Patent Application
20160355242
The disclosure relates to sign locating devices and more particularly pertains to a new sign locating device for assisting a boat operator in locating waterway markers during times of poor visibility.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base that has a top side and a bottom side. The bottom side is abutted against and attached to a boat. A post is attached to the top side and extends upwardly therefrom. A housing is attached to an upper end of the post distal to the base. A laser light emitter is mounted in the housing and emits laser light when the laser light emitter is turned on. The laser light emitter illuminates a waterway marker such that a boat operator can easily see the waterway marker.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A post 22 is attached to the top side 14 and extends upwardly therefrom. The post 22 is pivotable with respect to the top side 12 and is prevented from pivoting with a locking fastener 24. Generally the post 22 will not be pivoted once the post 22 is vertically oriented such that it is perpendicular to the horizon. The post 22 may have a height between 3.0 inches and 12.0 inches.
A housing 26 is attached to an upper end of the post 22 distal to the base 12. The housing 26 is rotatable with respect to base 12 and rotated within a horizontal plane when the post 22 is vertically oriented. A conventional laser light emitter 28 is mounted in the housing 26 and emits laser light when the laser light emitter 28 is turned on. The laser light emitter 28 is configured to illuminate a waterway marker 30 such that a boat operator can easily see the waterway maker 30. The waterway maker 30 is typically any conventional sign placed within water to indicate changes in depth or objects that may be dangerous to boats in the areas. The laser light emitter 28 may include a focusing lens 32 to allow the laser light to be selectively widened or narrowed. The laser light emitter 28 may be powered in a conventional manner such as with a battery and include a switch 34 for turning the laser light emitter on or off.
The laser light emitter 28 may comprise a first laser light emitter 36 which is a red laser and a second laser light emitter 38 which is a green laser. Other colors may be provided as well. By utilizing two light colors the assembly 10 will function better in varying conditions. The first 36 and second 38 laser light emitters are oriented parallel to each other and are directed in a same direction with respect to each other.
The assembly 10 may also be used adjacent to a highest point on a boat to determine whether or not the boat will have clearance under a bridge which can be illuminated with the assembly 10.
In use, the assembly 10 is used in dark conditions or during times of poor visibility such as while boating in fog. The laser light emitter 28 will allow for seeing reflective waterway markers 30 during these times without using a spotlight which hinders the night vision of the boat operator and which does not work well in fog. The user of the assembly 10 will rotate the housing 26 to scan the horizon with the laser light emitter 28 to seek out the waterway markers 30.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
