Patent Application
20180334222
This disclosure relates to the field of marine and boating accessories. More particularly, this disclosure relates to accessories for preventing buildup of drainage streaks on a hull of a vessel.
Boats and marine vessels are often fitted with thru-hull fittings that extend through a hull of the vessel to allow for discharge of a fluid from the vessel. These thru-hull fittings are typically mounted flush with a surface of the vessel's hull. Thru-hull fittings provide a drainage point for fluids discharged from the boat, such as for a bilge pump, live well, or other pump or fluid source on the boat.
When a fluid is discharged from the thru-hull fitting, at least a portion of the fluid drains along a surface of the vessel's hull given the flush-mounted position of the thru-hull fitting. As the fluid drains down a surface of the vessel's hull, the fluid often stains the hull of the vessel and leaving behind discolored streaks on the hull, as shown in
Attempts have been made to direct fluid exiting a thru-hull fitting away from a vessel's hull. For example, attempts have been made to attach a drainage channel with a gasket to direct fluid away from the vessel's hull. Further attempts involve replacing the thru-hull fitting itself with a shaped fitting that attempts to direct fluid away from the hull. These attempts often do not adequately divert water away from the hull and are otherwise difficult to install. For example, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,339 requires removal of the thru-hull fitting and replacement with the device of the '339 Patent. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,231 describes a gasket-type device that requires removal or loosening of the thru-hull fitting for installation. These devices are also typically inflexible and subject to breaking if the hull contacts a dock or other surface.
While existing thru-hulls may have shapes that help them to conform to an outer surface of the hull of a vessel, the thru-hulls do not provide a surface that is conducive to attaching any type of drainage device to the thru-hull. For example, thru-hulls are often rounded in shape and are therefore difficult to attach any type of additional diverter or drainage device to the thru-hull.
What is needed, therefore, is a boat thru-hull fitting and drainage device that is readily installed on the hull of the boat to direct discharge fluid from the thru-hull fitting away from the hull.
A marine thru-hull fitting drainage channel is provided for directing fluid away from a thru-hull fitting in a hull of a vessel. In a first aspect, the channel includes: a resiliently flexible channel body having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional area along a length of the body such that the body forms a channel for directing fluid within the body, the body shaped to taper from a first flat end proximate to the hull of the vessel to a second narrower end that is distal from the hull of the vessel, wherein the second narrower end extends beyond an edge of the thru-hull fitting; a semi-circular flange attached to the first end of the body proximate to the hull, the semi-circular flange having a flat surface area shaped to conform around an edge of the thru-hull fitting on the hull of the boat; and an adhesive material formed on the flat surface area of the semi-circular flange, the adhesive material attached to the flat surface area of the semi-circular flange on a first side and having a removable non-adhesive layer concealing a second adhesive side of the adhesive material.
A marine thru-hull fitting and drainage device is provided for directing fluid away from a hull of a vessel. In a first aspect, the thru-hull fitting and drainage device include: a thru-hull including a thru-hull body and a thru-hull flange formed on an end of the thru-hull body, the thru-hull flange including an outer face; an attachment portion formed on at least a portion of the face of the thru-hull flange, the attachment portion located adjacent to a discharge outlet of the thru-hull; a drainage device secured on the attachment portion, the drainage device including U-shaped channel body having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional area along a length of the body such that the body forms a channel for directing fluid from the discharge outlet along the body, the body extending from a first end proximate to the face of the thru-hull flange to a second end that is distal from the thru-hull flange.
In one embodiment, the drainage device is formed of a resiliently flexible material, and the thru-hull fitting is made of a material that is harder than the resiliently flexible drainage device. In another embodiment, the drainage device is secured on the attachment portion with an adhesive. In yet another embodiment, the drainage device is molded onto the attachment portion.
In one embodiment, the channel body further includes a groove formed at a center of the channel body. In another embodiment, the groove extends from a first end proximate to the flange to a second end located on the second end of the thru-hull fitting. In yet another embodiment, the groove has a tapered width such that a width of the groove expands from a narrower width at the first end to a wider width at the second end of the groove. In one embodiment, the groove is sloped such that a depth of the groove increases from a shallow portion at the first end of the groove to a deeper portion at the second end of the groove.
In another embodiment, the marine thru-hull fitting and drainage device further includes a lip formed on a lower surface of the channel body and extending downward from the channel body at the second end of the channel body. In yet another embodiment, the marine thru-hull fitting and drainage device further includes a lip formed on a lower surface of the channel body and extending downward from the channel body at the second end of the channel body, the lip aligned with the groove of the channel body.
In one embodiment, at least part of the thru-hull fitting body is threaded for engaging a nut to secure the thru-hull fitting to the hull of the vessel.
In a second aspect, a marine thru-hull fitting and drainage device for directing fluid away from a hull of a vessel includes: a thru-hull including a thru-hull body and a thru-hull flange formed on an end of the thru-hull body, the thru-hull flange including an outer face; an attachment portion formed on at least a portion of the face of the thru-hull flange, the attachment portion located adjacent to a discharge outlet of the thru-hull; and a resiliently flexible drainage device secured on the attachment portion, the drainage device including U-shaped channel body having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional area along a length of the body such that the body forms a channel for directing fluid from the discharge outlet along the body, the body extending from a first end proximate to the face of the thru-hull flange to a second end that is distal from the thru-hull flange.
In one embodiment, the marine thru-hull fitting and drainage device further includes a lip formed on a lower surface of the channel body and extending downward from the channel body at the second end of the channel body.
In a third aspect, a marine thru-hull fitting and drainage device for directing fluid away from a hull of a vessel includes: a thru-hull including a thru-hull body and a thru-hull flange formed on an end of the thru-hull body, the thru-hull flange including an outer face; an attachment portion formed on at least a portion of the face of the thru-hull flange, the attachment portion located adjacent to a discharge outlet of the thru-hull; and a resiliently flexible drainage device secured on the attachment portion, the drainage device including U-shaped channel body having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional area along a length of the body such that the body forms a channel for directing fluid from the discharge outlet along the body, the body extending from a first end proximate to the face of the thru-hull flange to a second end that is distal from the thru-hull flange, the drainage device further including a groove formed at a center of the channel body extending from a first end proximate to the flange to a second end located on the second end of the thru-hull fitting, the groove having a tapered width such that a width of the groove expands from a narrower width at the first end to a wider width at the second end of the groove and a lip formed on a lower surface of the channel body aligned with the groove and extending downward from the channel body at the second end of the channel body.
Further features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying figures, wherein elements are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
Various terms used herein are intended to have particular meanings. Some of these terms are defined below for the purpose of clarity. The definitions given below are meant to cover all forms of the words being defined (e.g., singular, plural, present tense, past tense). If the definition of any term below diverges from the commonly understood and/or dictionary definition of such term, the definitions below control.
A marine thru-hull fitting drainage device 10 is provided for directing fluid from a thru-hull fitting installed through the hull of a marine vessel away from the hull to reduce the formation of streaks or other stains on the surface of the hull caused by fluid from the thru-hull fitting. In one embodiment, the thru-hull fitting drainage device is readily installed on the hull of a vessel adjacent an outlet of the thru-hull fitting without requiring removal or loosening of the thru-hull fitting, and is shaped to direct fluid discharged from the thru-hull fitting outlet away from the hull of the vessel.
Referring to
As shown in
Referring now to
The channel body 20 has a first end 30 (
Referring again to
The channel body 20 and flange 22 are preferably made of a resiliently flexible material, such as a polymer or rubber-like material. The channel body 20 and flange 22 are preferably flexible such that if the drainage device 10 contacts a dock or other object near a vessel, the channel body 20 flexes relative to the hull of the vessel to prevent the drainage device 10 from being removed from the hull. In one embodiment, the channel body 20 may be formed of a resiliently flexible material, while the flange 22 is formed of a substantially solid polymer or metal material. The channel body 20 and flange 22 preferably have a thickness of from about 1/16 inches to about 3/16 inches.
The surface 23 of the flange 22 is shaped to conform to a shape of the hull of the vessel around the thru-hull fitting such that the surface 23 is flush with the hull of the vessel. The surface 23 is preferably flat and U-shaped to conform to a shape of the channel body 20. The flange 22 is attached to the channel body 20 such that the surface 23 is perpendicular to a length of the channel body 20. Alternatively, the flange 22 may be attached to the channel body 20 at an angle, such that the surface 23 is angled relative to a length of the channel body 20. The flange 22 and channel body 20 may be angled such that when the drainage device 10 is mounted to the hull of a vessel adjacent a thru-hull fitting, the channel body 20 angles in a downward direction from the first end 30 to the second end 26 of the channel body 20 to encourage water within the channel body 20 towards the tip 28 of the channel body 20.
In one embodiment, an adhesive such as tape, glue, or other type of adhesive is placed on the flange 22 of the drainage device 10 to secure the device to the hull of the boat. The adhesive is preferably formed of a U-shaped adhesive strip attached on a first side to the surface 23. The adhesive strip may have an adhesive surface on both the first side and a second side facing away from the flange 22 such that the second side of the adhesive attaches to the hull of a vessel. A non-adhesive layer may be placed over the second side of the adhesive strip to substantially conceal the adhesive second side until a user is ready to install the drainage device on the hull of a boat. A suitable adhesive may include, for example, an automotive adhesive available from 3M®. While the above description contemplates an adhesive strip applied to the flange 22, it is also understood that other various adhesives may be used. For example, a liquid adhesive may be applied to the flange 22 upon installation.
Embodiments of the drainage device 10 include a groove 36 formed in the channel body 20 for further diverting water along the drainage device 10 and away from the hull. The groove 36 is preferably located at a center of the channel body 20 and is formed on a surface of the channel body 20 for collecting water received by the drainage device 10 and dispensing the collected water from a central portion of the drainage device 10. The groove 36 begins at a first end 38 that is proximate to the flange 22 and extends to a second end 40 adjacent the tip 28 of the drainage device 10. As shown in
Referring to
Referring now to
The drainage channel 48 is attached to the thru hull flange 50 prior to installation of the combined thru hull drainage device 46 on a hull of a boat. The drainage channel 48 may be attached, for example, with an adhesive or by welding of a material of the drainage channel 48 to the thru hull flange 50. The thru hull flange 50 and threaded body 52 are preferably formed of a harder plastic, such as a plastic typically used on existing thru hull fittings. The drainage channel 48 is formed of a softer and more flexible material than a material of the thru hull flange 50 such that the drainage channel 48 is deformable relative to the thru hull flange 50. For example, the drainage channel 48 may be formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, such as commercially available ENFLEX or other related materials. The thermoplastic elastomer provides sufficient weatherability and flexibility such that the device is suited for marine applications.
The combined thru hull drainage device 46 is preferably installed on a boat during construction of the boat or, alternatively, may be installed on a boat by replacing an existing thru-hull fitting. To install the combined thru hull drainage device 46, the thru hull flange 50 is placed against an outer surface of a hull of the boat with the threaded body 52 extending into the boat through a bore in the hull of the boat. The nut 54 engages the threaded body 52 behind the hull of the boat, thereby securing the combined thru hull drainage device to the boat.
Referring to
In operation, a user installs the drainage device 10 adjacent to a thru-hull fitting of a vessel such that the flange 22 abuts the hull of the vessel and is placed around a bottom portion of the thru-hull fitting. The user removes the non-adhesive strip to expose the adhesive second side and presses the drainage device 10 against the hull to substantially secure the drainage device 10 to the hull of the boat. The drainage device 10 is secured to the hull without requiring removal or loosening of the thru-hull fitting.
After attaching the drainage device 10 to the hull of the boat adjacent the thru-hull fitting, any fluid that is discharged from the thru-hull fitting is collected in the channel body 20 of the drainage device 10 and deposited away from the hull of the boat. Fluid discharged from the thru-hull fitting is collected in the channel body and moves away from the hull of the boat to the tip 28 of the drainage device. From the tip the fluid flows substantially downward into a body of water below the vessel. The drainage device 10 directs fluid away from the hull of the boat such that the fluid does not contact the hull of the boat before reaching the body of water. To remove the drainage device 10, a user may scrape the adhesive from the hull or otherwise use an adhesive remover to release the drainage device 10 from the hull of the boat.
The marine thru-hull fitting drainage device advantageously directs fluid discharged from a thru-hull fitting of a vessel away from a hull of the vessel such that the fluid does not contact the hull and leave a stain or streak on the hull of the vessel. The drainage device is readily installed on the vessel using the adhesive formed on the flange of the drainage device and does not require a user to loosen or remove the thru-hull fitting. The drainage device conforms around a shape of the thru-hull fitting to prevent fluid discharged from the thru-hull fitting to contact the hull of the vessel, and directs fluid to a point that is distal from a surface of the hull to prevent any stains or streaks from forming on the hull of the vessel.
The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The described preferred embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the disclosure to the precise form(s) disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the concepts revealed in the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/457,435 for a Marine Thru-hull Fitting Drainage Device, filed on Mar. 13, 2017, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/332,532 for a Marine Thru-Hull Fitting Drainage Device, filed on May 6, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62332532 | May 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15457435 | Mar 2017 | US |
| Child | 15923059 | US |
