Abstract:
Watercraft with dual, in-line flotation are detailed. Front and rear floats may be bridged by a seating assembly and allow both feet-up and feet-down positioning of a user of the craft. The watercraft may be disassembled and then reassembled compactly for transport or storage, with the compactly reassembled craft including wheels or capable of being placed onto a hand trolley if desired to facilitate its carriage. Also detailed are watercraft in which forward flotation is provided by two front floats forming a pontoon configuration.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to watercraft and more particularly (but not necessarily exclusively) to such craft including in-line or pontoon-type flotation bridged by a seat, with the structure being separable and reconfigurable to facilitate transport and storage and accommodating feet of a user both atop a float (or floats) or in the water outside the footprint (envelope) of the craft. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Watercraft that supposedly are easy to transport have long existed. U.S. Pat. No. 299,951 to Brown, dating from 1884, illustrates and describes a “hammock canoe” whose main frame includes handles and a strap. According to the Brown patent, “by the aid of” the handles and strap, “the person using the device may readily carry the same from place to place.” See Brown, p. 1, 11. 79-83. 
         [0003]    No disassembly of the canoe of the Brown patent is intended, however. Nor is the “canoe” intended to support a user in a seated or prone position while in the water; instead, the device is useable as a hammock (with a prone user) only when “cords or lines suspended from trees” are attached to its rings or loops. See id., 11. 36-38 and 87-92. Further, although the canoe includes an opening through which a user&#39;s legs may extend, the opening is entirely within the main frame, and thus within the footprint, of the canoe. 
         [0004]    European Patent Publication No. 0118305 B1 (the “EP &#39;305 Patent”) also discloses what it calls an “easily transportable boat” with an integrated hull. The boat includes foot rests as well as hand grips and an opening within the envelope of the boat through which a user may place his or her legs. According to the EP &#39;305 Patent: “When water less than three inches in depth is encountered the operator puts his feet through the opening, stands up, catches the hand grips and walks while carrying the boat at the same time until more suitable waters are reached.” See EP &#39;305 Patent, col. 3, 11. 57-61 (numerals omitted). 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,674,753 to Wood and U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,068 to Jasper depict other water-borne objects, the former labelled a “boat” and the latter called a “float.” The boat of the Wood patent is generally similar to the canoe of the Brown patent, although it also includes an inflatable “occupant support member” having a pair of holes through which a user&#39;s legs extend within the footprint of the boat. See Wood, col. 2, 11. 5-8; col. 3, 11. 4-14. The recreational float of the Jasper patent likewise includes a seat having leg openings bounded by an enclosure. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,843 to Oman, finally, describes yet another boat “which can be conveniently handled by a single person.” See Oman, col. 1, 1. 15. The integrated structure of the boat includes two hull portions having internal air compartments for flotation and a saddle section for seating therebetween. See id., 11. 44-46. The entire contents of the Brown, Wood, Jasper, and Oman patents, together with the entire contents of the EP &#39;305 Patent, are hereby incorporated herein by this reference. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Absent from these watercraft is any contemplation of disassembling components and reassembling them in compact configurations to aid their transport and storage. Equally absent is any suggestion of reassembly involving fitting a seat frame into one float or fitting both a seat frame and one or more floats into a second float. In either case, the compactly reassembled structure may be connected to dedicated wheels or a hand trolley, for example, and rolled from place to place much like a conventional roll-aboard suitcase. 
         [0008]    Versions of the inventive watercraft may resemble kayaks and be normally for personal use. At least some versions may include two floats aligned in the normal travel direction of the craft. These in-line floats preferably are rigid objects molded of buoyant plastic material, although other materials alternatively may be used. The floats may, if desired, be thermoformed. Alternatively, two forward floats may be used in a pontoon configuration together with at least one rear float. 
         [0009]    Lower portions of the floats, which may contain keels, are designed to contact the water surface in use. By contrast, upper portions of the floats normally extend above the water surface. These upper portions may include passages (or other means) for receiving framework of an occupant seat. Foot wells also may be present in the nominally forward float, and either or both floats may include clips (or other means) for attaching one float directly to, or within, the other when compactly reassembled. 
         [0010]    The occupant seating assembly may comprise a generally-horizontal seating platform to which the framework is connected. When prongs of the framework are positioned in passages of the floats, the seat may bridge the floats so that the occupant is positioned in-line with the floats. When the occupant faces in the normal direction of watercraft movement while seated on the seating platform, he or she may place his or her feet in the foot wells. This placement is especially well suited for rapidly paddling the craft, as the occupant&#39;s feet and legs will not create movement drag because extended into the water. By contrast, when maneuvering or anchoring the craft or while relaxing, the occupant may remove his or her feet from the foot wells and dangle his or her legs in the water outside the envelope of the watercraft while remaining seated. 
         [0011]    A fully-functional, sleek personal watercraft thus may be formed of as few as three main components—two floats and a seat assembly. It may be disassembled merely by removing prongs of the seating framework from the passages of the two floats. In a first embodiment of the watercraft, the seating assembly may then be stored in recesses of the upper portion of one float and the second float thereafter clipped thereto. In a different embodiment, the combined seating assembly and (at least) one float may be fitted into the interior of the second float. Yet another embodiment allows two floats to be fitted into the interior of a float, while a seat remains external thereto. Each version produces a compact structure easy to transport and store. 
         [0012]    It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide novel watercraft. 
         [0013]    It also is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft capable of being reconfigured either for use or for transport and storage. 
         [0014]    It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft configured for compact reassembly to facilitate transport and storage. 
         [0015]    It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft having dual in-line floats bridged by a seating assembly. 
         [0016]    It is yet another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft having pontoon-style, nominally forward floats detachably connected to a rear float. 
         [0017]    It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft whose floats are rigid, molded plastics material. 
         [0018]    It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft in which at least one main component may be fitted into another during compact reassembly, with the compact result connected to wheels or a hand trolley if desired. 
         [0019]    It is as well an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide watercraft in which a user alternatively may place his or her feet either in foot wells of a float (or floats) or in the water outside the envelope of the craft. 
         [0020]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first version of an exemplary watercraft encompassed by the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1  also illustrating an occupant whose feet are positioned in foot wells of the craft. 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1  illustrating the occupant of  FIG. 5  with his or her feet in positions normally extending into the water in which the craft is located. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the watercraft of  FIG. 1 , with the seating assembly of the craft separated from the two floats. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  illustrates a first step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIG. 1  following the separation of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  illustrates a second step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIG. 1  following the first reassembly step of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a second version of an exemplary watercraft encompassed by the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  illustrates a first step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIG. 10  following separation of a seating platform from its framework. 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  illustrates a second step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIG. 10  following the first reassembly step of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  illustrates a third step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIG. 10  following the second reassembly step of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  illustrates a fourth step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIG. 10  following the third reassembly step of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0035]      FIGS. 15A-B  are perspective views of a third version of an exemplary watercraft encompassed by the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 16  is a top plan view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B . 
           [0037]      FIG. 17  is a side elevational view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B . 
           [0038]      FIG. 18  is a front elevational view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B . 
           [0039]      FIG. 19  is a rear elevational view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B . 
           [0040]      FIG. 20  is a bottom plan view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B . 
           [0041]      FIG. 21  is an exploded perspective view of the watercraft of  FIG. 15A-B , with the seating assembly of the craft separated from the two floats. 
           [0042]      FIG. 22  illustrates a first step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B  following the separation of  FIG. 21 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 23  illustrates a second step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B  following the first reassembly step of  FIG. 22 . 
           [0044]      FIG. 24  illustrates a third step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B  following the second reassembly step of  FIG. 23 . 
           [0045]      FIG. 25  illustrates a fourth step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 15A-B  following the third reassembly step of  FIG. 24 . 
           [0046]      FIGS. 26A-B  are perspective views of a fourth version of an exemplary watercraft encompassed by the present invention. 
           [0047]      FIG. 27  is a top plan view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B . 
           [0048]      FIG. 28  is a side elevational view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B . 
           [0049]      FIG. 29  is a front elevational view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B . 
           [0050]      FIG. 30  is a rear elevational view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B . 
           [0051]      FIG. 31  is a bottom plan view of the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B . 
           [0052]      FIG. 32  is an exploded perspective view of the watercraft of  FIG. 26A-B , with a float of the craft separated from the other floats. 
           [0053]      FIG. 33  illustrates a first step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the separation of  FIG. 32 , 
           [0054]      FIG. 34  illustrates a second step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the first reassembly step of  FIG. 33 . 
           [0055]      FIG. 35  illustrates a third step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the second reassembly step of  FIG. 34 . 
           [0056]      FIG. 36  illustrates a fourth step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the third reassembly step of  FIG. 35 . 
           [0057]      FIG. 37  illustrates a fifth step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the fourth reassembly step of  FIG. 36 . 
           [0058]      FIG. 38  illustrates a sixth step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the fifth reassembly step of  FIG. 37 . 
           [0059]      FIG. 39  illustrates a seventh step in compactly reassembling the watercraft of  FIGS. 26A-B  following the sixth reassembly step of  FIG. 38 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0060]    Depicted in at least  FIGS. 1-6  is exemplary watercraft  10 . Watercraft  10  may comprise first float  14 , second float  18 , and seating assembly  22 . When watercraft  10  is assembled as shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , first float  14  and second float  18  are aligned in the normal travel direction T of the craft  10 . A normally-seated user or occupant OC will face in that normal travel direction T (as illustrated in  FIGS. 5-6 ), so that first float  14  extends forward of, and second float  18  extends rearward of, the occupant OC. 
         [0061]    First and second floats  14  and  18  are buoyant so as to provide flotation for watercraft  10  when in water. They may be made of any suitable flexible or rigid material suitable for flotation. Preferably, however, floats  14  and  18  are molded of plastics material into rigid shapes, with their interior spaces filled with closed-cell foam or, less desirably, open-cell foam, air, or other buoyant material. 
         [0062]    First float  14  may define upper portion  26  and lower portion  30 . Lower portion  30  is designed to contact the water surface in use and may, if desired, include keel  34 . Upper portion  26 , by contrast, normally rides above the water line. Contoured into upper portion  26  may be various passages and recesses facilitating assembly and compact reassembly of the craft  10  as well as foot wells  38  and, optionally, fishing rod holder  42 . 
         [0063]    In particular, upper portion  26  may include spaced, parallel tunnels or passages  46 A and  46 B at its (nominal) rear end  50 . Passages  46 A and  46 B may, in use, frictionally receive corresponding prongs  54 A and  54 B of seating assembly  22  so as to connect first float  14  and seating assembly  22  together. Upper portion  26  additionally may comprise central recess  58  into which a portion of seating assembly  22  may extend when craft  10  is reassembled compactly. 
         [0064]    Second float  18  is generally similar to first float  14 , in that it may define upper portion  62  normally riding above the water line and lower portion  66  normally contacting the water surface in use. Lower portion may, if desired, include keel  70 . 
         [0065]    Upper portion  62  may include parallel passages  74 A and  74 B. In use, these passages  74 A and  74 B frictionally receive corresponding prongs  78 A and  78 B of seating assembly  22  so as to interconnect second float  18  and seating assembly  22 . Hence, merely by connecting seating assembly  22  to each of first float  14  and second float  18 , a fully-functional, sleek watercraft  10  may be formed. 
         [0066]    Also illustrated in connection with upper portion  62  are additional (optional) rod holders  42  and central recess  82 . As with central recess  58 , central recess  82  is configured to receive a portion of seating assembly  22  when craft  10  is reassembled compactly. One or more clips  86  may be present in or on each of first and second floats  14  and  18  so as to interconnect the floats in the compact configuration. 
         [0067]    Seating assembly  22  may comprise seat  90  as well as framework  94 . Seat  90  is a generally horizontal platform (which may if desired be contoured) designed to accommodate buttocks of occupant OC. Some versions of seat  90  may include molded-in cup holder  98 . 
         [0068]    Framework  94  attaches to seat  90  in any suitable manner. Alternatively, framework  94  may be integrally molded with seat  90 . In either circumstance, framework  94  may include prongs  54 A,  54 B,  78 A, and  78 B so as to connect seating assembly  22  with each of first float  14  and second float  18 . 
         [0069]      FIGS. 5-6  illustrate watercraft  10  with occupant OC seated on seat  90 . In  FIG. 5 , occupant OC is paddling craft  10  so as to move the craft  10  in travel direction T. For greater comfort and avoidance of drag while paddling, occupant OC may place his or her feet F in foot wells  38  of upper portion  26  rather than in the water. By contrast, while maneuvering, relaxing or resting, or otherwise when desired, occupant OC may alternatively place his or her feet F in the water as shown in  FIG. 6 . Such foot placement is outside envelope E (see  FIG. 2 ) of watercraft  10  and thus easily accomplished. 
         [0070]    Disassembly and compact reassembly of watercraft  10  is depicted in  FIGS. 7-9 . Following use, watercraft  10  may be disassembled into its constituent components of first float  14 , second float  18 , and seating assembly  22 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . This disassembly may occur relatively quickly and easily merely by pulling prongs  54 A and  54 B out of respective passages  46 A and  46 B (thus separating seating assembly  22  from first float  14 ) and pulling prongs  78 A and  78 B from respective passages  74 A and  74 B (thus detaching seating assembly  22  from second float  18 ). 
         [0071]    Thereafter, seating assembly  22  may be placed into central recess  82  of second float  18  as depicted in  FIG. 8 . First float  14  may then be inverted and clipped (or otherwise attached) to second float  18  in the manner shown in  FIG. 9  so as to produce a compact, unitary object for transport and storage. (Alternatively, of course, second float  18  could be inverted and attached to first float  14 .) When watercraft  10  is next needed for use, first and second floats  14  and  18  simply may be detached, seating assembly  22  may be removed from central recess  82 , and then the seating assembly  22  may be attached to the first and second floats  14  and  18  as described above. 
         [0072]    Illustrated in  FIGS. 10-14  is an alternate watercraft  100 . Craft  100  may include first float  104  and second float  108  as well as seating assembly  112  comprising both seat  116  and framework  120 . Similar to the analogous component of craft  10 , seating assembly  112  may bridge the first and second floats  104  and  108  as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0073]    Disassembly and compact reassembly of watercraft  100  begins as shown in  FIG. 11 , with seat  116  being unclipped or otherwise removed from framework  120 . Seat  116  may then be placed into central recess  124  of first float  104 . Prongs of framework  120  may be pulled from passages of first and second floats  104  and  108  and framework  120  then placed atop seat  116  in central recess  124  (see  FIG. 12 ).  FIG. 12  also well illustrates that second float  108  may include both base  130  and cover  134 , with the passages being present in the cover  134 . Cover  134  advantageously may be hinged relative to base  130 , although other attachment means may be employed instead. 
         [0074]    After seat  116  and framework  120  are positioned in central recess  124  of first float  104 , the collective may be placed in central recess  138  of base  130 . This placement is depicted in  FIG. 13 . Following the placement, cover  134  may be pivoted into the position shown in  FIG. 14  so as to shield seat  116  and framework  120  and, preferably, clip or otherwise attach to base  130 . Again, therefore, a unitary, compact structure may be produced. 
         [0075]      FIGS. 15A-20  illustrate another exemplary watercraft  200 . Similar to watercraft  10 , craft  200  may comprise first float  204 , second float  208 , and seating assembly  212 . If desired, watercraft  200  additionally may include other features and components described in connection with watercraft  10 . As configured in the drawings, first float  204  and second float  208  are aligned in the normal travel direction T of watercraft  200 , with first float  204  normally extending forward of, and second float  204  normally extending rearward of, an occupant seated on seating assembly  212 . 
         [0076]    Also detailed in  FIGS. 15A-16  are wheel assemblies  216  and handle  220  of watercraft  200 . When not in use, wheel assemblies  216  conveniently may be fitted into recesses of upper portion  224  of second float  208 . Handle  220 , by contrast, may be connected to (nominally) rear portion  228  of second float  208 . Wheel assemblies  216  and handle  220  cooperate to facilitate transport of watercraft  200  when in its compact configuration. 
         [0077]    As shown in  FIG. 21 , and similar to disassembly of watercraft  10 , watercraft  200  may be disassembled by separating first float  204  and second float  208  from seating assembly  212 . Seating assembly  212  thereafter may be placed into central recess  232  of second float  208  (see  FIG. 22 ), following which first float  204  may be inverted and attached to the second float  208  (see  FIG. 23 ). Consistent with  FIG. 24 , wheel assemblies  216  may then be placed in recesses  236  of (nominally) forward portion  240  of second float  208  to produce a compact, unitary, wheeled object for transport and storage.  FIG. 25  illustrates that watercraft  200  may be transported on wheel assemblies  216  merely by grasping and lifting handle  220 . 
         [0078]    Yet another exemplary watercraft  300  is shown in  FIGS. 26A-39 . Unlike watercraft  100 , for example, watercraft  300  does not include dual, in-line flotation. Instead, watercraft  300  may include floats  304 A-B and  308 , with floats  304 A-B being symmetric about travel direction T and float  308  being in-line with that travel direction T. Also unlike watercraft  100 , watercraft  300  includes seat  312  of a seating assembly formed as part of float  308 , although framework  316  of the seating assembly continues to bridge floats  304 A-B and  308 . Framework  316 , further, includes mid-section  316 A configured to be detachably connected to each of (nominally) fore section  316 B and rear section  316 C. Fore section  316 B may assist in retaining separation of floats  304 A-B, among other functions, when watercraft  300  is in use. 
         [0079]    To disassemble watercraft  300  after use, float  308  may be disconnected from mid-section  316 A (see  FIG. 32 ). As illustrated in  FIG. 33 , pontoon assembly  320 —comprising floats  304 A-B and fore section  316 B—may be disconnected from mid-section  316 A. Assembly  320  itself may be separated into subcomponents by detaching cross-bar  324 A from other members  324 B-C of fore section  316 B (see  FIG. 34 ).  FIGS. 35-36  depict that float  308  may include both base  330  and cover  334  hingedly (or otherwise) connected thereto; also illustrated is that mid-section  316 A may be clipped to underside  338  of cover  334  for storage after draw latches (or similar) on base  330  are released and cover  334  is raised. 
         [0080]    Shown in  FIG. 37  is that cross-bar  324 A may be fitted into central recess  342  of base  330 . Thereafter floats  304 A and  304 B, together with their respective associated members  324 B and  324 C, may be stored side-by-side in central recess  342  (see  FIG. 38 ). If cover  334  is then closed and latched, another unitary, compact structure is produced. 
         [0081]    The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.