Patent Application
20060254489
In September of 2001 Mr Ronald Dolar met Mr. Bob Head. Mr Dolar has been a long time boat owner and is very familiar with the use and care of boats. Mr Head owns and operates B&R Boat Care Center of Rathdrum, Id. His business includes repairing boats with damage caused by items coming in contact with the fiberglass and gel coat. Mr Dolar expressed his concerns about the mooring of his boat and the damage that occurred every year around the bow eye ring from the ropes and metal clips used to secure the boat in the slip. He was sure that he could design a method that could prevent this damage from occurring. They started having discussions regarding mooring issues and the related damage caused to boats. They became friends, and continued their discussions and considered developing a business relationship on a product idea called the B&R Bow Saver. The idea behind the B&R Bow Saver is to create a device that would allow the boat to be attached to the mooring line(s) and keep the lines and clips from coming in contact with any surfaces on the boat. The device needs to be strong and at the same time flexible so that it will allow the boat to move with waves or the boarding or disembarking of people. At this point they discussed various types of plastics and other materials and looked into possible design options, sizes, thicknesses and shapes such as squares, circles, and triangles. Through further research and testing of prototypes they discovered that the only shape that did not crack or break with the constant and sometimes violent movement of the boat in it's mooring, was the circle. Once they focused on using a circle shape they had to find the thickness that provided the strength and flexibility they required. They finally settled on using 7 inch and 10 inch circles made from an ABS type of plastic, 0.093 inches thick. In April of 2002 they purchased a sheet of plastic and cut a test sample 7 inch and 10 inch circle in Mr. Head's shop. Mr Dolar agreed to test the basic plastic bow savers on his 1993 Correct Craft that summer. The bow savers were tested on his boat while it was moored at the Deer Lake Resort in Deer Lake, Wash. for approximately 45 days. After the test when reviewing the results, it was discovered that the angular edge of the disc could come in contact with the boat and cause scratches in the gel coat. It was agreed that there needed to be some sort of covering and or trim work around the edge of the product. Mr Dolar contacted Mr. Lee Henning, who owns and operates a business in Deer Park, Wash., for some ideas regarding this issue. Mr. Henning came up with the idea of putting a fabric on the smooth side of the plastic. They agreed to try this type of covering. Mr. Henning applied a thin fabric on one 10″ bow saver and they then proceeded to further test the bow saver on the boat. While this worked to protect the gel coat It was determined that this process was too costly and was too difficult to apply. With further discussions they decided to try a vinyl die-cut or decal for the face of the bow saver. Mr. Henning, in the mean time had thought that a product called flex trim might work around the edges of the bow savers. They then purchased some samples of flex trim and in mid April 2003 had a contractor design a logo and a vinyl die-cut decal. The flex trim was tested during the summer of 2003 and it worked well in covering the edges of the bow saver. It also protected the mooring lines from excessive wear when in contact with the edge of the bow saver. They decided to manufacture 100 bow savers (50 10″ inch and 50 7 inch″) including die-cut decals and trim with a company in Idaho called Rem-Tec and decided to continue testing during that summer and winter 2003. The testing included freezing some of the bow savers to find out how cold weather, water and then extreme heat would affect them. The results of these tests were all positive as the bow savers held up well under the adverse conditions. In April 2004 they manufactured an additional 54-7″ bow savers and 52-10″ bow savers. When applying the die-cut decals to this batch of bow savers some concerns arose with the amount of time and skill required to apply the die-cuts decals. They began looking for other alternatives and Mr Dolar discovered a process of applying the die-cut to a 4′ by 8′ sheet of ABS plastic either directly to the plastic or using vinyl decals. The bow savers with die-cut decals already applied would next be cut out and trimmed. They located a company in Spokane, Wash., Cassel Promotions that could do both processes. The flex trim would continue to be applied manually after the bow savers are cut from the 4′ by 8′ sheets of ABS plastic. They manufactured sample bow savers using the direct application process and starting testing for durability. After this testing was complete it was decided that this would be the final product that would be marketed and sold to the public.
The B&R Bow Saver allows a boater to easily dock and protect their boat for long or short periods of time. It is designed as a protection device with the main function being to prevent fiberglass and gel coat damage to boat surfaces around the mooring line connecting points. Made from ABS plastic and with a soft edge trim installed, it allows the metal or stainless steel clips to be attached to the bow eye ring on the outside of the bow saver away from the boat surface. The 10″ B&R Bow Saver is designed specifically for boats moored in a single slip. The 7″ B&R Bow Saver is designed specifically for boats moored in a double slip. The 7″ model may be used on the back mooring eye of some models of boats.
Layout drawing for the 7″ B&R Bow Saver disc.
Layout drawing for the 10″ B&R Bow Saver disc.
The B&R Bow Saver is manufactured in both a 7″ and 10″ size circle of ABS plastic. Both circles are the same thickness and have the same size center hole. The edge is covered with vinyl flex trim to cover the angular edges of the plastic. One side of the Bow Saver is covered with a decal. The B&R Bow Saver is installed by sliding the precut center hole over the boat's bow eye ring with the decal facing up. The clips or lines are attached to the bow eye ring on the outside of the bow saver. Because the B&R Bow Saver will sink if dropped in the water we recommend that a safety line can be attached to the mooring line, or clip. To install a safety line find the crosshairs (+) on the decal side of the device and drill a quarter inch hole in the device. We recommend using a leather shoelace. Slip the lace through from the bottom of the bow saver and tie a knot in the lace on the decal side. Cut the lace to the length needed, and attach it to the mooring line or clip.
Description of Products Used to Make the B&R Bow Saver
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60673327 | Apr 2005 | US |
