Abstract:
A combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure includes a frame member, which is rotatable about a pivot adjacent to an engine compartment access through a deck of a pontoon boat. The entire enclosure can rotate to a position to access the opening, or the enclosure can be used as a privacy enclosure. A top cover of the unit is also rotatable relative to the frame and has a support bracket attached to a back of the top cover, where the bracket is rotatable to an upright position, where a privacy curtain may be assembled around the enclosure by way of snap members.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No.  60/345,439  filed Jan.  4, 2002 , and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No.  60/351,538  filed Jan.  25, 2002 , the complete disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

Description:
[0001]    The invention is directed to privacy enclosures for marinecraft, and in particular, for pontoon boats.  
         [0002]    It is common in the pleasure craft industry, particularly in the pontoon boat industry, to include a privacy enclosure. The privacy enclosure can be raised to a position providing an enclosed area for a user to change into or out of a swimsuit during excursions. In some embodiments of privacy enclosures, lavatory facilities are also provided. While it is desirable to provide as many amenities as are possible, it is also of particular interest to not dedicate usable space on the pontoon deck area to lavatories, in order that the deck area on the pontoon boat is maximized. See, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,883,016 ;5,029,348; and 6,302,053. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,883,016 and 5,029,348 both show a privacy enclosure which can be raised vertically; however, both references require substantial dedicated space simply for the privacy enclosure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,053, however, shows a privacy region which is stored on the rear side of a rotatable seat. However, in this application, the deck space beneath the seat is readily available for the privacy enclosure. It is desirable to have a privacy enclosure assembly, where decking space is not readily available, to even further maximize deck space.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]    The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing a pontoon boat, comprising a hull portion comprised of a deck portion, a plurality of elongate pontoons positioned below the deck portion, the hull portion further comprising an engine compartment positioned adjacent an end of the of the hull portion, and at least partially below the deck portion, defining an engine compartment opening through the portion. An inboard-outboard engine is positioned within the engine compartment with a drive portion extending outwardly and rearwardly of the hull portion for propelling the pontoon boat. An engine compartment cover assembly substantially surrounds the engine compartment opening, the engine compartment cover assembly being pivotally mounted to the pontoon boat at a position adjacent to an edge of the engine compartment. The engine compartment cover assembly comprises upstanding side walls and end walls, the end walls and side walls defining a frame member which surrounds the engine compartment. The engine compartment cover assembly further comprises a raised floor section attached to the frame member, and a top cover portion which is pivotally mounted to the frame member, the top cover portion has a privacy enclosure assembly attached to an underside thereof, movable between stowed and upright positions and which includes a privacy curtain which drapes downwardly in the upright position to define the privacy enclosure.  
         [0004]    In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame member includes a door allowing entry therethrough and access to the raised floor. Preferably, the privacy enclosure assembly includes a curtain frame which is pivotally mounted to the top cover portion. The engine compartment cover assembly and the top cover portion are pivotally movable about horizontal and parallel axes. The top cover portion has a locking latch for lockably latching the top cover portion to the frame member. The frame member has first spring means for holding the frame member in an upright position, which are preferably comprised of gas assisted shocks. The top cover portion has second spring means to hold the top cover portion in an upright position, which are preferably gas assisted shocks. The curtain frame has third spring means to hold the curtain frame in an upright position, which are preferably comprised of gas assisted shocks.  
         [0005]    Also in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pontoon boat frame has an open end wall and also further comprises a lounge seat pivotally mounted to the deck portion from a front edge thereof, and which partially overlies the engine compartment opening. When the lounge seat and the engine compartment cover assembly are positioned against the deck, the lounge seat and the engine compartment cover assembly abut to enclose the engine compartment, and when the lounge seat and the engine compartment cover assembly are pivoted open the engine compartment is accessible.  
         [0006]    Also preferably, the lower edge of the privacy curtain is attachable to the end walls and side walls to define the privacy enclosure.  
         [0007]    In another aspect of the invention, a combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure assembly is provided, for positioning over an engine compartment of marine craft, where the engine compartment defines an opening through the deck of the marine craft for access to an engine. The assembly comprises a frame member comprised of side walls and end walls which upstand to at least partially surround the opening, the frame member being pivotally connectable to the deck of the marine craft, for pivotal movement between a first closed position where the frame member abuts the deck, and a pivotally raised position with the opening accessible. A raised floor member is attached to the frame member and extends substantially between the end walls and side walls. A top cover member is pivotally attached to the frame member at an upper edge of one of the end or side walls. A privacy enclosure assembly is attached to an underside thereof, movable between stowed and upright positions and which includes a privacy curtain which drapes downwardly in the upright position to define the privacy enclosure.  
         [0008]    In the preferred embodiment, the frame member includes a door allowing entry therethrough and access to the raised floor. Also preferably, the privacy enclosure assembly comprises support arms pivotally attached to an underside of the top cover. The top cover and the support arms are pivotal to positions substantially vertical. The privacy enclosure assembly further comprises a privacy curtain support member attached to ends of the support arm, opposite the pivoted ends. The top cover pivots about a rear edge thereof, and the support arms pivot about a position adjacent a front edge of the top cover, whereby when the top cover and the support arms are pivoted into the open position, the privacy curtain support member is raised above the deck to a height substantially equal to the additive length of the top cover and the support arms. The privacy curtain attaches to the end walls and the side walls to define-the privacy enclosure, and preferably by way of snap members. Preferably, the privacy curtain support member is rectangular, and the privacy curtain, when attached to the end walls and the side walls, defines a substantially truncated pyramidal shape.  
         [0009]    The assembly frame has an open front end wall and further comprises a lounge seat for pivotally mounting to the deck portion from a front edge thereof, and for partially overlying the engine compartment opening, such that when the lounge seat and combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure assembly are positioned against the deck, the lounge seat and the engine compartment cover assembly abut to enclose the engine compartment, and such that when the lounge seat and the engine compartment cover assembly are pivoted open the engine compartment is accessible. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the pontoon boat, partially fragmented, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, showing the enclosure rotated open to view the engine compartment opening through the pontoon deck;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the combination shown in any of the FIGS. 2 through 4;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, showing the top cover rotated to a fully open position;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a lower perspective view of the combination according to any of the FIGS. 2 through 6;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the combination shown in any of the previous figures, showing the top cover rotated open, and showing the privacy curtain removed for clarity of the support structure;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view similar to that of FIG. 8, showing the privacy support arms rotated in the fully rotated upward position;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 9;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 8, showing the privacy curtain attached; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 11, showing the privacy curtain support arms rotated in the fully upward position and with the curtain shown in the completed position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    Referring first to FIG. 1, a pontoon boat according to the present invention is shown at  2 , which generally includes a deck at  4  having a plurality of pontoons  6  attached beneath the deck  4  for flotation of the pontoon boat, and the pontoon boat  2  further comprising a combination engine compartment and privacy enclosure shown generally at  10 .  
         [0023]    As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure  10  generally comprise a rotatable frame member  12 , which overlies an opening  14  through deck  4 , and which includes a top pivotable cover member shown best in FIG. 6 as reference numeral  16 . Also shown best in FIG. 6, a privacy enclosure structure is shown generally at  18  and will be described in greater detail herein. As shown in either of FIG. 3 or  6 , a rotatable seat is also shown at  20 , which is preferably also pivotable relative to deck member  4  and which abuts a front edge of the combination engine compartment cover and privacy enclosure  10 .  
         [0024]    With reference now to FIGS. 3 through 7, frame member  12  will be described in greater detail. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 6, frame member  12  includes a plurality of U-shaped channel members, for example, front channel member  22 , side channel member  24 , rear channel member  26 , and right-side channel member  28 . As best shown in FIG. 7, rigidifying posts are positioned intermediate the U-shaped frame members, for example, post  32  is shown extending between individual legs of U-shaped frame member  24 , post  34  is shown extending between legs of U-shaped frame member  28 , and post  36  is shown extending between legs of U-shaped frame members  28  and  22 . With reference still to FIG. 7, a subframe is shown for a raised floor, including a plurality of horizontally and transversely extending support posts  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 , which are attached to longitudinally extending posts  48  (only one of which can be viewed in FIG. 7). The horizontally extending posts  40 - 48  support a raised floor member  50 .  
         [0025]    Furthermore, the enclosure  10  includes side panel members  60  covering U-shaped member  24 , end panel member  62  covering U-shaped member  26 , and side panel member  64  covering U-shaped channel member  28 . An access door  70  is hingedly mounted at  72  to an edge of channel member  28  as shown best in FIG. 7 and is movable between a closed position shown in FIG. 6 and an open position shown in FIG. 7 to access the raised floor  50 . It should be appreciated that a latch structure such as  74  is included to latch the door in a fully closed position, and it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art.  
         [0026]    With respect now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the enclosure  10  is shown mounted in a position substantially covering the engine compartment opening  14 , where the enclosure  10  is pivotally mounted by way of hinge  80 , which is along the rear edge of enclosure  10 , which also happens to correspond with the rear edge of the pontoon boat  2 . As also shown in FIG. 4, the area below horizontal posts  40 - 46  forms a compartment area  82 , which can cover any of the engine components which extend or upstand higher than deck member  4 . This can include air intake hoses (not shown) which are attached to either or both of air vents at  84  which extend through end wall  62 . With reference still to FIG. 4, the area above horizontal posts  40 - 46 , and more particularly above floor  50 , forms a compartment area  88 , which will be used as a privacy compartment as described further herein.  
         [0027]    With reference still to FIG. 4, top cover member  16  is pivotally mounted to frame member  12  by way of a hinge at  90 , allowing pivotal movement of the top cover relative to the frame between the closed position shown in FIG. 4, and a fully opened position shown in FIG. 6. As also shown in FIG. 6, a latch member  92  is shown attached to U-shaped channel member  22  and positioned adjacent to door  70  to latch and unlatch top cover  16  in a locked condition. As also shown in FIG. 6, top cover portion  16  includes an outer padded portion  100 , and an inner structural planar portion, for example, such as a planar wood board section  102 . FIG. 6 also shows air assist struts  106  positioned between planar portion  102 , and an inside edge of U-shaped frame members  24 ,  28  to hold the cover member  16  in a fully upright position.  
         [0028]    With reference now to FIG. 8, the support structure  18  for the privacy enclosure will now be described in greater detail. The support structure  18  includes Y-shaped legs  110  attached to pivot mount sections  112 , where Y-shaped legs  110  include sections  114  having remote free ends  116  attached to gas assisted shocks  118 . Gas assisted shocks are attached to an inside surface of legs  114  and further include an opposite end connected to planar portion  102 . Legs  110  further comprise a rectangular privacy curtain support member  120 , which as shown in FIG. 8, is shown in the stowed position. As shown in FIG. 11, a privacy curtain  130  is shown having a front section  132  and side sections  134  and  136 .  
         [0029]    With respect still to FIG. 11, lounge chair  20  is pivotally connected to the deck  4  by way of pivot mounts  150  attached to a front edge  152  of lounge chair  20 . With respect to FIG. 6, a rear side  154  of lounge chair  20  includes a rigidifying plate at  156  as will be described in greater detail. As shown in FIG. 6, when chair is in the fully closed position, the chair partially covers the engine compartment opening  14 , and abuts U-shaped frame member  22 . Having described the various components, the assembly and operation of the enclosure  10  will now be described in greater detail.  
         [0030]    With reference first to FIGS. 6 and 7, the enclosure  10  should be manufactured as mentioned above with the various frame members, such as U-shaped frame members  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  28 , to be held in a jig or other fixture, whereupon posts  32 ,  34 ,  36  can be positioned intermediate the legs of the U-shaped channels as mentioned before. These various items can then be fixed together, such as by welding or other known means, such as brackets or suitable fasteners. The raised floor assembly will then be provided including the transverse cross members  40 - 46 , whereupon floor  50  can be positioned within the enclosure. As floor  50  will be visible to the user in the privacy enclosure, more than likely the top surface of floor  50  includes a finished surface, such as carpeting or other suitable surface.  
         [0031]    Snap members  29  are also positioned on the inside surfaces of the various U-shaped channels  22 ,  24  and  28  as best shown in FIG. 6. The panel members  60 ,  62  and  64  are also positioned about respective U-shaped channels  24 ,  26 ,  28 , and door  70  is hingedly fixed to U-shaped channel  28 .  
         [0032]    As mentioned above, top cover portion  16  includes both a rigid portion  102 , as shown in FIG. 8, with an outer covering  100 , which would normally include both padding as well as a top covering such as a vinyl or leather for aesthetic purposes. With the top cover  16  as described, this unit can be hingedly attached to the frame member, hinge  90  as shown in FIG. 8. The privacy support portion  18  can either be preassembled to the top cover or assembled to the top cover once attached to the frame member, in any event, the privacy support  18  would be attached as shown in FIG. 8, such that arms  110  pivot about their pivot points  112  with gas assisted shocks  118  attached to an inside surface of leg portions  114 . Curtain  130  would then be fixed to the rectangular portion  120  with side portions  134  and  136  attached to the legs  120 A and  120 B, respectively, and with front curtain portion  132  attached to the front leg  120 C. The privacy curtain  130  can be attached in a variety of ways as known in the art, to include snap members, industrial sewing, or hanging clips, which attach to member  120 .  
         [0033]    As described above, this unit is now positioned at the edge of the pontoon boat over opening  14  which allows access to an inboard-outboard engine, and is hingedly attached as shown by hinge  80  in FIG. 4. The gas assisted shocks  56  (FIG. 3) are also positioned and are now interconnected between the frame member  12  and a position adjacent the deck as described more fully herein. As mentioned above, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, an engine would include intake hoses routed to the air intake manifold of the engine, and would be connected to one or both vents  84  at the rear of the enclosure  10 . Rotatable seat  20  is also fixed to the deck  4  by way of pivot connections or hinges  150 . With the enclosure  10  assembled to the pontoon boat as described above, the operation of the enclosure  10  will now be described in greater detail.  
         [0034]    It should be apparent from the description above that the enclosure  10  has three modes of operation, including a normally closed mode as shown in either of FIG. 2 or  5 , a mode allowing access to the engine compartment as shown in FIG. 3, and in a mode to act as a privacy enclosure as shown in FIG. 12.  
         [0035]    It should be apparent that, when in the normal operation as shown in FIG. 2 or  5 , the enclosure  10  is rotated to a closed position, with lounge chair  20  also rotated into the opposite sense. It should be appreciated that the gas assisted shocks  56  are provided with such a spring force that when the enclosure  10  is rotated to a fully closed position, the moment caused by the weight of the enclosure through the pivot point of hinge  80  prevents the enclosure  10  from rotating about hinge  80 . However, chair  20  also overlaps enclosure  12  by way of rigidifying plate  156  (FIG. 6) on the back of lounge chair  20 , which overlies peg  54  (FIG. 3) when in the fully rotated position.  
         [0036]    If the 
         [0037]    If enclosure in its entirety is to be lifted, that is, to access the engine compartment  14 , chair  20  is first rotated in a clockwise sense to a position shown in FIG. 3. The enclosure  10  may now be rotated about hinge  80  in a counter-clockwise sense, as viewed in FIG. 3, and when the enclosure  10  is rotated to a fully upright position, the gas assisted shocks will hold the enclosure open, due to the change in the weight transfer about hinge  80 , as well as the change in the location of the pivot point of gas assisted shocks  56  relative to the frame as is known to those skilled in the art. Thus, the enclosure  10  has a second mode of operation shown in FIG. 3 in a fully upright position, where the inboard-outboard engine can be accessed or serviced.  
         [0038]    When the privacy enclosure is desired for use, the user can open door  70  by way of latch  74  and access latch member  92 . This allows the opening of top cover member  16  to be held open by gas assist struts  106  in the position shown in FIG. 11. When in the position of FIG. 11, the curtain support  120 , together with arms  110 , may be rotated in the counter-clockwise sense as viewed in FIG. 11 (to a position consistent with FIG. 9 or  10 ), whereupon gas assisted shocks  118  will hold the support  120  upwardly. This is due to the design of the support arms in a Y-shape arrangement. Said differently, when in the position of FIG. 11, the gas assisted shock  118  has its spring force assisting holding the support  120  in a stowed position, due to the moment created by gas assisted shocks  118  through arms  114  in relation to its pivot point  112 . However, when the support  120  is rotated to the position consistent with either of FIG. 9 or  10 , gas assisted shocks now have their spring force acting in a moment which holds the support  120  in a fully upward position as should be apparent from FIG. 10.  
         [0039]    To complete the enclosure, the various snaps  170  at the bottom of the curtain  130  are snapped with corresponding snaps  29  on the inside of the enclosure, whereby the curtain  130  takes on a substantially truncated pyramidal shape, as shown best in FIG. 12. It should be appreciated also that the zipper  130  would have its clasp adjacent to door  70 , such that the zipper opens as the clasp is raised upwardly towards support member  120 , such that the user can open door  70  and move curtain side wall  136  sideways and enter the privacy enclosure. It should be appreciated that the disassembly of the privacy enclosure includes a reverse process, where snaps  170 ,  29  are released, support member  120  is rotated back to the position shown in FIG. 11, and the top cover  16  is rotated in the clockwise position to a fully closed position.  
         [0040]    It should be appreciated that applicants have devised a very versatile and easily anipulated enclosure for operating as both an access for an inboard-outboard engine of a pontoon boat, as well as provide it for a privacy enclosure.