The present invention relates to securing hardware, and more specifically, to an adjustable strap system for securing boat fenders.
Many boaters carry fenders on their boats, which are used to protect the hull from damage if the boat rocks back and forth while docked. These fenders are typically secured to a boat by a rope fender line that is tied to the fender at one end and tied to a line, rail or other hardware mounted on a boat at the other end. Conventionally, one will adjust the length of the fender line when tying the rope at the boat end in order to raise and lower the fender and secure it over the side of the boat at the proper point of contact for mooring.
Oftentimes a boater will have to untie, adjust and retie a rope to a boat several times before the fender will hang at the proper height and be tightly secured in position.
Unfortunately, knots in the rope are sometimes difficult to untie, and determining the proper knot placement and retying the rope while the boat is in the water can be challenging, so the boater may waste valuable time making these adjustments while trying to dock their boat. Additionally, if the boater does not tie a secure knot, there is risk of the rope detaching and the fender being lost.
As can be seen, there is a need for an efficient device for quickly and easily securing fenders in the proper position on a boat. It is preferred that this device is simple, adjustable, easy to use, and inexpensive to manufacture and transport.
A quick-release securing device of the present invention is constructed of nylon strap having an openable loop at one end, and snap hook at the other end. The distance between the openable loop and the snap hook, and the circumference of the openable loop, is adjustable. The loop can be opened and closed using a buckle. A supplemental strap may be employed for releasably attaching items, such as boat fenders, to the securing device.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
The following structure numbers shall apply to the following structures among the various FIGS.:
Referring to
Alternative embodiment 60 is shown in
Supplemental securing belt 50 of
The length of securing device 10 is preferably 8″-24″; 24″-36″; or 35″-72″, with the first length indicating the length of the device in the completely shortened state, and the second length indicating the length of the device in the completely extended state, as adjusted by sliders 40. Length of alternative embodiment 60 is preferably 16″-24″ in the shortened to lengthened state, respectively.
Primary strap 15 is preferably 1″ nylon flat webbing, having a breaking strength of >4,300 pounds, which is commercially available from a variety of sources including Tapecraft Corporation of Oxford, Ala. Snap hook 30 is commercially available from a variety of sources including Prime Industries, Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va. Snap hook is preferably stainless steel. Slider 40 is preferably a tri-glide, which is commercially available from a variety of sources including American Cord and Webbing Inc. of Woonsocket, R.I. Buckle 25 is preferably a Side Release Buckle which is commercially available from a variety of sources including John C. Tucker Co., Inc. of Fort Worth, Tex. It is preferred to use marine grade materials in constructing the device. The breaking strength of the securing device is approximately 200-225 pounds.
Supplemental strap 26 is preferably constructed of the same flat webbing as primary strap 15. D-ring 27 is preferably stainless steel D-ring for 1″ strap which is commercially available from a variety of sources including Prime Industries, Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va.
Specifications of certain structures and components of the present invention have been established in the process of developing and perfecting prototypes and working models. These specifications are set forth for purposes of describing an embodiment, and setting forth the best mode, but should not be construed as teaching the only possible embodiment. Rather, it should be understood that all specifications, unless otherwise stated or contrary to common sense, are +/−10%. It should also be understood that ranges of values set forth inherently include those values, as well as all increments between.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/358,656, entitled QUICK-RELEASE SECURING DEVICE, filed on Jul. 6, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62358656 | Jul 2016 | US |