat systems configured to
provide both standard and elevated (also known as casting or
sighting) seat options for recreational watercraft, such as kayaks
and the like. In various embodiments, a recreational watercraft
such as a kayak may include both a standard seat in the cockpit,
and an elevated seat comprising a molded-in seat platform formed in
the hull and/or deck of the watercraft. In various embodiments, the
standard seat may be configured to be stowed at least partially
under the elevated seat when the standard seat is not in use. In
other embodiments, an adjustable seating system for a watercraft is
provided that includes a seat having a seating portion and a back
support portion, wherein the back support portion is hingeably
coupled to the seating portion and adapted to fold substantially
flat over the seating portion, wherein the back support portion
comprises a front surface and a back surface, and wherein the back
surface is contoured to provide an elevated seating surface when
folded over the seating portion. In some embodiments, the seating
portion may be adapted to removably couple to the watercraft via
one or more elastic retention members and one or more adjustment
straps that permit movement of the seating portion in a fore/aft
direction.
Inventors: |
McDonough; Robert; (Easley,
SC) |
Assignee: |
CONFLUENCE HOLDINGS CORP.
Easley
SC
|
Family ID: |
45492506 |
Appl. No.: |
13/168097 |
Filed: |
June 24, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61366511 |
Jul 21, 2010 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
114/363 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63B 34/26 20200201;
B63B 2029/043 20130101; B63B 29/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
114/363 |
International
Class: |
B63B 17/00 20060101
B63B017/00 |
Claims
1. An adjustable seating system for a watercraft, comprising: a
first seat comprising a first seating portion and a first back
support portion, wherein the first back support portion is
hingeably coupled to the first seating portion and adapted to fold
substantially flat over the first seating portion in a storage
position, and wherein the first seating portion has a first seating
height; a second seat positioned sternward of the first seat and
having a second seating portion and a second seating height,
wherein the second seating height is higher than the first seating
height.
2. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the first seat
is configured to stow at least partially under the second seat when
the first back support portion is in the storage position.
3. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the first
seating portion is slidably coupled to the watercraft so as to
permit movement of the first seat in a fore/aft direction.
4. The adjustable seating system of claim 3, wherein the first
seating portion is adapted to removably couple to the watercraft
via a pair of slide bars or via one or more front adjustment straps
and one or more rear tensioning members.
5. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the first back
support portion is tilt-adjustable.
6. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the first seat
further comprises a leg support element.
7. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the first back
support portion has a thickness dimension and provides an elevated
seating surface relative to the first seating portion when in the
storage position.
8. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the first back
support portion has a thickness dimension and provides an elevated
surface adapted to receive a second seat, and wherein the second
seat provides an elevated seating surface relative to the first
seating portion.
9. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the second
seating portion is integrally molded into a deck surface of the
watercraft.
10. The adjustable seating system of claim 1, wherein the second
seat further comprises a second back support portion hingeably
coupled to the second seating portion and adapted to fold
substantially flat over the second seating portion.
11. The adjustable seating system of claim 9, wherein the second
back support portion has a thickness dimension and provides an
elevated seating surface relative to the second seating portion
when the second back support portion is folded over the second
seating portion.
12. An adjustable seating system for a watercraft comprising a seat
having a seating portion and a back support portion, wherein the
back support portion is hingeably coupled to the seating portion
and adapted to fold substantially flat over the seating portion,
wherein the back support portion comprises a front surface and a
back surface, and wherein the back surface is contoured to provide
an elevated seating surface when folded over the seating
portion.
13. The adjustable seating system of claim 11, wherein the seating
portion is slidably coupled to the watercraft so as to permit
movement of the seating portion in a fore/aft direction.
14. The adjustable seating system of claim 12, wherein the seating
portion is adapted to removably couple to the watercraft via a pair
of slide bars or via one or more front adjustment straps and one or
more rear tensioning members.
15. The adjustable seating system of claim 11, wherein the seating
portion is integrally molded into a deck surface of the
watercraft.
16. An adjustable seating system for a watercraft comprising a seat
having a seating portion and a back support portion; wherein the
seating portion is adapted to removably couple to the watercraft
via one or more elastic retention members and one or more
adjustment straps that permit movement of the seating portion in a
fore/aft direction; wherein the one or more adjustments straps are
configured to move the seating portion in a fore direction when
tightened; and wherein the one or more elastic retention members
are configured to move the seating portion in an aft direction when
the one or more adjustments straps are loosened.
17. The adjustable seating system of claim 15, wherein the one or
more elastic retention members are configured to removably couple a
rear portion of the seating system to the watercraft.
18. The adjustable seating system of claim 16, wherein the one or
more adjustment straps are configured to removably couple a front
portion of the seating system to the watercraft.
19. The adjustable seating system of claim 16, wherein the seating
system is configured to be adjustable while in use.
20. The adjustable seating system of claim 16, wherein the back
support portion is hingeably coupled to the seating portion and
adapted to fold substantially flat over the seating portion,
wherein the back support portion comprises a front surface and a
back surface, and wherein the back surface is contoured to provide
an elevated seating surface when folded over the seating
portion.
21. An adjustable seating system for a watercraft, comprising: a
first seat comprising an integrally-molded first seating portion
and an integrally-molded first back support portion, wherein the
first seating portion has a first seating height; a second seat
positioned sternward of the first seat and comprising an
integrally-molded second seating portion and an integrally-molded
second back support portion and having a second seating height,
wherein the second seating height is higher than the first seating
height.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/366,511, filed Jul. 21, 2010, entitled
"CONVERTIBLE SEAT FOR WATERCRAFT," the entire disclosure of which
is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to convertible seats for
watercraft, and more particularly to seat systems configured to
provide both standard and elevated seating options for recreational
watercraft, such as kayaks and the like.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Seats for kayaks typically are provided with a substantially
horizontal seat support portion and a substantially vertical
portion for back support. The seats may be adjustable to allow for
incline adjustments for the back support portion as well as incline
adjustments to the seat support portion to accommodate paddlers of
various heights. Height adjustability of the seat itself, however,
typically is not provided.
[0004] The limited options that do exist for kayak seat height
adjustments generally involve placing blocks or other rigid support
structures beneath the entire seat structure. On-the-fly height
adjustments, while afloat, for example, may be complicated and may
require the paddler to carry the blocks or other rigid support
structures at all times.
DRAWINGS
[0005] Embodiments will be readily understood by the following
detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a partial x-ray perspective view of a sit-in
kayak, including standard and elevated seat configurations, in
accordance with various embodiments;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a partial x-ray side view of the kayak of FIG.
1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is another partial perspective view of the kayak of
FIG. 1, excluding the hull of the kayak;
[0009] FIG. 4 is another partial perspective view of the kayak of
FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the standard seat of
FIG. 1 in the stowed position beneath the elevated seat;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the standard seat of
FIG. 1 with the back support folded down and being used as an
elevated seat;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of a molded seat in a
sit-on-top kayak, in accordance with various embodiments;
[0013] FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the molded seat of
FIG. 7 with a back support in the elevated position;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the molded seat of
FIG. 7 in which the back support is folded down to provide an
elevated seating surface;
[0015] FIG. 9 is another partial perspective view of the molded sea
of FIG. 7 and corresponding to FIG. 8, in which the back support is
folded down to provide an elevated seating surface;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sit-on-top kayak equipped
with an adjustable seat, in accordance with various
embodiments;
[0017] FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C illustrate three top views of the
adjustable seat of FIG. 10 in three different fore/aft adjustment
position;
[0018] FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view of the adjustable seat
of FIG. 10, showing adjustment straps and tensioning members;
and
[0019] FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate two views of a sit-on-top kayak
equipped with a molded-in standard seat an a molded-in elevated
seat stern-ward of the standard seat, in accordance with various
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0020] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which
are shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced.
It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and
structural or logical changes may be made without departing from
the scope. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to
be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is
defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
[0021] Various operations may be described as multiple discrete
operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in
understanding embodiments; however, the order of description should
not be construed to imply that these operations are order
dependent.
[0022] The description may use perspective-based descriptions such
as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are
merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to
restrict the application of disclosed embodiments.
[0023] The terms "coupled" and "connected," along with their
derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms
are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular
embodiments, "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more
elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each
other. "Coupled" may mean that two or more elements are in direct
physical or electrical contact. However, "coupled" may also mean
that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each
other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
[0024] For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form
"NB" or in the form "A and/or B" means (A), (B), or (A and B). For
the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form "at least one
of A, B, and C" means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and
C), or (A, B and C). For the purposes of the description, a phrase
in the form "(A)B" means (B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional
element.
[0025] The description may use the terms "embodiment" or
"embodiments," which may each refer to one or more of the same or
different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "comprising,"
"including," "having," and the like, as used with respect to
embodiments, are synonymous.
[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure include convertible
seats for watercraft, and more particularly to seat systems
configured to provide both standard and elevated (also known as
casting or sighting) seat options for recreational watercraft, such
as sit-in kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, and the like. For example, in
various embodiments, a recreational watercraft such as a sit-in
kayak may include both a standard seat in the cockpit, and an
elevated seat comprising a molded-in seat platform formed in the
hull and/or deck of the watercraft. In some embodiments, the
standard seat may be configured to be stowed at least partially
under the elevated seat when the standard seat is not in use.
[0027] In various embodiments, the standard seat may include a seat
support portion and a back support portion, and the back support
portion may be configured to be folded down onto the seat support
portion when not in use. In some embodiments, the standard seat may
be at least partially stowed when the back support portion is in
the folded position, and in other embodiments, the back support
portion may be configured to function as an elevated seat
configuration when in the folded position. In these embodiments,
the back side of the back support portion may be configured with a
thickness and a contour to provide a surface suitable for use as an
elevated seat when in the folded position. In still other
embodiments, the folded back support portion may provide a surface
on which to place a second seat that may provide an elevated
seating surface. Such a second seat may be a camp-style seat or a
molded seat in various embodiments.
[0028] In various embodiments, a separate, elevated seat also may
be provided that may be integrally molded into the kayak hull
and/or deck. As with the standard seat, in some embodiments, the
elevated seat may be provided with a back support portion, and the
back support portion may be integral to the molded seat, or it may
be configured to be folded down onto the seat support portion when
not in use. In some embodiments, the back support portion also may
be configured to function as an elevated seat configuration when in
the folded position, and a user may choose to sit on the seat
support portion when the back support portion is in the raised
position, or on the lowered back support portion if an even higher
seating position is desired. In still other embodiments, a second
seat may be placed over the molded seat to provide an elevated
seating surface. In particular embodiments, the molded seat may
include a fixed, integrally molded backrest, and the second seat
may be configured to sit on top of the fixed, integrally molded
backrest. In some embodiments, a user may rest his or her feet on
the molded seat when seated on the second seat.
[0029] In still other embodiments, a standard seat for use in
either a sit-on-top kayak or a sit-in kayak may be provided with
adjustable elements such as slide rails and/or straps and
tensioning elements that may allow the seat to be adjusted in a
fore-and-aft direction, and that may allow the seat to be easily
removed from the kayak and easily reinstalled. In various
embodiments, this adjustable seat also may be provided with a back
support portion, and the back support portion may be configured to
be folded down onto the seat support portion when not in use. In
some embodiments, the back support portion also may be configured
to function as an elevated seat configuration when in the folded
position, and a user may choose to sit on the seat support portion
when the back support portion is in the raised position, or on the
lowered back support portion if a higher seating position is
desired. In some embodiments, the lowered back support may provide
a surface on which a second seat may be placed that may provide an
elevated seating surface. In particular embodiments, the second
seat may be a molded seat or a camp-style seat.
[0030] Further embodiments may include seats that may be integrally
molded into the hull and/or deck of a sit-on-top kayak. As with the
standard seat described above, in some embodiments, the elevated
seat may be provided with a back support portion, and the back
support portion may be configured to be folded down onto the seat
support portion when not in use. In some embodiments, the back
support portion also may be configured to function as an elevated
seat configuration when in the folded position, and a user may
choose to sit on the seat support portion when the back support
portion is in the raised position, or on the lowered back support
portion if a higher seating position is desired. In still other
embodiments, a second seat may be placed over the molded seat or
the folded back support portion to provide an elevated seating
surface. In particular embodiments, the molded seat may include a
fixed, integrally molded backrest, and the second seat may be
configured to sit on top of the fixed, integrally molded backrest.
In some embodiments, a user may rest his or her feet on the molded
seat when seated on the second seat.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a partial x-ray perspective view of a sit-in
kayak, including standard and elevated seat configurations, in
accordance with various embodiments; FIG. 2 is a partial x-ray side
view of the kayak of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is another partial perspective
view of the kayak of FIG. 1, excluding the hull of the kayak; and
FIG. 4 is another partial perspective view of the kayak of FIG.
1.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1-4, in various embodiments, a sit-in
kayak 100 may include a standard seat 108 having a seat support
portion 110 and a back support portion 112. In various embodiments,
standard seat 108 may be formed from any suitable material
including, for example, fabric, foam, metal, fiberglass, molded
plastic, or a combination thereof, and may be configured with
various adjustment capabilities. For example, as can be best seen
in FIGS. 2 and 3, in some embodiments, standard seat 108 may be
situated on slide bars 114 or a track to permit fore and aft
adjustments to the standard seat 108. Additionally, in some
embodiments, standard seat 108 may include a height-adjustable leg
lift/support member 116, and back support portion 112 may be
configured to tilt-adjust to accommodate various comfort
preferences of the paddler.
[0033] In various embodiments, an elevated seat 118, also known as
a casting or sighting seat, also may be provided that may be
integrally molded into the kayak hull and/or deck as illustrated in
FIG. 1. In various embodiments, elevated seat 118 may provide an
elevated sitting position for the paddler. An elevated sitting
position may be desirable for any number of reasons including, for
example, sighting, fishing, casting, or simply to provide an
elevated paddling position. In some embodiments, elevated seat 118
may have a height comparable to that of a typical canoe seat.
[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 1, elevated seat 118 may be form
molded to provide a comfortable and secure sitting position for the
paddler. Although the depicted elevated seat 118 is formed in a
contoured semi-circular shape, other configurations may be used.
Moreover, in various embodiments, a cushion or a seat with an
attached back support may be provided on the elevated surface for
additional comfort, as described in greater detail below.
[0035] In various embodiments, additional support under elevated
seat 118 may be desired to accommodate paddlers of various weights.
As is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, to that end, in some embodiments,
a thwart 120 may be provided to support the front edge of elevated
seat 118. In addition or in the alternative, a bulkhead support 122
may be oriented within hull 104 to support the rear of elevated
seat 118. In some embodiments, bulkhead support 122 may be formed
of a foam material, which also may provide additional flotation
support to the structure. Whether kayak 100 is configured with the
additional support of thwart 120 and/or bulkhead 122 may depend at
least in part on the strength of the material used for constructing
hull 104 and/or deck 106 of kayak 100. For example, if the material
used for constructing hull 104 and/or deck 106 of kayak 100
exhibits a sufficient strength to accommodate the expected use of
kayak 100, one or both of thwart 120 and bulkhead 122 may be
omitted from the kayak structure.
[0036] In various embodiments, standard seat 108 and elevated seat
118 may be situated to avoid overloading the stern end of kayak
100. To that end, standard seat 108 and elevated seat 118 may be
located closer to the kayak's center of buoyancy. In some
embodiments, whether the paddler should want to stand in kayak 100
while kayak 100 is afloat may be a consideration as to the location
of standard 108 and elevated seats 118. In general, it may be
desirable to configure kayak 100 such that the standing paddler
would be at the kayak's center of buoyancy.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the standard seat of
FIG. 1 in a stowed position beneath the elevated seat. As
illustrated in FIG. 5, in various embodiments, standard seat 108
may be at least partially stowed beneath elevated seat 118 in order
to access elevated seat 118. In some embodiments, to stow standard
seat 108, back support portion 112 of standard seat 108 may be
tilted down towards seat support portion 110 to an extent suitable
for sliding standard seat 108 at least partially under molded
elevated seat 118. In some embodiments, once back support portion
112 has been tilted down, standard seat 108 may then be moved back
toward the stern of the kayak. In some embodiments, in the stowed
position, the paddler may sit on elevated seat 118 with enough
clearance in the cockpit for his or her legs. In various
embodiments, to return standard seat 108 to its original position,
standard seat 108 may be moved back out from under the elevated
seat 118, and back support portion 112 may be tilted back up.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, back support
portion 112 may be configured to function as an elevated seat when
in the folded position. FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the
standard seat of FIG. 1 with the back support folded down and being
used as an elevated seat. In these embodiments, the back side of
back support portion 112 may be configured with a thickness and a
contour to provide a surface suitable for use as an elevated seat
when in the folded position.
[0039] In some embodiments, standard seat 108 may be integrally
molded into the kayak hull and/or deck as described below in
greater detail for elevated seat 118. In these embodiments,
standard seat 108 may not be adjustable fore and aft, however
standard seat may be height adjustable by virtue of its foldable
back support portion 112 as described above, which may enable
standard seat to function as both a standard seat and an elevated
seat.
[0040] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the molded elevated
seat of an example of a sit-on-top kayak; FIG. 8 is a partial
perspective view of the molded elevated seat shown in FIG. 7 in
which the back support is folded down to provide an elevated
seating surface; and FIG. 9 is another partial perspective view of
the molded elevated seat of FIG. 7 in which the back support is
folded down to provide an elevated seating surface.
[0041] In other embodiments, for instance, for use in a sit-on-top
kayak, a molded seat may be equipped such that it may be used as
either a standard seat and/or an elevated seat. For example, as
illustrated in FIGS. 7-9, a molded standard seat 208 may provide a
standard sitting position for the paddler. As shown in FIG. 7, in
various embodiments, molded standard seat 208 may be formed as a
contoured semi-circular shape. However, other configurations may me
used in some embodiments, for instance to suit any of a variety of
uses or users of different sizes. In some embodiments, standard
seat 208 may be molded to generally conform to the contours of the
body of a user. In other embodiments, standard seat 208 may be
molded so as to receive seat padding materials or cushions.
Additionally, in various embodiments, standard seat 208 may be
equipped with a seatback support portion 224 for additional
comfort, as shown in FIG. 7.
[0042] In some embodiments, the seatback support portion 224 of
standard seat 208 may be configured to be folded down onto the seat
support portion to provide an elevated seat configuration, or to
provide padding or impact protection for a user, as illustrated in
FIGS. 8 and 9. As described above, an elevated sitting position mat
be desirable for any number of reasons including, for example,
sighting, fishing, casting, or simply to provide an elevated
paddling position. Thus, in various embodiments, as illustrated,
seatback support portion 224 may be configured with a thickness to
provide a height suitable for adjusting the height of standard seat
208 to a higher position when seatback portion 224 is in the folded
position. In addition, in some embodiments, the back side of
seatback support portion 224 may be formed with a contour suitable
to provide a comfortable seated position. In various embodiments,
seatback support portion 224 may be formed of any suitable
material, which may be the same as or different than that used for
the seat support portion. For example, in various embodiments,
elevated seatback support portion 224 may be formed fabric, foam,
metal, fiberglass, molded plastic, or a combination thereof.
[0043] Additionally, in various embodiments, standard seat 208 may
be molded into the deck of kayak 200 as illustrated, or it may be
formed of any suitable material including, for example, fabric,
foam, metal, fiberglass, molded plastic, or a combination thereof.
Although the standard seat 208 depicted in FIGS. 7-9 is shown as
molded into the deck of kayak 200 itself, other embodiments may
include an adjustable-type seat (e.g., similar to standard seat 108
depicted in FIGS. 1-6). For example, in some embodiments, standard
seat 208 may be situated on a slide bar or a track, or may be
equipped with adjustments straps and tensioning elements to permit
vertical fore and aft adjustments. In addition, in some
embodiments, standard seat 208 may include a height-adjustable leg
lift/support, and back support portion 212 may be configured to
tilt-adjust to accommodate various comfort preferences of the
paddler.
[0044] In some embodiments, an adjustable seat may be provided that
may be easily adjusted by a user for on-the-fly (e.g., seated)
fore/aft adjustments of the seat. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of
a sit-on-top kayak equipped with an adjustable seat, in accordance
with various embodiments; FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C illustrate three
top views of the adjustable seat of FIG. 10 in three different
fore/aft adjustment position; and FIG. 12 is a partial perspective
view of the adjustable seat of FIG. 10, showing adjustment straps
and tensioning members. In some embodiments, the adjustable seat
308 (see, e.g., FIG. 10) may include a seat support portion 310 and
a back support portion 312, and may removably couple to sit-on-top
kayak 300.
[0045] The close-up view of adjustable seat 308 shown in FIG. 12
illustrates the adjustment strap 324 and rear tensioning members
326 that may couple adjustable seat 308 to sit-on-top kayak 300. In
various embodiments, adjustable seat 308 may provide the sit-on-top
paddler a seat that is adjustable, fore and aft, from a seated
position. In various embodiments, moving the seat 308 to a more
stern-ward position may open up a space in the cockpit that may
provide foot room that may be needed when standing to fish or
perform other standing activities. In various embodiments, moving
the seat also may allow the paddler to adjust, for example on the
fly, the bow-to-stern trim of the vessel for performance (e.g.,
tracking, weight distribution, bow buoyancy when going through a
surf zone, static wind resistance (the direction the vessel points
into the wind when stationary), and the like).
[0046] As shown in FIG. 12, in some embodiments, adjustment strap
324 may couple to (for example, loop through) buckle member 328 (or
another type of attachment member, such as a loop, ring, or slide).
Buckle member 328 may also couple to one or more front kayak
attachment elements 334, and therefore may couple adjustment strap
324 (and therefore adjustable seat 308) to kayak 300. In some
embodiments, this configuration may leave a free end of adjustment
strap 324. In some embodiments, a user may apply tension to the
free end of adjustment strap 324 in order to move adjustable seat
308 towards the bow of kayak 300. Conversely, loosening adjustment
strap 324 may allow adjustable seat 308 to move stern-ward, for
instance because of tension of adjustable seat 308 from tension
members 326.
[0047] In some embodiments, a rear portion of adjustable seat 308
may include seatback adjustment straps 322 for adjusting the angle
between seat support portion 310 and back support portion 312.
Additionally, tensioning members 326 may couple to one or more
attachment elements 330, such as hooks, clips, slides, loops,
rings, etc. One or more rear kayak attachment elements 332, such a
s hooks, clips, slides, loops, rings, etc., may be provided for
coupling the tensioning members (and therefore adjustable seat 308)
to kayak 300.
[0048] As shown in FIGS. 11A-C, in various embodiments, adjustment
strap 324 may be tightened or loosened by a user seated in
adjustable seat 308 in order to move adjustable seat 308 to a
desired fore/aft position in kayak 300. In some embodiments,
decoupling adjustment strap 324 or buckle member 328 and tensioning
members 326 or attachment elements 330 from kayak 300 may allow
adjustable seat 308 to be quickly and easily removed from kayak 300
by a user.
[0049] Further embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 13A and 13B,
which illustrate two views of a sit-on-top kayak equipped with a
molded-in standard seat an a molded-in elevated seat stern-ward of
the standard seat, in accordance with various embodiments. In the
illustrated embodiments, a watercraft such as a sit-on-top kayak
400 may include an integrally-molded standard seat 408, that may
include a seat portion and an integrally-molded (e.g. fixed)
backrest portion. As second, integrally-molded seat 418 may be
included stern-ward of the standard seat, and this second seat may
have an elevated seating surface relative to that of standard seat
408. Thus, a user may choose to use standard seat 408 or elevated
(second) seat 418, depending on the desired seating height, the
desired seating position, and or the activity to be performed
therein. For example, standard seat 408 may be selected for rowing,
whereas elevated seat 418 may be selected for fishing or casting.
In some embodiments, a user may rest his or her feet and/or legs on
a portion of standard seat 408 while seated in elevated seat
418.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 13A, in various embodiments, molded
standard seat 408 may be formed as a contoured semi-circular shape.
However, other configurations may me used in some embodiments, for
instance to suit any of a variety of uses or users of different
sizes. In some embodiments, standard seat 408 may be molded to
generally conform to the contours of the body of a user. In other
embodiments, standard seat 408 may be molded so as to receive seat
padding materials or cushions. In still other embodiments, a
separate elevated seat (e.g., a seat topper) may be placed over the
molded standard seat 408 or the elevated seat 418 to provide an
even more elevated seating surface. In particular embodiments, the
molded seat may include a fixed, integrally molded backrest, and
the second seat may be configured to sit on top of the fixed,
integrally molded backrest.
[0051] Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill
in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent
embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same
purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described
without departing from the scope. Those with skill in the art will
readily appreciate that embodiments may be implemented in a very
wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any
adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein.
Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments be limited
only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
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