Abstract:
A watercraft seat includes a seat base movably mountable to a support surface, such as the deck of a watercraft. The mount includes a first lift link having a first end pivotally coupled to a support surface of the watercraft and a second end pivotally coupled to a front portion of the seat base and a second lift link distally located from the first lift link and having a first end pivotally coupled to a support surface of the watercraft and a second end pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the seat base. The seat base is movable between at least a first position, wherein the seat base is positioned proximate to the support surface, and a second position, wherein at least one of the front portion or the rear portion of the seat base is positioned distal from the support surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/015,146, filed Jun. 20, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present description relates generally to a watercraft seat and more particularly to an adjustable seat for small personal watercraft such as a kayak, canoe, or the like. 
       BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART 
       [0003]    Small watercraft, such as kayaks, canoes, etc. are generally well known. Typically, seats for kayaks generally include a substantially horizontal seat with an integral, substantially vertical back support. Other seats have a tiltable back support which can be separately inclined relative to the horizontal support. Such seats are often constructed of molded plastic and are contoured to conform to the general shape of a person&#39;s buttocks and lower back. 
         [0004]    A conventional kayak seat is fixed to an inside bottom surface of a kayak hull so that a person&#39;s buttocks are at the same general elevation as the person&#39;s feet, which extend forward of the seat. Adjustable foot pegs are often included along the inner gunwales of the kayak to provide longitudinal support for a person&#39;s feet in the kayak. This arrangement provides stable support for a person low within the cockpit of the kayak and enables a person to use his or her legs and body to assist in controlling the kayak&#39;s attitude and movement in the water. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,693 describes a kayak seat with means for adjusting the height of a seat relative to the water line in a. kayak. This reference describes a rigid seat which may be elevated using blocks or a screw-type linkage beneath the seat. The screw-type linkage requires the user to turn a knob, and subsequently an endless screw, so as to move various linkages that pivot to adjust the height of the seat. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 8,651,576 describes a multi-position seat for a kayak having a pair of side elevation adjusters engaging the seat frame on its lateral sides. Each adjuster includes a thumbwheel adjuster within an elevator traveler within a side frame, the traveler engaging a threaded shaft that is held in a fixed rotational position. The frame includes a tunnel structure associated with a front cross member. A strap passes through the tunnel, exits at lateral sides of the front cross member, and connects to lateral sides of the pivotally connected back support. The strap is user-adjustable in length so that the angle of the back to the seat is adjustable. 
         [0007]    US Patent Publication No. 2009/0038526 describes a removable seat for a kayak including a base configured to be sliadably engaged with a contoured shape on the base of the hull. The seat is operable to slide in forward and aft directions within the hull, and the seat and the base are removable from the hull. 
         [0008]    There remains, however, a need for a new and improved seat for small watercraft which can be relatively quickly and/or easily adjusted between various seat heights. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of an example of the adjustable kayak seat in accordance with the present disclosure, showing the example seat in the “seat down” position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the example adjustable kayak seat of  FIG. 1 , showing the example seat in the “seat up” position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a close-up rear perspective view of the example adjustable kayak seat of  FIG. 2 , showing the seat in the “seat up” position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a close-up front perspective view of the example adjustable kayak seat of  FIG. 2 , showing the seat in the “seat up” position. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5A-5C  each illustrated an example adjustable kayak seat in a “seat up”, “seat down”, and folded back position, respectively. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate one example lift link, and lift link combination for use in adjusting the example seat of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIGS. 7A-7E  illustrate the actuation of the example seat of  FIG. 1  by movement of the example lift link of  FIGS. 6A and 6B . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates one example movement of the example seat of  FIG. 1  towards a “seat down” position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  illustrates another example movement of the example seat of FIG. I towards a “seat up” position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a partial cross sectional view of the example adjustable seat and kayak of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a top perspective view of the example kayak of  FIG. 1  with the example seat removed. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  cross section view illustrating one example method of actuating movement of the example seat of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of an example adjustable kayak seat in accordance with the present disclosure, showing the example seat in the “seat up” position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a front perspective view of the example seat of  FIG. 13 , showing the seat back in a reclined position. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is a front perspective view of the example seat of  FIG. 13 , showing the seat in a folded back position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    The following description of example methods and apparatus is not intended to limit the scope of the description to the precise form or forms detailed herein. Instead the following description is intended to be illustrative so that others may follow its teachings. 
         [0025]    In some situations, such as for example during fishing, sight-seeing, egress/ingress, etc., it is desirable to quickly and easily raise a kayak seat up off of the kayak floor while the user is within the kayak itself, or outside of the kayak to enable, among other things, a better field of vision, access to below the seat base, and/or allow for an easier height of the kayak seat base itself when transferring to or from the kayak. In still other examples, it is desirable for the kayak seat to fully pivot away from the base of the kayak to allow for still further access under the seat and/or to allow for a user to stand or sit/kneel in the cockpit of the kayak similar to a paddle board, or to otherwise have additional room within the cockpit. 
         [0026]    Referring now to FIGS,  1 - 4 , an example kayak seat  20  is illustrated with an example kayak  10 . In the example of FIG. I, the seat  20  is illustrated in the “seat down” position, wherein the seat  20  is deployed proximate a floor  12  of the hull  14 . In the example of  FIGS. 2-3 , the seat  20  is illustrated in the “seat up” position, wherein the seat  20  is rotated to a height adjustable position above the floor  12  of the hull  14 . In this example, the seat  20  is raised approximately four inches off of the kayak cockpit floor  12 . In this position, the seat  20  may provide the user with a better field of vision as opposed to the “seat down” position of  FIG. 1 , wherein the user is sunk deeper within the cockpit. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5A  also illustrate another example of the seat  20  as it is deployed in various positions relative to the example kayak  10 . In  FIG. 5A , the seat  20  is deployed in the “seat up” position. In  FIG. 5B , the seat  20  is deployed in the “seat down” position. In  FIG. 5C , the front of the seat  20  is detached from the floor  12  of the cockpit of the kayak  10  and rotated into a “seat back” position as will be described in more detail herein below. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the example seat  20  generally includes a seat pan or a seat base  22 , and a seat back  24 . In this example, the seat back  24  is pivotally connected to the rearward portion of the seat base  22  via a pivot, such as, for example a hinge  26 . A tether  28  may be provide and may extend between the seat back  24  and the seat base  22  to limit the pivotal movement of the seat back  24  relative to the seat base  22 , and/or to provide additional support to the seat back  24 . The tether  28  may be any suitable tethering system including, for instance, an adjustable strap. 
         [0029]    Still referring to  FIG. 10 , in this example, an underside  30  of the seat base  22  includes at least a pair of substantially parallel channels  32   a,    32   b,  integrally formed within a rear portion  30   a  and a front portion  30   b  of the underside  30  of the seat base  22 , respectively. The example channels  32   a,  and  32   b  are adapted and configured to pivotally receive a first rotatable lift link  34   a  and a second rotatable lift link  34   b,  respectively. As illustrated in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , each example lift link is a tubular section shape comprising two parallel tubes  35 ,  37  used as rotation points (about an arrow B), connected by transverse tubes  39 ,  41 , which in this example determine the amount of “lift” (e.g., a height H) the seat  20  achieves over the floor  12  of the hull  14  cockpit. In this example, the height H of each of the links  34   a,    34   b  is the same. 
         [0030]    Referring again to  FIG. 10 , the example floor  12  includes a plurality of attachment points  40  arranged and configured to pivotally receive the links  34   a,    34   b,  and more particularly in this example, the bottom tube  37 . in at least one instance, the attachment points  40  near the front portion  30   b  of the seat  20  releasable and pivotally receive the link  34   b.  It will be appreciated, however, that any combination of the attachment points (all, some, none) may be releasably coupled to the links  34   a,    34   b,  or may alternatively be non-releasably coupled as desired. 
         [0031]    It will be further appreciated that the in combination, the links  34   a,    34   b,  the seat base  20 , and the floor  12  form a traditional four-bar pivoting mechanism. As such, it will be understood that each of the components may include additional attachment types and/or attachment locations, such as for example pivotal and slidable attachment points to allow for additional configurations of the four-bar link system as desired. Still further, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , for example, each of the links  34   a,    34   b  mat be any suitable configuration, and need not necessarily include a close tubular structure. For instance, a link  34   b′  may include the bottom tube  37  coupled to the attachment points  40  and coupled directly to the seat  20  via the pair of transverse tubes  39 ,  41 . It will be understood that in yet other examples, the seat  20  may be directly coupled to the floor  12  only a. plurality of traverse connectors, such as pivot hinges (not shown). 
         [0032]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 7A-7E , in operation, the seat  20  may rotate between the “seat up” position ( FIG. 7A ) and the “seat down” position ( FIG. 7D ) by rotating the links  34 A,  34   b  about their respective attachment points  40  in the direction of the arrow B. As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , rotation of the links  34   a,    34   b  causes the seat  20  to lift up and down about an arrow B′ and B″. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 12 , the actuation of the movement of the seat  20  may be affected by any suitable means including grabbing of any portion of the seat, etc. In the illustrated example of  FIG. 12 , however, a pull strap  50  is moveably attached from the forward portion of the seat  20 , around an anchor point  52  (e. ., a strap guide) and to the rearward portion of the seat  20 . In this instance, the strap is fed through a forward strap buckle  54  and is attached to the seat base  22  as will be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be appreciated that the actual path and/or attachment points of the pull strap  50  relative to the seat  20  may vary as desired. 
         [0034]    In operation, the example pull strap  50  is used to raise the seat  20  on the links  34   a,    34   b.  In particular, while optionally inhabiting or vacating the seat  20 , the user may pull the pull strap  50  towards the front of the kayak  10  to affect a rearward force on the back of the seat  20 , thereby actuating the seat about the lift links  34   a,    34   b  and raising the seat  20  relative to the kayak  14 . In this example, the strap buckle  54  may releasably hold the strap to maintain the seat  20  in the raised position. In order to release the seat  20  and allow the seat to rotate forward, the strap buckle  54  may be released, thereby allowing movement of the strap  50 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , a support stop  56  may be integrally formed in the kayak  10  to allow provide additional support to the seat  20  when the seat is in the “seat up” position. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 14 and 15  illustrate additional methods of operation of the seat  20 . Specifically, as illustrated in  FIG. 14 , the seat back  24  may be pivotally moved in a forward (not shown) or a rearward direction as desired. It will be understood that operation of the lift seat between the “seat up” and the “seat down” position may be achieved while the seat back is in any suitable folded arrangement. Turning to  FIG. 15 , the seat  20  is shown is a folded back position, with the forward link  34   a′  released from the attachment point  40 . In this instance, the seat  20  is pivoted about the attachment point  40 ′. It will be understood that in other examples, the seat  20  may be fully detachable from the kayak  10  to allow full removal of the seat  20  as desired, or the rear link  34   a  may be detachable to allow the seat  20  to be pivoted forward in the boat (such as for example is a two-seat kayak. 
         [0036]    Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and. articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the present disclosure either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.