Abstract:
An extendable deck assembly for a boat to provide additional use area of the boat while on the lake. In the retracted position the extendable deck permits a smaller trailer to be used for transporting the boat and provide better maneuverability on the lake. The extendable deck provides use area in the retracted position as well as the extended position, thereby eliminating stowing problems. The extendable deck assembly may be provided with rollers or an actuating device to facilitate the sliding movement of the extendable deck. The extendable deck assembly is designed to accommodate the side curvature of the boat and may be a built-in feature of the boat or may be marketed independently.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/936,177, Sep. 24, 1997, allowed U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,866, which is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/824,821, Mar. 26, 1997, now abandoned. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The general use area of a conventional fishing or recreational boat is restricted to the area within the perimeter of the boat. It is often desired to have additional use area within the boat after the boat has reached its destination on the lake. Larger boats are more costly and require longer, more costly trailers to haul them. Larger boats are also more difficult to maneuver in the parking lot as well as in the lake. Portable or hinged deck extensions provide minimal use area, are cumbersome to use, and create problems to stow when they are not in use or when the boat is being transported. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat; thereby providing additional use area while the boat is on the lake. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat in which the extendable deck is easily extended and retracted in a sliding manner. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat in which the sliding movement of the extendable deck is facilitated by rollers. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat in which the sliding movement of the extendable deck is provided by an actuating device. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat in which the extendable deck provides general use area in the retracted position as well as in the extended position, thereby eliminating stowing problems. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat in which the extendable deck compensates for any tilting of the boat when the extendable deck is in the extended position, thereby providing a more level floor surface in the extended position. 
     It is still another object of this invention is to provide an extendable deck assembly for a boat which is adapted with mounting brackets so as to permit the assembly to be marketed separately and installed by the consumer on existing boats. 
     These and other objects will become apparent hereinafter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a boat adapted with an extendable deck assembly shown with the deck in the retracted position; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation view of the extendable deck assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2 with the extendable deck shown in the retracted position; 
     FIG. 4 is a horizontal section view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical section view taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a vertical section view taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a horizontal section view taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of a boat adapted with an extendable deck assembly in which the outer guide rails are slanted slightly upward, shown with the deck in the retracted position; 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of FIG. 8, shown with the deck in the extended position; 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of FIG. 9, shown with the deck in the extended position and loaded 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of a boat adapted with an extendable deck assembly mounted with bracket assemblies, shown with the deck in the retracted position; 
     FIG. 12 is a horizontal section view taken along line  12 — 12  of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view of FIG. 2 shown with the quick pins removed and the extendable deck ready for extension; 
     FIG. 14 is a horizontal section view taken along line  14 — 14  of FIG. 13 shown with the extendable deck in forward motion; 
     FIG. 15 is a plan view of the extendable deck assembly shown in the extended position with the quick pins inserted; and 
     FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of FIG.  15 . 
     Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the several figures of the drawings. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what I presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided an extendable deck assembly  1  of the present invention. The extendable deck assembly  1  is slidably mounted to a boat  2 , more specifically to the bow end  4  of the boat  2 . The boat  2  has a longitudinal axis extending from the bow  4  to a stern  5 . The stern  5  of the boat  2  is adapted with an outboard motor  3 . The extendable deck assembly  1  is shown as a built-in feature of the boat  2  and is illustrated in the retracted position. 
     The present invention is demonstrated on a boat  2  having a hull  12  for the purposes of this disclosure. It is not intended to imply that the extendable deck assembly  1  of the present invention is limited to this type of boat as the invention may be adapted to various types of boats such as pontoon boats. The terms “slidably mounted,” “sliding movement,” or the like are intended to define directional motion and are not intended to imply the necessity of the existence of sliding friction such as two surfaces rubbing against one another. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 through 7, the extendable deck assembly  1  is more clearly detailed. The extendable deck assembly  1  is comprised of six primary components which are the extendable deck  15 , the two front guide roller assemblies  31 ,  32 , the two back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34 , and the gearmotor assembly  46 , as seen in FIG.  3 . 
     The extendable deck  15  is comprised of a deck platform  16  secured to a frame structure  18 , as seen in FIG.  2 . The frame structure  18  is constructed with structural channel which may be aluminum, fiberglass, or any durable material. The frame structure  18  is comprised of two outer guide rails  19 ,  20 , two inner guide rails  21 ,  22 , a front deck support member  23 , a back deck support member  24 , and a center deck support member  25 , as seen in FIG.  3 . The front portion  26  of each outer guide rail  19 ,  20  is formed to match the curvature of the boat sidewall  6  with the back portion  27  of each outer guide rail  19 ,  20  remaining straight and parallel to each other. The deck platform  16  is constructed from marine-grade plywood and is secured to the frame structure  18  with sheet metal screws  17 . The deck platform  16  may be provided with various coverings including paint or carpeting. The extendable deck  15  is illustrated equipped with a pedestal seat  11  to illustrate one use of the extendable deck assembly  1  for purposes of this disclosure and it is not intended to imply that the extendable deck assembly  1  is limited to this use as the extendable deck  15  may be outfitted with various other boating accessories such as a trolling motor, lights, railing, bench seats, etc. 
     The front guide roller assemblies  31 ,  32  and the back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34  provide the means to guide the extendable deck  15  to the extended position and back to the retracted position in a sliding manner. The front guide roller assemblies  31 ,  32  interface with the inner guide rails  21 ,  22  and the back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34  interface with the outer guide rails  19 ,  20  of the extendable deck  15 , as seen in FIG.  3 . This offset design of the front guide roller assemblies  31 ,  32  relative to the back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34  permits the extendable deck  15  to match the curvature of the boat sidewall  6 . 
     Each front guide roller assembly  31 ,  32  is comprised of a guide roller bracket  35 , a guide roller  37 , and a guide block  39  as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 which illustrate the right front guide roller assembly  31 . The guide roller bracket  35  is constructed of sheet metal and is secured to the stationary deck  10  of the boat  2  with mounting bolts, 36 , as shown. The guide roller  37  is constructed of delrin or similar material and is rotatably mounted to the guide roller bracket  35  by means of a shoulder bolt  38 . The guide roller  37  supports the inner guide rail  21  and facilitates the sliding movement of the extendable deck  15 . The guide block  39  is also constructed of delrin or similar material and is secured to the guide roller bracket  35  by means of two mounting bolts  40 . The guide block  39  prevents the inner guide rail  21  from sideward movement in the direction of the guide block  39 . The guide block  39  also prevents upward movement of the inner guide rail  21  relative to the guide roller  37 . The left front guide roller assembly  32  is constructed in the same manner as the right front guide roller assembly  31  and interfaces with the left inner guide rail  22 . The guide blocks  39  of the right front guide roller assembly  31  and the left front guide roller assembly  32  work in unison to prevent sideward movement of the extendable deck  15  to the right or to the left relative to the front guide roller assemblies  31 ,  32 . 
     The back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34  are built-in to the sidewalls  6  of the boat  2 . A cavity  7  in each sidewall  6  provides a housing for the back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34 . Each back guide roller assembly  33 ,  34  provides two guide rollers  41  as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6 which illustrate the right back guide roller assembly  33 . The guide rollers  41  are constructed of delrin or similar material and are rotatably mounted in the boat sidewall cavity  7  by means of a shoulder bolt  42 . The guide rollers  41  provide support for the outer guide rail  19  and facilitate the sliding movement of the extendable deck  15 . Each back guide roller assembly  33 ,  34  also provides a guide block  43 . The guide block  43  is constructed of delrin or similar material and is secured in the boat sidewall cavity  7  by means of two mounting bolts  44 . The guide block  43  prevents the outer guide rail  19  from sideward movement in the direction of the guide block  43 . The left back guide roller assembly  34  is constructed in the same manner as the right back guide roller assembly  33  and interfaces with the left outer guide rail  20 . The guide blocks  43  of the right back guide roller assembly  33  and the left back guide roller assembly  34  work in unison to prevent sideward movement of the extendable deck  15  to the right or to the left relative to the back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34 . Each boat sidewall cavity  7  is provided with a hole  9  through each side  8  to interface with the quick pins  45 , as seen in FIG.  6 . The back portion  27  of each outer guide rail  19 ,  20  is adapted with two holes  28  to interface with the quick pins  45 . The quick pins  45  are used to retain the extendable deck  15  in the extended and retracted positions as they interface with the appropriate hole  28  in the outer guide rails  19 ,  20  and the holes  9  in the boat sidewall cavities  7 . 
     The sliding movement of the extendable deck assembly  1  may be facilitated with an actuating device. A 12-volt D.C. gearmotor  46  is mounted to the stationary deck  10  by means of mounting bolts  49 , as seen in FIGS. 3 and 7. A gear rack  29  is mounted under the center deck support member  25  by means of mounting bolts  30 , as seen in FIG.  7 . The output shaft  47  of the gearmotor  46  is adapted with a pinion gear  48 . The pinion gear  48  interfaces with the gear rack  29 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 8 through 10, the extendable deck assembly  1  is provided with the outer guide rails  19 ,  20  formed such that the back portion  27  is slanted slightly upward relative to the front portion  26 , as seen in FIG.  8 . This option should be used on boats which significantly tilt forward due to the overhung load caused by the extendable deck  15 . The extendable deck  15  is level relative to the boat  2  when the extendable deck  15  is in the retracted position. When the extendable deck  15  is in the extended position, the extendable deck  15  is slanted slightly upward relative to the boat  2 , as seen in FIG.  9 . When a load  50  is placed on the extendable deck  15  in the extended position, the boat  2  may tilt forward due to the overhung load. This will cause the extendable deck  15  to level relative to the water, thereby compensating for the tilting of the boat  2 , as seen in FIG.  10 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the extendable deck assembly  1  is provided with back guide roller mounting brackets  51  for installation on existing boats as an add-on feature rather than a built-in feature. The extendable deck assembly  1  is identical to that discussed above excepting that the back guide roller assemblies  33 ,  34  are mounted in guide roller brackets  51  in lieu of the boat sidewall cavities  7 . The guide roller brackets  51  are constructed of sheet metal and are secured to the stationary deck  10  of the boat  2  with mounting bolts  52 , as shown. Clamp-on type mounting brackets may also be provided for certain boats as is obvious to anyone skilled in the art. 
     In operation, the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 13 through 16. Referring to FIG. 13, the extendable deck  15  is extended by first removing the quick pins  45  from the boat sidewall cavities  7 . The extendable deck  15  is then moved forward by means of the gearmotor  46  which rotates the pinion gear  48 , as seen in FIG.  14 . When the extendable deck  15  is in the fully extended position, the quick pins  45  are inserted back into the boat sidewall cavities  7 , as seen in FIG. 15; thereby retaining the extendable deck  15  in the extended position, as seen in FIG.  16 . The extendable deck  15  may be returned to the retracted position by simply reversing the above procedure. 
     The extendable deck assembly  1  may be operated by any common electrical circuit easily constructed by anyone skilled in the art. A limit switch may also be employed to prevent operation of the outboard motor  3  unless the extendable deck  15  is in the fully retracted position, as seen in FIG.  1 . The extendable deck assembly  1  may be actuated by various methods including hydraulic cylinders, ball screw actuators, and by powering the guide rollers, as will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art. The extendable deck assembly  1  may also be provided for manual operation in which case the gearmotor  46 , pinion gear  48 , and gear rack  29  are omitted. 
     The present invention may be provided in other modified forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The foregoing description is provided to illustrate one embodiment of the invention for purposes of this disclosure and it is intended to cover all changes and modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention.