Patent ID: 7966962
Filing Date: 2011-06-28
Classification: B63B

Abstract:
1. A boarding aid for assisting a person in embarking on and disembarking from a dinghy having inflatable pontoon sides spaced apart in lateral directions by a predetermined lateral distance and having inboard side portions providing opposite confronting inboard side locations spaced apart laterally by a predetermined inboard side distance, the pontoon sides extending in forward and aft directions between a bow and a stern, a floor extending laterally between the pontoon sides and longitudinally in forward and aft directions between the bow and the stern, and a transom extending between the pontoon sides adjacent the stern, each pontoon side extending altitudinally upward from a bottom to a gunwale located at a predetermined height above the floor, the boarding aid comprising: a handgrip bar having a length extending between opposite bar portions; a support structure having a first support portion for juxtaposition with the inboard side locations of both pontoon sides, and a second support portion spaced from the first support portion along a longitudinal direction, the support structure being joined with the handgrip bar adjacent the second support portion of the support structure such that the handgrip bar extends laterally with respect to the longitudinal direction of the support structure along a lateral distance substantially corresponding to the predetermined lateral distance between the pontoon sides; and a coupling arrangement for coupling the first support portion of the support structure with the dinghy at a corresponding coupling location spaced away from the bow in an aft direction and spaced away from the stern in a forward direction, the coupling arrangement including at least one pair of couplings, each coupling of the one pair of couplings including support members spaced apart in a forward and aft direction by a support distance, at least one of the support members being configured and dimensioned for affixation to a corresponding pontoon side, at an affixation position on the inboard side location of the corresponding pontoon side, with the affixation position placed altitudinally at least substantially midway between the bottom and the gunwale of the corresponding pontoon side, and another of the support members being configured and dimensioned for affixation to the dinghy at the corresponding coupling location; the support structure having a prescribed length between the first and second support portions, and each coupling being configured and oriented such that with the first support portion of the support structure coupled with a corresponding coupling, the support structure is installed on the dinghy with the handgrip bar extending laterally essentially in alignment with the lateral directions and placed at an elevated position located a substantial altitudinal distance directly above the gunwales, a forward distance from the transom, and an aft distance from the bow, so as to be accessible for ready grasping by a person remaining essentially erect as the person steps aboard or debarks from the dinghy.