Abstract:
An apparatus for supporting upright a trolling motor, the apparatus comprising a base, at least one housing extending upwardly from the base, the at least one housing for receiving and supporting a lower unit of a trolling motor. The apparatus further includes a plurality of openings disposed adjacent the housing, and a stabilizing arm with a first end and a second end, the first end of the stabilizing arm for receipt into one of the plurality of openings and the second end for stabilizing a shaft of the trolling motor. When a trolling motor lower unit is positioned atop the housing and the shaft of the trolling motor is positioned within the second end of the stabilizing arm the trolling motor is stabilized in an upright position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006, 30 million U.S. residents 16 years and older went fishing. These fishermen spend over $9.7 billion per year on gear and accessories associated with the sport. In addition, the average amount anglers spend yearly on hooks, rods, lures and other fishing equipment increased 16 percent from 2001 to 2006. Clearly, fishing continues to be a favorite pastime in the United States. 
     Trolling motors are an essential component of the fishing equipment of many anglers, and the trolling motors are expensive. Unfortunately, many trolling motors are improperly stored when not in use and are inadvertently damaged during storage. Because trolling motors are unwieldy in their configuration they can present a considerable challenge to store in a manner safe from damage. Of particular concern is the prospect of the trolling motor slipping when leaned against a vertical surface, such as a wall. If the trolling motor plastic control housing impacts a hard surface, such as a garage floor, the motor is generally irreparably damaged. Additionally, it is important to protect the prop of the trolling motor, which typically is plastic, from damage through impact during storage. Elevating the prop off of the floor and placing the lower unit in a secure nest substantially reduces the prospect of damage of that critical component of the trolling motor. 
     Damage to the trolling motors can arise from many scenarios but common situations occur when the motor is propped up against a wall and children, adults or pets inadvertently trip over or impact the prop or lower unit. Additionally, when the motor is improperly stored by leaning it against a vertical surface or some other support surface any component of the motor such as the control housing, the shaft or the lower unit may be impacted by an obstacle such as a soccer ball, a baseball or other hard object that can transfer sufficient enough energy to the unstably positioned trolling motor to cause the portion of the unit resting on the floor, generally the prop, to slip. This scenario generally leads to the control housing impacting the floor and damaging the plastic housing. 
     One storage option that has resulted is to hang a cable or a bracket from the ceiling and to suspend the trolling motor by the housing or some other component. This form of storage can present considerable obstacles to safe storage of the motor. Many components on the trolling motor are not designed with sufficient structural rigidity to be suspended by a cable, rope or bracket and could in turn result in damage to the motor. Additionally, finding a location in a garage or storage area that facilitates the securing of a cable or bracket suspended from the ceiling can be problematic due to limited space availability and/or high ceilings. Consequently, the use of trolling motor suspension options provide less than desirable alternatives to the proposed technology. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for a trolling motor stand, which may be easily configured to secure a trolling motor during storage. Further, the storage apparatus would serve to cradle the entire trolling motor to prevent inadvertent slippage of the motor thereby avoiding potential damage to the control housing and/or the prop. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the prior art, the general purpose of the present apparatus is to provide a stand for securing a trolling motor against damage during storage configured to include all the advantages of the prior art, and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable trolling motor storage apparatus which may be easily reconfigured by a user to accommodate varying sizes of trolling motors. In light of the above objects, in one aspect of the present invention, a portable trolling motor storage apparatus to protect the motors from inadvertent damage during storage is disclosed. 
     The trolling motor storage apparatus comprises a base plate and a cradle for supporting a motor housing of a trolling motor extending substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the base plate. In addition, the apparatus includes a stabilizing arm extending upwardly from the saddle, the stabilizing arm further comprising a U-shaped support member wherein when a trolling motor lower unit is positioned within the cradle and the trolling motor shaft is received within the U-shaped support member the trolling motor is fully stabilized in an upright position. 
     These together with other aspects of the present invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part of this present invention. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the trolling motor storage apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the trolling motor storage apparatus with a trolling motor positioned within the nest of the apparatus; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of a trolling motor in phantom before being positioned within the storage apparatus and a solid line view of a trolling motor positioned within the nest of the storage apparatus; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the trolling motor storage apparatus; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the trolling motor storage apparatus taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a magnified view of the highlighted detail in  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the stabilizing arm. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for securely storing a trolling motor in an upright position when not in use aboard a fishing boat. To provide context for the disclosed embodiments, consider  FIGS. 1-7  which detail the preferred embodiment of the design. 
     The trolling motor storage apparatus as shown in a perspective view at  FIG. 1  is configured for placement on a rigid horizontal surface such as a garage floor or the floor of a storage room. The trolling motor storage apparatus  10  includes a base  12  with outwardly extending feet  13  that provide stability to the base  12  and prevent tipping of the apparatus particularly when a trolling motor is in position on the apparatus. As best seen in  FIG. 5 , extending upwardly from the base  12  are two closely spaced housings  14 ,  16 . The housings are preferably molded from an engineering plastic such as polypropylene and preferably are hollow to limit the weight of the unit; however, solid housings remain an optional configuration. 
     The upper most segments, or landings,  18 ,  20 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , form the saddle that cradles the lower unit  22  of the trolling motor  24  when it is positioned atop the storage apparatus  10 . As further seen in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the landings  18 ,  20  are preferably downwardly canted at an angle of from 30 to 60 degrees. A downward cant of 45 degrees produces a cradle that effectively supports the lower unit  22  and limits the rotation of the trolling motor  24 . 
     The housings  14 ,  16  as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 5  are closely spaced and have walls  26 ,  28  that face one another. These walls  26 ,  28  extend upwardly from the base  12  an amount sufficient to receive the full length of the rudder  30 , typically no more than 5 inches. The spacing “S” between the walls  26 ,  28  is likewise sufficient to receive a wide range of rudders from various brands of trolling motors and preferably the spacing is in the range of from 0.25 to 0.45 inches. 
     As seen in  FIG. 5 , the housings  14 ,  16 , also include exterior walls  32 ,  34  that provide structural support to the landings  18 ,  20 . The exterior walls  32 ,  34  facilitate the transfer of the weight of the trolling motor to the base so that the entire trolling motor weight is not supported by the closely spaced face plates  26 ,  28 . 
     To further increase structural rigidity of the storage apparatus the exterior walls  32 ,  34  are further reinforced at the corners  36  of the base  12  with gussets  38 . These gussets serve to reinforce the exterior walls  32 ,  34  against bowing and fracture when the load of the trolling motor  24  is positioned atop the housing landings  18 ,  20 . The gussets are intended to limit the rotation of the exterior walls  32 ,  34  when a load is applied and consist of additional material added to the housings  14 ,  16  at the corners  36 . 
     On the lateral side  40  of the first housing  14  are a series of pockets  42  sized for receiving the stabilizing arm  44  of the storage apparatus. The stabilizing arm  44  is preferably comprised of a single gauge of metal wire with a nominal diameter in the range of from 0.150 to 0.20 inches and preferably 0.188 inches. The wire is preferably comprised of steel; however, alternatives such as aluminum may also be utilized. As seen with  FIG. 7 , a single length of wire is preferably utilized to form the stabilizing arm  44  with a “U” shaped bend  46  at the lower extremity and two inwardly extending fingers  48 ,  50  at the upper extremity of the stabilizing arm  44 . The stabilizing arm is preferably in the range of from 12 to 16 inches in length from the “U” shaped bend  46  at the lower extremity to the inwardly extending fingers  48 ,  50 . Stabilizing arms  44  of this length provide sufficient support to the shaft of a trolling motor to prevent rotation of the motor  24  out of the storage apparatus  10 . The first finger  48  runs directly inwardly, toward the shaft of the trolling motor, from the first upwardly extending span  52  of wire. The second inwardly extending finger  50  is further separated from the first finger  48  by a longitudinally extending segment  56  of wire. The separation distance or gap “G” between the first and second fingers  48 ,  50 , as seen in  FIG. 7 , is preferably in the range of 1 to 2 inches and further preferably about 1.5 inches. 
     The first and second fingers  48 ,  50  extend inwardly from the first and second upwardly extending spans of wire  52 ,  54  approximately 3 to 4 inches or an amount sufficient to extend over the gap “S” between the two closely spaced walls  26 ,  28 . With the fingers  48 ,  50  extending over the gap “S” they are capable of preventing rotation of the shaft of the trolling motor. 
     As previously indicated, and as seen in  FIGS. 4-6 , on the lateral side  40  of the first housing  14  is a plurality of pockets  42  capable of receiving the U-shaped bend  46  in the stabilizing arm  44 . The first housing  14  preferably includes between 6 and 10 longitudinally disposed pockets  42  to facilitate repositioning of the stabilizing arm  44  to accommodate a wide range of trolling motor sizes and configurations. The pockets  42  are preferably 0.75 to 0.80 inches in width and receive and hold the U shaped bend  46  of the stabilizing arm  44  in a snug manner to prevent inadvertent release of the stabilizing arm from the pocket  42 . The pockets are preferably 1.0 to 1.5 inches in depth “D” to provide sufficient stability  44  and prevent rotation of the arm  44 . The stabilizing arm  44  can; however, readily be extracted from the pocket  42  with minimal effort by the user so that it can be repositioned, as necessary, to accommodate a trolling motor of a different configuration. 
     As best seen in  FIG. 3 , in operation, the user of the trolling motor will remove the motor from the fishing vessel and transport it to a secure location for storage. When in proximity to the storage apparatus  10 , the user will elevate the rudder  30  of the lower unit  22  above the housing landing surfaces  18 ,  20  and slide the rudder  30  into the gap “S” between the closely spaced face plates  26 ,  28 . The placement of the rudder  30  into the gap “S” will coincide with the placement of the trolling motor shaft  58  into the gap “G” between the fingers  48 ,  50  as seen in  FIG. 7 . Once in position as described immediately above, the trolling motor lower unit  22  is cradled atop the housing landings  18 ,  20  and the rudder  30  is securely received into the gap spacing “S” between the walls  26 ,  28 . The trolling motor shaft  58  is secured in position between the fingers  48 ,  50  of the stabilizing arm  44  thereby preventing forward/backward rotation of the trolling motor. 
     The trolling motor can be quickly removed from the storage apparatus  10  by lifting the trolling motor  24  straight up and off of the housing landings  18 ,  20  so that the rudder  30  is no longer bounded by the housing landings  18 ,  20  and then laterally moving the trolling motor shaft  58  away from the fingers  48 ,  50 . Once the rudder  30  is free from the housing landings  18 ,  20  and the shaft  58  is free of the fingers  48 ,  50  the trolling motor is no longer constrained by the storage apparatus  10 . 
     Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.