Cleat and cleat fairing for a boat

A cleat for a boat includes a cam mounted to the boat, where the cam has a rotatable toothed surface for pressing against a line. The cleat also includes a guide mounted to the boat adjacent the cam, where the guide has a surface for directing the line above a top of the cam. In addition, the cleat has a slot formed in the surface of the guide, which permits the line to be moved into opposition with the rotatable toothed surface of the cam.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a cleat for a boat, and more particularly to a cleat for a boat having a cam mounted to a boat, and a guide mounted to the boat adjacent the cam with a slot formed in the surface of the guide.

BACKGROUND

Cleats are typically used on boats to secure a line. Securing a line to a cleat can be difficult when trying to cleat the line while: 1) holding the line at a distance from the cleat, 2) holding the line at an awkward angle to the cleat, or 3) the boat is unstable. As a result, moving, adjusting, and securing lines on a boat can be a difficult and time-consuming process. In addition, some cleats can cause unnecessary wear and tear on a line as a result of the line snagging on the edges of the cleat. Similarly, some cleats pose a safety risk to a sailor since sliding into a prior art cleat is a frequent source of bruising and injury to a sailor.

Aspects of the present invention are directed to these and other problems.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present invention, a cleat for a boat includes a cam mounted to the boat, which has a rotatable toothed surface for pressing against a line. The cleat also includes a guide mounted to the boat, which is adjacent to the cam. The guide has a surface for directing the line above a top of the cam. In the surface of the guide, a slot is formed, which permits the line to be moved into opposition with the rotatable toothed surface of said cam.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of using a cleat includes the steps of: directing a line along a surface of a boat and toward a guide mounted to the boat adjacent a cam; raising the line away from the surface of the boat using a surface of the guide; directing the line into a slot formed in the surface of the guide so that the line snaps into the cleat; pressing a toothed surface of the cam against the line so that the line is secured.

In addition to, or as an alternative to, one or more of the features described above, further aspects of the present invention can include one or more of the following features, individually or in combination. The guide surrounds the cam on at least two sides. The guide surrounds the cam on at least three sides. The guide substantially completely surrounds the cam. The guide has a base. The cam is mounted on a cam base. The cam base is mounted on the base, and the guide substantially surrounds the cam. The base has a recess, and the cam base is mounted in the recess. A distance from a surface of the boat to a top surface of the base is h1, a distance from the top surface of the base to the top of the cam is h2, a distance from the surface of the boat to the top of the cam is h3, and h3is substantially equal to the sum of h1and h2. A distance from the surface of the boat to a bottom surface of the cam base is h4, and h4is substantially equal to h1. The base has a recess, and said cam base is mounted in the recess, where a distance from the surface of the boat to a bottom surface of said cam base is h4, and h4is less than h1. The cam is mounted on a cam base, a distance from a surface of the boat to a bottom surface of the cam base is h4, and h4is substantially equal to zero. The base includes at least one drainage channel configured to allow water to drain off a top surface of the base. The cam is a first cam, and the rotatable toothed surface is a first rotatable toothed surface, and the cleat also includes a second cam having a second rotatable toothed surface; and the first cam is adjacent to the second cam such that the first rotatable toothed surface is opposing the second rotatable toothed surface. The slot is U-shaped. The cleat has an opening formed in the surface of the guide, and the slot and the opening are on opposite sides of the cam. The guide raises the line to the top of the cam. The cleat includes at least one fastener attaching at least one of the cam or the guide to the boat. The cleat can be made to release the line by pulling the line through the cleat.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the drawings and detailed description provided below.

While the invention is described with reference to the above drawings, the drawings are intended to be illustrative, and the invention contemplates other embodiments within the spirit of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-10, the present disclosure describes a cleat10for a boat12. The cleat includes a cam14mounted to the boat12, where the cam14has a rotatable toothed surface16for pressing against a line18. The cleat10also includes a guide20mounted to the boat12adjacent the cam14, where the guide20has a guide surface22for directing the line18above a top of the cam24. In addition, the cleat10has a slot26formed in the guide surface22, which permits the line18to be moved into opposition with the rotatable toothed surface of the cam16.

Referring toFIG. 1, the cleat10is shown including a cam14with a rotatable toothed surface16. The cam14is mounted on a cam base30, and a fastener40is inserted through a hole in the center of the cam14, in order to attach the cam14and the guide20to the boat surface42of the boat12. The guide20has a guide surface22. Formed into the guide surface22is a slot26, which is U-shaped. The guide20also has a base28which has a top surface of the base36. The base28has a recess32, into which the cam base30can be inserted to form an interference fit. The walls of the recess are sloped slightly inward from top to bottom, which allows the cam base30to be inserted into the recess32more easily, and also allows the guide20to be readily removed from a mold during manufacturing. The base28has a drainage channel34to allow water to drain off of the top surface of the base36.

Referring toFIG. 2, the cleat10is shown as it would appear fully assembled. The cam base30is flush with the top surface of the base36, such that the top surface of the base36would not interfere with a line18being inserted into the cleat10, and also to facilitate water draining off the top surface of the base36.

Referring toFIG. 3, the cleat10is shown with a slot26and an opening38on opposite sides of the cam14. The drainage channels34are shown in dotted lines, where the drainage channels34allow water to flow from the top surface of the base36, out of the outlets formed in the sides of the guide20, and onto the boat surface42. In other embodiments, the cleat10has multiple drainage channels34, formed in different areas of the base28, including inlets within the recess32, and inlets closer to the opening38. In yet other embodiments, the cam base30has its own drainage channels to allow water to drain through the cam14. In this case, the drainage channels34are aligned with the drainage channels in the cam base30, so that the guide20does not interfere with the drainage of water from the cam14. The drainage channels34allow water to drain away out of the cam14so that the cam14can dry relatively easier and faster. This prevents ball bearings (not shown) inside of the cam14from corroding.

Referring toFIG. 4, the cleat10is shown with the distance from the boat surface42to the top surface of the base36marked as h1, the distance from the top surface of the base36to the top of the cam24marked as h2, and the distance from the boat surface42to the top of the cam24marked h3, where h3is substantially equal to the sum of h1and h2. The cam base30is shown having a bottom surface of the cam base31, and a distance from the boat surface42to the bottom surface of the cam base31is marked as h4. In the illustrated embodiment, h4is less than h1because cam base30is in a recess32formed in the base28. In other embodiments, such as that shown inFIG. 9, h4has a zero value since the cam base30is mounted directly on the boat12, and thus the cam base30is in direct contact with the boat surface42. In other embodiments, such as that shown inFIG. 10, h4would be equal to h1since the base28has no recess32, and the cam base30is mounted directly on the base28. The drainage channel34is shown on both sides of the cleat10, and the shape of the channel is shown with dotted lines. An angle θ is formed by the guide surface22. The angle θ impacts how easily a line18can slide along the guide surface22, with smaller angles allowing the line18to slide more easily. However, the value of the angle θ also impacts the size of the guide20, so these factors must be balanced. In an ideal embodiment, θ has a value of 45°. In other embodiments, θ has a value within a particular range, the range being 0°-10°, 10°-30°, 30°-50°, 40°-50°, 43°-47°, 44°-46°, or greater than 50°.

Referring toFIG. 5, the cleat10is shown with the drainage channels34and fastener holes44opening into the bottom of the guide20.

Referring toFIG. 6, during use of the cleat10, a line18slides along a boat surface as indicated by directional arrow46. The line18then slides up the guide surface22, i.e. the guide surface22raises the line18, as indicated by directional arrow48. The line18then slides into slot26(not labeled for the sake of clarity), and between the cams14, as indicated by directional arrow50. The rotatable toothed surface16on both cams14press against the line18due to an internal spring in the cam14(not shown) which biases the cams14closed, so that the line is secured between the cams14. Once secured, the line18is prevented from sliding toward the tension side52of the line18, and can be released from the cleat10by pulling on the slack side54of the line18. The guide surface22, the slot26, and the opening38are smooth and rounded in order to minimize friction with the line18. This further the design goals for the cleat10, including: 1) allowing a person, e.g. a sailor, to cleat the line18from a relatively greater distance away from the cleat10by sliding the line into position as explained above, 2) allowing the line18to feed into the slot10at a relatively greater angle to the centerline of the cleat10, since the line18can slide along the smooth curved edge of the slot, 3) allowing the line18to be pulled through the opening38at a relatively greater angle to the centerline of the cleat10, since the line18can slide along the smooth curved edge of the opening, 4) decreasing the rate at which the line deteriorates or frays from being cleated, since the line won't fray or snag on the smooth rounded edges.

Referring toFIG. 7, during use of the cleat10, a line18is pulled on the slack side54moving the line18as indicated by directional arrow56. This causes the cam14to rotate as indicated by directional arrow58, thus causing the rotatable toothed surface16to no longer be in contact with the line18, thereby releasing the line18from the cleat10.

Referring toFIG. 8, the cleat10is shown having a static side60with a toothed surface62. The cam14is adjacent the static side60, such that the rotatable toothed surface16is opposing the toothed surface62. The static side60may be formed as an integral part of the guide20or as a separate component. If formed as a separate component, the static side60can be placed on top of one of the cams14as a quickly implemented temporary fix in the event that the cam14stops functioning or breaks off.

Referring toFIG. 9, the cleat10is shown having a recess32in the base28that extends all the way through the guide20. The cam14is mounted on a cam base30, and a fastener40is inserted through a hole in the center of the cam14, in order to attach the cam14to the boat12such that the cam base30is in direct contact with the boat surface42. The guide20is attached to the boat surface42by fastener60.

Referring toFIG. 10, the cleat10is shown with a base28that does not have a recess. The cam14is mounted on a cam base30, and a fastener40is inserted through a hole in the center of the cam14, and through fastener hole44, in order to attach the cam14and the guide20to the boat12. Here, the cam base30is in direct contact with the base28. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that there are a number of methods for attaching the cam14to the boat surface42, the cam14to the guide20, the guide20to the boat surface42, or both the cam14and the guide20to the boat surface42. These methods include the use of fasteners40,60, or through devices and methods such as screws, nails, bolts, suction cups, adhesive, hook and loop fasteners, an interference fit between parts, or by any other means known by those skilled in the art, or any combinations thereof.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cleat10is formed from a polymer such as carbon fiber, and the cams14are aluminum. In other embodiments, the cleat10and/or the cams14may be manufactured from materials such as rubber, wood, clay, cement, concrete, glass, organic materials, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, various types of metal, or any other materials known by those skilled in the art, and including combinations thereof.

The cleat10offers several advantages over known cleat devices. Among other things, a line18can be moved into and out of the cleat10without having to feed the end of the line18through the cleat10as would be necessary with a prior art device such as an eye strap, since the eye strap is not open on top. In addition, a line18can be cleated at a distance and more easily cleated, due to the sloped guide surface22and smooth rounded edges of the guide20, slot26, and opening38, which allow the line18to easily slide from the boat surface42over the top of the cam24and into the slot26. This design also protects individuals that slide into the cleat10from bruising or cutting themselves on the cleat10, which is an important feature in situations like sailing where the boat is generally unstable and people are often sitting on or leaning against the boat surface42, which has multiple cleats attached to it. The cleat10may also be useful to hide or seal holes in the boat surface42, such as might occur when replacing a larger cleat with a smaller one. Other embodiments of the cleat10may include common objects on a boat surface42, such as a block, being protected by the guide20, since sailors often slide into other such objects.

While several embodiments have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that aspects of the present invention include many more embodiments and implementations. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true scope of the present disclosure. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments.