Patent Grant
7992512
The present invention generally relates to an interface, more particularly to a nautical interface, and specifically to an interface between a portion of a boat and an electronic device for directing a bend in a flexible element such as an electrical wire.
A fish finder is one example of an electronic device used on a boat. A fish finder is a relatively expensive device and hence usually is not left unattended on the boat. Rather, the fish finder is removed from its mount, such as a quick mount, and locked in a vehicle or stored elsewhere when the fisherman is on land.
The mount itself, however, is a rather permanent part of the boat. Holes are drilled in the boat for the mount. Such holes are relatively small, albeit permanent. A relatively large hole is also drilled in the boat for the power cord and/or for other electrical connections. This hole is also permanent.
A feature of the present invention is the provision in a boat mounted interface for directing a bend in a flexible element, of the interface including a body and a projecting portion offset from the body, and of openings in the body and projecting portion such that a flexible element can run into a lower surface of the body, through the body and projecting portion, and out of an upper surface of the projecting portion.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision in a boat mounted interface for directing a bend in a flexible element, of a body being C-shaped and having a first opening disposed centrally, of the body having two ends confronting each other and spaced from each other so as to define a second opening, and of a projecting wall extending to and between the two ends and extending outwardly of the body and defining a third opening such that a flexible element can run into the body via or through the first opening, through the body and into the third opening via or through the first and second openings, and out of the third opening.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision in a boat mounted interface for directing a bend in a flexible element, of a set of three openings, with a first opening extending through a first or lower side of the interface, with a third opening extending through a second or upper side of the interface, and with a second opening extending radially from the first opening to the third opening such that the interface may receive and direct a bend in the flexible element.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision in a boat mounted interface for directing a bend in a flexible element, of a keyhole opening for receiving and directing a bend in the flexible element.
Another feature of the present invention is a method for mounting on a boat an interface for directing a bend in a flexible element, where the method includes the steps of defining a perimeter area on the boat that will align with the perimeter of the interface, making a set of pin connector holes in the boat in the perimeter area for engaging the interface to the boat with pin connectors, and making another hole in the boat in the perimeter area for the flexible element.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision in a boat mounted interface for directing a bend in a flexible element, of the interface being an integral part of a mount, where the mount is a quick mount for a device such as a fish finder.
An advantage of the present invention is that the hole that is drilled in the boat for the flexible element or electrical cord is shielded from water, dirt, and fish parts.
Another advantage of the present invention) is that interface contains and thus protects the flexible element.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the hole that is drilled in the boat for the flexible element is drilled within a certain perimeter, where the certain perimeter matches the perimeter of the interface, such that the larger hole of the flexible element is drilled between holes for the pin connector holes. This saves space, and in a sense makes space, on a boat where space is at a premium.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the hole that is drilled in the boat for the flexible element or electrical cord is hidden. The result is a more attractive boat.
Another advantage of the present invention is safety. The flexible element or electrical cord is directed upwards at a location close the mount for the electrical device. This provides a more tidy, and thus more safe, environment, in a boat where space is at a premium.
Another advantage is that the interface, having pin connector holes, may be used as a jig or template for drilling the pin connector holes in the boat. The interface has a set of pin connector holes that align up with pin connector holes in the mount with which the interface will engage. Pin connectors pass through the mount, then pass through the interface, and then pass through the pin connector holes that are made in the boat. The pin connectors may engage the holes that are made in the boat or may engage connectors such as nuts on an inside portion of the boat.
Another advantage is that the interface may include a number of pin connector or bolt patterns for a wide variety of mounts having different bolt patterns.
Another advantage is that the interface may be used for a great number of implements such as depth finders, radios or antennas, fish finders, global positioning sensors, and air and water temperature sensors.
The fish finder 10 is engaged on a mount 20. Mount 20 includes a U-shaped holder portion 22 pivotally engaging a housing 24 of the fish finder 10 via swivel connections 26. Mount 20 further includes a double ball and socket portion having a first upper ball and socket joint 28, a second lower ball and socket joint 30, and an arm 32 between the ball and socket joints 28 and 30. Arm 32 includes a handle 34 that, when turned in a rotating fashion, opens up one or more of the socket portions of the joints 28, 30 so as to capture and release the ball portions of the joints 28, 30. Mount 20 further includes a base or base portion 36 on which a stem or stem portion 38 and ball or ball portion 40 is engaged. Ball or ball portion 40 forms the ball portion of the second lower ball and socket joint 30. Base 36 includes a set of holes 42 for pin connectors 44 for mounting base 36 and mount 20 to the gunwale 12 of the boat 14. Mount 20 as a whole may be referred to as a quick mount. Base 36, stem 38 and ball 40 are integral and one-piece and such piece can be referred to in and of itself as a quick mount.
Prior to engaging the mount 20 and fish finder 10 on the boat 14 in a prior art method of engagement as shown in
In the arrangement shown in
As shown in
Body 54 includes an outer perimeter 58 and an inner boundary 60. Outer perimeter 58 defines a segment of a circle. Inner boundary 60 defines a segment of a circle. Inner boundary 60 is coaxial with outer boundary 58 and is spaced from and runs or extends parallel to the outer perimeter 58. Inner boundary 60 defines a first through opening 62 that is disposed centrally in the body 54. First through opening 62 extends through each of the lower and upper surfaces 51, 53 of the interface 52.
Body 54 includes a set of pin connector holes 64 disposed between the outer perimeter 58 and inner boundary 60. The pin connector holes 64 extend in the height direction such that the pin connectors 44 can run from the base 36, through the body 54, and into the holes 46 in the gunwale 12 to fasten or engage the interface 52 to a boat.
Body 54 further includes a first end 66 and a second end 68. Ends 66 and 68 confront or are adjacent to each other and are spaced from each other. Ends 66 and 68 define a second through opening 70 therebetween. Second through opening 70 extends through each of the lower and upper openings 51, 53 of the interface 52. First and second through openings 62 and 70 lead into or communicate with each other. Second through opening 70 extends radially relative to first through opening 62.
Body 54 further includes a network of ribs between the outer perimeter 58 and inner boundary 60. Rib 74 is in the nature of an outer wall defining the outer perimeter 58. Rib 76 is in the nature of an inner wall defining the inner boundary 60. Ribs 78 extend radially relative to the central first through opening 62 and extend to and between the outer wall or rib 74 and inner wall or rib 76. Ribs 80 are cylindrical, form some of the pin connector holes 64, and tie the outer wall or rib 74 with the inner wall or rib 76. Ribs 82 run coaxial with respect to outer wall or rib 74 and inner wall or rib 76 and are disposed medially of ribs 74 and 76. Ribs 86 form partial cylinders about some of the pin connector holes 64.
Body 54 includes an upper surface 88 and a lower surface 90 that are co-planar with the interface surfaces 53 and 51, respectively. Surfaces 88 and 90 are flat and run parallel to each other. Pin connector holes 64 run through each of the upper and lower surfaces 88 and 90.
Body 54 includes cavities 92. Some of the cavities 92 are relatively large. Some of the cavities 92 are relatively small. Cavities 92 are open relative to the lower surface 90. Cavities 92 are closed relative to the upper surface 88.
One purpose of the rib network 72 is to minimize the weight of the interface 52. Another purpose of the rib network 72 is to provide a number of pin connector holes 64 so as to align with a relatively great number of bases 36 of different mounts. Another purpose of the rib network 72 is to minimize the amount of material through which to drill to make pin connector holes where the holes 42 of the base 36 do not align with the pre-drilled holes 64 of the body 54. Another purpose of the rib network 72 is to maintain the integrity of the body 54 even though some of the ribs may be drilled through when creating additional pin connector holes.
It should be noted that body 54 includes a set of seven pin connector holes 64. The set of seven pin connector holes 64 includes a first subset of two holes 64 adjacent end 66, a second subset of two holes 64 adjacent end 68, and a third subset of three holes 64 generally opposite the second through opening 70. A triangle is defined by selecting any one hole from each of the three subsets and drawing a line between such selected holes. In each of the subsets, the holes 64 confront each other. In each of the subsets, the holes 64 are closer to each other than to holes 64 of other subsets.
Interface 52 further includes the projecting wall 56. Projecting wall 56 extends from first end 66 to second 68, specifically from where the outer wall or rib 74 runs into the ends 66 and 68. The projecting wall 56 is integral and one-piece with the ends 66 and 68 and thus integral and one-piece with the body 54. The projecting wall 56 extends outwardly of the circle defined by the outer perimeter 58. The projecting wall 56 has the same height as the body 54. An upper surface of the projecting wall 56 lies in the same plane as upper surface 88 of the body 54. A lower surface of the projecting wall 56 lies in the same plane as the lower surface 90 of the body 54. The projecting wall 56 defines a third through opening 94. Third through opening 94 extends through each of the lower and upper sides 51, 53 of the interface 52. Openings 70 and 94 lead radially into each other. Third opening 94 is offset in the lateral or radial direction from first opening 62. In other words, if the interface 52 extends in a horizontal plane, then first opening 62 and third openings 94 are on different or offset vertical axes, each of which extends at a right angle to such horizontal plane. Projecting wall 56 includes a pair of generally straight extending portions 96 and a semi-circular portion 98 extending between the straight extending portions 96.
In operation, the particular electronic implement 10 to be utilized is selected. The size of the end connection or plug 18 is measured. The location that the implement 10 will be fixed on the boat 10 is selected. Then the hole 48 is drilled in the boat 14, such as in the gunwale 12, at the desired location for implement 10, ensuring that the hole 48 is of sufficient size for the end connection or plug 18. Then the particular quick mount to be utilized is selected, and the base 36 of this particular quick mount is aligned with the interface 52 to determine if the pin connector holes 42 of the base 36 match up with any of the pin connector holes 64 of the interface 52. If so, then these pin connector holes 64 are marked, the base 36 is set aside temporarily, and the interface 52 is used as a jig or template by the steps of 1) aligning the center of opening 48 with the center of opening 62, 2) rotating the interface 52 until the projecting wall 56 is at the desired location relative to the electrical implement 10 or relative to where an end of the flexible element or wire or wires will be plugged into the electrical implement 10, and 3) with the interface 52 centered and rotated, passing the drill bit through the marked pin connector holes 64 and drilling into the boat 14. The result is a set of four holes as shown in
It should be noted that the flexible element 16 may first be fed from underneath the gunwale 12 into the opening 48, then through openings 62, 70 and 94, and then out of opening 94 and up to the electrical implement 10.
It should be noted that end connection 18 may be relatively large and may be of a size greater than the third opening 94 defined by the projecting wall 56. In this case, after the step of drilling the pin connector holes 46 and prior to the step of engaging the base 36 to the top of the interface 52, the end connection 18 may be fed through the first through opening 62 and further fed through the opening 48, whereupon the flexible element 16 is flexed by hand such that a portion of the flexible element 16 runs radially X through second through opening 70 and into and out of third through opening 94. Then the base 36 is placed on top of the flexible element containing interface 52 and the base 36 and interface 52 is fixed to the boat 14. In this arrangement, the flexible element 16 remains with the boat 14 when the electrical implement 10 is removed from the boat. In this arrangement, the vast majority of the length of the flexible element 16 is pulled to an out-of-the-way location into an interior of the boat 14, with the remaining plug or end connection that is too large to pass through the third through opening remaining on top of the projecting wall 56.
It should be noted that interface 52 may be combined in a one-piece and integral arrangement with the base 36, stem 38 and ball 40 so as to take the form shown in
It should be noted that opening 48 is usually preferred to be of a size sufficiently large to permit cable connectors to pass through.
It should be noted that the projecting wall 56 forms the third through opening 94 and that this third through opening 94 can be referred to as a cable cove. A cove can be a place that shelters and protects.
Interface 52 is preferably formed of plastic. Interface 52 is preferably molded. If formed of one-piece to make a piece having interface 52, base 36, stem 38 and ball 40, such a piece may be formed of a rubber or rubber containing material or elastomer or elastomer containing material.
It should be noted that the provision of through openings for each of the first, second and third openings 62, 70, and 94, i.e., openings that extend through each of the first and second sides 51, 53 of the interface 52, maximizes the size of such openings. The upper end of the first opening 62 is closed off by the base 36, and a portion of the lower end of the first opening 62 is closed off by the gunwale 12. The upper end of the second opening 70 is closed off by the base 36 and the lower end of the second opening 70 is closed off by the gunwale 12 of the boat 14. The lower end of the third opening 94 is closed off by the gunwale of the boat 14. Since such openings are through openings which are closed or partially closed as indicated above, the size of such openings are maximized and it is easier to feed and slip the end connection 18 of the flexible element 16 into and through such openings 62, 70 and 94.
Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4534307 | Overs | Aug 1985 | A |
| 5919067 | Smith | Jul 1999 | A |
| 7013831 | Garelick | Mar 2006 | B1 |
| 7779773 | Little et al. | Aug 2010 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100242827 A1 | Sep 2010 | US |
