This disclosure relates to the field of marine products. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a convertible seat arrangement for providing seating in a watercraft.
Many types of recreational watercraft include an open bow that allows for passengers to sit in the open bow of the watercraft. Seats in an open bow watercraft are typically arranged along sides and at the front of the bow. To access the bow, a walk-through is typically located through the windshield and helm of the boat to allow passengers to access the bow seating area of the boat.
In existing arrangements of seating in an open bow watercraft, the location of a walk-through precludes allowing passengers to sit at the walk-through. Although some open bow watercraft may include a wind screen or other element to attempt to block wind at the walk-through area, those screens do not allow passengers to sit in front of the screen.
What is needed, therefore, is a seating arrangement for an open bow watercraft that allows a seat back to be movably located at the walk-through area to provide additional seating at the bow of the watercraft.
The above and other needs are met by a seat assembly that is movable between a deployed position and a stowed position at a walk through of a watercraft. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft including: an open bow area located towards a bow of the watercraft; a walk through located adjacent to the open bow area; a first track assembly located on a first side of the walk through; a second track assembly located on a second side of the walk through; and a backrest movably mounted on the first track assembly and the second track assembly, the backrest movable between a stowed position and a deployed position; wherein in the deployed position, the backrest is substantially upright relative to the watercraft and the backrest is located across the walk through; and wherein in the stowed position, the backrest is substantially horizontal relative to the watercraft and the backrest is located adjacent a floor of the open bow area of the watercraft.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft, the backrest further including a plurality of guide pins extending therefrom, the plurality of guide pins shaped to fit within the first track assembly and the second track assembly such that the backrest moves along the first track assembly and the second track assembly when moving from the stowed position to the deployed position.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft, each of the first track assembly and the second track assembly including an upper track portion oriented substantially vertically on the first track assembly and the second track assembly and a lower track portion oriented substantially horizontal on the first track assembly and the second track assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft: the plurality of guide pins including a pair of upper guide pins located towards an upper end of the backrest assembly when the backrest assembly is deployed, and a pair of lower guide pins located towards a lower end of the backrest assembly when the backrest assembly is deployed; wherein the pair of upper guide pins are movable along the upper track portion when the backrest moves between the deployed position and the stowed position; and wherein the pair of lower guide pins are movable along the lower track portion when the backrest moves between the deployed position and the stowed position.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft, the backrest further including a cushion surface located on a first side of the backrest and a support surface located on a second side of the backrest opposite to the cushion surface.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft: wherein when the backrest is in the stowed position, the support surface located on the second side of the backrest is facing upward relative to the watercraft; and wherein when the backrest is in the deployed position, the cushion surface is facing towards the bow of the watercraft.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a watercraft, the first track assembly and the second track assembly including an extension portion for releasing the backrest from the first track assembly and the second track assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly including: a backrest having a cushion surface formed on a first side of the backrest and a support surface formed on a second side of the backrest; a first track assembly located along a first side of the backrest and a second track assembly located along a second side of the backrest; and a plurality of guide pins extending from the backrest into the first track assembly and the second track assembly such that the backrest is movable along the first track assembly and the second track assembly on the plurality of guide pins between a stowed position and a deployed position; wherein in the deployed position, the backrest is substantially upright on the first track assembly and the second track assembly; and wherein in the stowed position, the backrest is substantially horizontal on the first track assembly and the second track assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, each of the first track assembly and the second track assembly including an upper track portion oriented substantially vertically on the first track assembly and the second track assembly and a lower track portion oriented substantially horizontal on the first track assembly and the second track assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly: the plurality of guide pins including a pair of upper guide pins located towards an upper end of the backrest assembly when the backrest assembly is deployed, and a pair of lower guide pins located towards a lower end of the backrest assembly when the backrest assembly is deployed; wherein the pair of upper guide pins are movable along the upper track portion when the backrest moves between the deployed position and the stowed position; and wherein the pair of lower guide pins are movable along the lower track portion when the backrest moves between the deployed position and the stowed position.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, wherein the upper track portion is connected to the lower track portion.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, further including an extension portion extending from one of the upper track portion and the lower track portion of the first track assembly and the second track assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, the backrest further including a cushion surface located on a first side of the backrest and a support surface located on a second side of the backrest opposite to the cushion surface.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly: wherein when the backrest is in the stowed position, the support surface located on the second side of the backrest is facing upward; and wherein when the backrest is in the deployed position, the cushion surface is facing forward.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly including: a backrest having a cushion surface formed on a first side of the backrest and a support surface formed on a second side of the backrest; a first track assembly located along a first side of the backrest and a second track assembly located along a second side of the backrest, the first track assembly and the second track assembly including an upper track portion oriented substantially vertically on the first track assembly and the second track assembly and a lower track portion oriented substantially horizontal on the first track assembly and the second track assembly; a pair of upper guide pins located towards an upper end of the backrest assembly when the backrest assembly is deployed, the upper guide pins movable along the upper track portion; and a pair of lower guide pins located towards a lower end of the backrest assembly when the backrest assembly is deployed; wherein the pair of upper guide pins are movable along the upper track portion when the backrest moves between a deployed position and a stowed position; and wherein the pair of lower guide pins are movable along the lower track portion when the backrest moves between the deployed position and the stowed position.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, wherein the upper track portion is connected to the lower track portion.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, the backrest further including a cushion surface located on a first side of the backrest and a support surface located on a second side of the backrest opposite to the cushion surface.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly: wherein when the backrest is in the stowed position, the support surface located on the second side of the backrest is facing upward; and wherein when the backrest is in the deployed position, the cushion surface is facing forward.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, the lower track portion of the first track assembly and the second track assembly further including a rest portion for receiving the pair of lower guide pins therein when the backrest is in the deployed position.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a seat assembly, further including an extension portion extending from one of the upper track portion and the lower track portion of the first track assembly and the second track assembly.
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.
Referring to
Referring to
The cushion surface 24 may be mounted on the support surface 26 such that the support surface 26 provides a base for supporting the cushion surface 24 thereon. The backrest 22 may include a plurality of guide pins 28. The plurality of guide pins 28 may be located along opposing sides of the backrest 22.
The seat assembly 10 may include one or more track assemblies 30 that are arranged to movably support the backrest 22 while allowing the seat assembly 10 to move between deployed and stowed positions. As shown in
The one or more track assemblies 30 are shaped to guide movement of the backrest 22 between a deployed position as shown in
Referring to
Referring again to
The lower track portion 34 may include a rest portion 36 (
The backrest 22 is movable between deployed and stowed positions. Referring again to
In the stowed position, the backrest 22 is substantially flat or horizontal such that the backrest 22 allows for passage of passengers through the walk through 16 of the watercraft 14.
To move between the deployed and stowed positions, the plurality of guide pins 28 may move along the upper track portion 32 and the lower track portion 34 when the backrest 22 is moved. When the backrest 22 is in the deployed position as shown in
To move the backrest 22 to the stowed position, the backrest assembly is first moved in an upward direction relative to the track assemblies 30 to disengage the lower guide pin 28B from the rest portion 36. By lifting the backrest 22, the lower guide pin 28B disengages the rest portion 36 and is allowed to travel along the lower track portion 34 away from the upper track portion 32. As the lower guide pin 28B travels along the lower track portion 34, the upper guide pin 28A may travel substantially downward towards a bottom of the upper track portion 32 until the backrest 22 reaches the position shown in
The track assemblies 30 may include a toggle 38 that prevents the plurality of guide pins 28 from moving along the extension portion 33. The toggle 38 may be biased, such as with a spring, into a closed position as shown in
The seat assembly 10 advantageously allows the backrest 22 to be readily located across the walk through 16 to both provide support for a passenger seated at a center of the open bow area 12 and to also block wind from flowing through the walk through 16. The seat assembly 10 allows the backrest assembly to be easily moved to the stowed position to provide a surface for passengers to step and to provide substantially unobstructed access to the open bow area 12 when the backrest 22 is not needed for supporting a passenger.
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 claims priority to and is a non-provisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63/261,766 for a “Wind Block Flip Seat” filed on Sep. 28, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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