The present invention contains subject matter that was first described in Disclosure Document Registration 528,486 filed on Mar. 24, 2003 under 35 U.S.C. §122 and 37 C.F.R. §1.14. As such, it is respectfully requested that said Disclosure Document is incorporated herein by reference as if fully rewritten and remain a permanent part of the file history of the present application and be relied upon during the pending prosecution, and for any other matters that may arise.
There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to boat accessories, and, more particularly, to an adjustable boat platform insert that transforms a conventional v-hull or flat bottom boat into a bass boat. The present invention can be used in other manners than the preferred embodiment as said invention may be adapted to meet other needs. Such needs are envisioned to include being mounted on various footings to provide a means of transporting the invention. Other uses as a floating platform, ice shack, small boat, or general storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fishing is a hobbyist type sport that enjoyed around the world, by the young and old alike. After the fishing rod and tackle box, the fishing boat is the next most common piece of apparatus used in fishing. And, as with most apparatus, the fishing boat can be a very specialized piece of equipment. Many fishermen and applications prefer the size and maneuverability of a conventional “V” shaped hull boat, while others prefer the large area, elevated platform and comfort of a bass-style boat. While some people own multiple boats to ideally fit any fishing situation, others cannot enjoy such luxury due to cost constraints, storage limitations or usage requirements.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
Consequently, there exists a need for a means by which a conventional “V” shaped hull boat can be easily adapted to provide the comforts and conveniences of a bass-type boat without the disadvantages as listed above.
The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within the
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It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. After purchase of the adjustable boat platform insert 10, the typical user would install it upon their conventional V-bottom boat 15. Such installation would consist of adjusting the frame 40 to fit the specific conventional V-bottom boat 15. Such adjustment would be accomplished by inserting or withdrawing the lower first brace 90 into and out of the lower second brace 110 and securing it with a third adjustable pins 120. In a similar manner, the forward brace arms 85 would be adjusted with respect to the lower first brace 90 and secured with the first adjustable pins 95, and the rear brace arms 105 would be adjusted with respect the lower second brace 110 and secured with the second adjustable pins 115. At this point the frame 40 is ready to be secured to the forward seat 20 and aft seat 25 of the conventional V-bottom boat 15. It is also envisioned that adhesive foam should be shock absorbant adhereing to the lower first brace 90 and lower second brace 110 as well as other points of contact to the boat to cushion the platform from the boat. The forward seat arm 80 would connect to the forward seat 20 by the use of adhesive, mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts, or other well-known fastening techniques. The fourth adjustable pins 136 are used to set the height of the intermediate support to support the center of the platform with respect to the height of the forward seat 20 and the aft seat 25.
The platform 35 can be installed upon the frame 40 at this point in the installation or construction process. The platform 35 is set upon the forward seat arm 80, the rear seat arm 100 and the intermediate support 130 using the elongated holes 152 and the captive pin set 30. The corresponding captive pin set 30 then protrude up through the elongated holes 152 and are thus secured. At this point the seat support mount 134 would be put in place sliding inside the seat support stand 50 and adjusted to desired height with the fifth adjustable pin 138. The centeral seat 45 would then be mounted to the seat support mount 134. At this point the adjustable boat platform insert 10 is ready for use.
During actual use of the conventional V-bottom boat 15 equipped with the adjustable boat platform insert 10, the user can enjoy access to the storage compartments 55 which could be equipped with storage lockers, thermally insulated coolers, live bait containers, fish storage coolers and the like. In a similar manner, the user can access the below deck storage space 155 via the forward access hatch 60 and the rear access hatch 65. Rear access hatch 65 allows normal operation of the boat without having to remove the platform, once removed it has other possible uses.
It is also envisioned that the platform 35 can be removed from the frame 40 to allow use of the conventional V-bottom boat 15 in a conventional manner where the functionality of a V-bottom boat would be needed, as the presence of the frame 40 would not affect functionality.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
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