Abstract:
The present invention relates to a retractable canopy structure adapted to be used in conjunction with the canopy structure on a boat&#39;s existing T-top tubular frame near the level of the existing canopy. The canopy frame structure comprises two longitudinally aligned, telescoping members with at least one transverse, telescoping frame member disposed between the two longitudinal members to prevent the canopy from collapsing when under tension. The canopy frame structure is disposed onto the existing T-top frame using a mounting assembly comprising of a grommet adapted to be placed between two frame members and wrapped with an adjustable strap. The canopy and telescoping frame components are designed to be adaptable to various T-top canopy widths, and can be extended to various lengths to increase the amount of available canopy shade area while in the mounted position on the boat&#39;s existing T-top.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention relates to a retractable boat shade canopy, frame and mounting system that can be retrofit onto a boat&#39;s existing T-top structure. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Open fishermen class boats are designed with a center console providing an open area layout around the deck offering its passengers limited obstructions for walking, fishing and participating in other activities while exposed to the sun. T-tops provide shade on a boat by way of a canopy attached to a structural, tubular frame affixed onto the deck of a boat. The canopy of existing T-tops only provide a limited amount of shade generally around the center console of the boat, mostly shading the driver of the boat while leaving others on the boat exposed to the sun. 
         [0003]    Presently there are two methods for providing additional shade on a boat: Bimini tops and umbrella-like canopies with a main support and rigging lines. Bimini tops require permanently mounted brackets, additional hardware, tubular frames and a canopy that must be customized to the make, class and layout of the boat on which it will be installed. Although some Bimini tops are retractable, they usually have two positions. A fully open position providing shade, and a closed position. Bimini tops require the use of an elaborate frame and anchoring system that must be planned and permanently installed on the boat and requires drilling, cutting and permanently modifying the boat and the Bimini Top. Most Bimini tops restrict movement around some areas of the boat and are designed to be low-lying, making it difficult to stand erect under them. Additionally, such Bimini tops can also restrict one&#39;s vision. 
         [0004]    Umbrella-like canopies provide adequate shade and are portable but are bulky and have a mounting system that compresses the main support by way of tensioned lines rigged to cleats or other existing hardware on the boat. This restricts the ability of movement and activities around the umbrella and its rigging. The umbrella canopy and rigging must be removed and stowed away prior to shoving off. There is a need for a light-weight, retractable boat shade canopy that does not restrict movement and that allows the passengers on the boat to stand erect and that does not restrict. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The following section of the written description describes some of the objects of the present invention, but the section is not exhaustive of all of invention&#39;s objects. 
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable boat shade canopy that can be used to increase the shaded area of a boat. 
         [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a retractable boat shade canopy that can be retrofit onto an existing T-top structure. 
         [0008]    It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a light-weight retractable boat shade canopy that does not require tools, or destructive, permanent modifications to the existing mounting surfaces of the boat for its installation or removal. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a canopy and telescoping frame components that are adaptable to various T-top canopy widths and that can be extended to various lengths to increase the amount of available canopy shade area while in the mounted position on the boat&#39;s existing T-top. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a retractable boat shade canopy and can be installed or detached in minutes, is portable and adaptable for mounting on most standard and commercially available T-top frames. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention relates to a retractable canopy structure that is retrofit onto a boat&#39;s existing T-top tubular frame at approximately the level of the existing canopy. This structure is advantageous because it uses the existing tubular frame and requires no additional supports at the deck level. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing, and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are shown and described in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which should be viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a boat with an embodiment of the canopy support frame with no rigging in the retracted position mounted on an existing T-top; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a boat having a T-top with a canopy support frame with rigging in the extended position mounted to the existing T-top; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  diagrammatically illustrates a perspective view of the canopy support frame atop an existing T-top frame; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of a telescoping transverse member; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of the canopy and support frame rigging; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 6 and 7A  diagrammatically illustrate views of the mounting of the canopy unit&#39;s telescoping, tubular canopy support member adjacent the existing boat&#39;s tubular frame member; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7B  illustrates a perspective view of the mounting grommet of  FIG. 7A ; and 
           [0020]      FIGS. 8 and 9  diagrammatically illustrate side and cross-sectional views of the end of the telescoping support members. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The present invention relates to a light-weight, retractable canopy, frame and mounting system that can be attached to a boat&#39;s existing T-top or other deck-mounted frame. The invention includes a mountable, non-permanent, hand-tightened, no-slip fastener component that does not require tools or modification to the existing mounting surface for its installation or removal. The present invention also includes a canopy and frame work components which can be extended or retracted to various lengths while in a fix-mounted width position that can extend parallel to the existing T-top plane, and is detachable, portable and adaptable for mounting on most standard and commercially available T-top frames. In general, statements made in the specification do not limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. Unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in the plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. Similar reference numerals and letters represent similar components and system features throughout the drawings and the written description. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a boat  10  with an embodiment of the boat shade canopy unit  20  of the present invention in the retracted position mounted on an existing T-top  30 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the canopy support frame components consist of three tubular telescoping members  40 ,  42 ,  50  (and associated hardware), each consisting of at least two tubular sections of differing diameters allowing the lesser diameter tube the ability to be housed and slide into and out of the larger diameter tube. See  FIGS. 4 and 8 . A position-locking spring loaded pin system (not shown) is used to lock into position the tubular sections at the desired extended or retracted length. Locking pins  14 ,  16  housed within the smaller diameter tube protrudes through a hole having a diameter slightly larger than the pin diameter. See  FIGS. 4 &amp; 8 . 
         [0023]    In the illustrated embodiment, two of the three tubular telescoping members are designated for use as the retractable parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42 , which are fastened to the existing T-top frame  12  by the mounting component of this invention, to the existing boat T-Top structure  12  in a cantilever fashion, and on which the canopy fabric  26  is supported and laterally extended and retracted. The third tubular telescoping member  50  is designated as the transverse telescoping support guide member  50 , and uses two connectors  54 ,  56  located at its end points (see  FIGS. 3-5 ), to connect itself to the two parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  in a transverse (substantially perpendicular) position. The dual role of the transverse support guide member  50  is to maintain the width spacing of the retractable parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  at the non-supported end, and provide points of support when tension is applied to the canopy fabric  26 . The clamp-like connectors  54 ,  56  ( FIG. 3 ) allow the transverse telescoping support guide member  50  to slide along the retractable parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  (when the canopy tension is relaxed, or vise versa, so that the desired location of the transverse member  50  can be achieved, or so the canopy  26  and/or the parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  can be extended or retracted. 
         [0024]    The forward or distal end  44 ,  46  of each of the parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  terminates with a forward end line tie-down fastener  70 ,  72 . This fastener  70 ,  72  affords the forward end  44 ,  46  of the parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  with a method to tie down the non-supported end  32  of the canopy support frame component  20  against wind uplift. See tie line  78  in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0025]    The mounting component  60  of this invention  20  involves the use of a grommet  80  and Velcro®-type fastener  90  which allows the parallel alignment and fastening, with minimal parallel separation, of two sections of tubular frame. See  FIGS. 6 ,  7 A and  7 B. Both sections of the tubular frame are independently attached to the no-slip grommet  80 , which in the preferred embodiment is made of nylon, rubber, silicone, plastic, wood, or similar vibration-absorbing material. The grommet&#39;s semicircular notches  82 ,  84  on each side of the rectangular piece (see  FIG. 7B ) are shaped to be disposed on the tubular frame members of the present invention and the existing T-top. In the preferred embodiment, the grommet  80  also includes a passageway  88  that traverses the grommet to provide an additional means of securing the present invention onto the existing frame member of the boat. The tubular frame members  40 ,  12  are held to the grommet by hand-tightening the strap  90  that overlaps the exposed section of rubber to the metal ( FIG. 7A ). The strap  90  is typically a flexible material that includes a fabric of small hooks that sticks to a corresponding fabric of small loops on another part of the strap that permits the strap to be fastened tightly so as to not permit slippage of the tubular frame members. In one embodiment, one end of the strap  90  is attached to a buckle  86 . See  FIG. 6 . The other end of strap  90  is passed through passageway  88  of grommet  80  such that the buckle  86  abuts one face of the grommet. The strap  90  is then wrapped around the pre-existing tubular frame  12  of the boat and the tubular frame member  40 ,  42  of the present invention to secure the retractable boat shade canopy. This fastening device  60  creates a non-permanent, hand-tightened, no-slip fastener component which does not require tools or modification to the mounting surface for its mounting or removal of the canopy support to the existing T-Top frame or canopy. 
         [0026]    In the preferred embodiment, the invention utilizes four mounting components  60  to fasten the canopy support frame components  40 ,  42  to the existing T-top frame  12  in a cantilever fashion. Typically, this is accomplished by placing two of the fasteners  60 ,  62  on each of the telescoping tubular canopy support&#39;s larger diameter tubing  36  at predetermined, off-centered fastener spacing, rendering each piece of tubing stationary and parallel to the existing T-top frame  12  ( FIG. 3 ). This allows the extension and retraction of the smaller diameter tubing section within it. This series of steps are repeated for the parallel (second) canopy support frame member  40  to be fastened to the existing T-top frame&#39;s parallel member in order to obtain a canopy support frame capable of extending and retracting a parallel canopy plane  26  in the desired direction, relative to the existing boat&#39;s T-top canopy. 
         [0027]    In the preferred embodiment, the canopy shade component  26  consists of a sewn rectangular piece of canopy (or fabric material) capable of providing shade and rain protection with grommets equally spaced and of equal quantity along each of the two lateral and opposite edges of the canopy, commencing and terminating at the four corners. Additional components to secure the canopy  26  to the tubular frame include lines and fasteners of sufficient length and quantity to be used as rigging to produce tension on the canopy when the canopy is properly positioned and rigged on the canopy support frame. 
         [0028]    The canopy (or fabric material)  26  shall be of sufficient length (laterally) to be capable of being extended from the existing T-top to the end of the two fully extended parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42 . Preferably, the canopy (or fabric material)  26  shall be of sufficient width (transverse section) to be positioned along the top of one parallel telescoping support member  40  to the top of the other  42  with a sufficient amount of material to overlap each parallel telescoping support member  40 ,  42  when the canopy is centered. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of the canopy  26  and support frame rigging. The overlapped material  26  will be wrapped 180 degrees downward along the outer edges of the parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42  and rigged with the line  92  and fastener  94  perpendicular to the parallel telescoping support members  40 ,  42 , from a grommet  96  on one parallel edge of the canopy  26 , to the corresponding grommet (not shown) on the other parallel edge of the canopy. In the preferred embodiment, the canopy  26  is rigged by attaching the line  92  of sufficient length to the grommet  96  at one lateral canopy edge with a no-slip knot and the line passed through the corresponding, opposite canopy edge&#39;s grommet (not shown). In one embodiment, the line  92  is looped back towards the first grommet a maximum length of twenty four inches. Tension is applied to the line  92  and canopy  26  by sliding the end of the looped line  98  towards the end of the line affixed to the grommet. Both the looped end  98  and its parallel segment of line pass through two separate holes  22 ,  24  of equal size on the fastener  94 . On the opposite end of the fastener  94 , the looped line segment terminates in a knot  28  of sufficient size to disallow the line from coming out of the hole. Both holes are of sufficient size to allow their corresponding segments of line  98 ,  92  to slide through their corresponding holes  24 ,  22  when the fastener  94  is in a perpendicular position to the two parallel line segments. Tension is placed on the line and canopy when the fastener  94  is hand positioned by sliding it towards the grommet  96  with the affixed line end, and locked in place when the tension in the line is held and the fastener  94  is allowed to rotate relative to the parallel lines, creating a non-slip friction lock on the line. To release the tension, the fastener  94  is rotated perpendicular to the line segments, and slid in the opposite direction until the desired amount of tension is released from the line. 
         [0030]    It is important to note that the embodiments of the invention described below are only examples of some of the uses of the teachings described herein. In general, statements made in the specification do not limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. Unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in the plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. Similar reference numerals and letters represent similar components and system features throughout the drawings and the written description. 
         [0031]    The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications and changes within scope and spirit of the present invention.