Releasable Bimini top

A Bimini top attaching system has a mounting bracket that is affixed to a watercraft and a latch affixed to a frame tube. The latch has a main body with a tube portion that is located inside the tube and a hook portion that is exposed. The latch includes a movable catch that slides inside a catch trough between a locked and unlocked position, with a spring biasing the catch towards the locked position. In the locked position, a chisel point on the catch interrupts a transverse notch in the hook portion. Moving the catch to the unlocked position allows a pin on the mounting bracket to pass in and out of the transverse notch. The catch is restrained in the catch trough when the tube portion is located inside the tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This present disclosure relates to Bimini tops and mechanisms that hold the fabric. The frames that hold the fabric typically are made from hollow tubing, either square or round. Different parts of the frame are coupled together with brackets, joints, pins, or bolts. The Bimini top is movable between a folded and stored position to an unfolded and use position. The movement between the stored and use position frequently requires parts of the frame to be attached and detached from the boat, while other parts act as hinges and pivots. Many attempts to simplify the steps to move the top between the use and stored position have been made, with each having drawbacks. These drawbacks include having to deal with extra parts that get lost, components that are difficult to align, and searching for tools. Other tops have flimsy, complicated, or brittle parts that break or disconnect, causing inconvenience or danger to the user. Further, the existing devices for Bimini top frames typically do not allow easy removal of the entire frame from the boat. Bimini tops frequently require hinge points, which are not provided in many mounting hardware options. An improved Bimini top frame connection system is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure describes a Bimini top having a quick release system that allows the entire top to be removed and installed by releasing a latch that also serves as a hinge when connected to a mounting bracket. The top has quick releases with mounting brackets that affix to the watercraft. The mounting bracket is affixed to the watercraft and has upstanding walls and a pin that is affixed between them. The latch is affixed at a terminal end of a hollow tube which makes up the Bimini frame. The latch includes a transverse notch that receives the pin that extends between the upstanding walls of the mounting bracket. The latch includes a movable catch that slides between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, a chisel portion obstructs the transverse notch to capture the pin between the chisel portion and the transverse notch. In the unlocked position, the chisel portion is clear of the transverse notch to allow the pin to be inserted in or removed from the transverse notch. The catch is constrained between the tube and the latch and is biased towards the locked position. Connecting the latch to the mounting bracket requires only aligning the pin with the transverse notch and applying pressure to overcome the biasing force of the catch. To disconnect the latch from the mounting bracket, the user moves the catch with a grip surface towards the unlocked position to remove the pin from the transverse notch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A Bimini top10is shown affixed to a watercraft12inFIGS. 1A and 1C. The Bimini top10has a frame14and top fabric16. The top10can move between an unfolded and use position shown inFIG. 1Aand a folded and stored position as shown inFIG. 1C. The top10is also removable, as shown inFIG. 1B. As shown, the top10is attached to railing18that is affixed to the watercraft12, but other types of watercraft are contemplated, including but not limited to fiberglass hull watercraft or watercraft without railing. The frame14is commonly formed from hollow tubing20with portions of the frame14connected with pivoting joints22. The pivoting joints22allow different portions of the frame14to fold for storage, as is shown inFIG. 1C.

The Bimini top10uses several releases30, as shown inFIG. 1A. The components and more detail of the release system30are shown inFIGS. 2-8. The release system30uses a latch32that connects to a mounting bracket34. The release system30also serves as a hinge when connected with the latch32also being referred to as a latching hinge. The latch32is affixed to the frame14and the mounting bracket34is affixed to the railing18. The latch32has a main body40with a central axis36that has a tube portion42and a hook portion44. The main body40is shown as formed from a single solid component that is machined, but it is contemplated that it is die cast, molded, or assembled from several components. The tube portion42resides inside the hollow tubing20and the hook portion44remains exposed. The latch32is retained in the tubing20with a bolt46that extends through the tubing20and a retention aperture48in the tube portion42. The bolt46is secured with a locknut47. It is contemplated that main body40is secured to the tube20through riveting, threaded fasteners, welding, or crimping. A shoulder surface50divides the main body into the tube portion42and the hook portion44, and can abut a terminal edge24of the tube20. The hook portion44includes a transverse notch52with a bottom surface54. The transverse notch52has a close notch surface56and a far notch surface58. As shown, the notch surfaces56,58are parallel and face each other but it is contemplated that they are angled with respect to each other.

The main body40has a catch trough60with a bottom surface62. The catch trough60extends from the tube portion42to the hook portion44and has sidewalls64,66that extends between the notch52and terminates at a backstop surface68. The bottom surface62extends from a spring support surface72to the close notch surface56. The catch trough60has a narrow area70with side surfaces71to define the width. The narrow area terminates at the spring support surface72.

A catch80resides in the catch trough60and slides between a locked and unlocked position. The locked position is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, while the unlocked position is shown inFIGS. 5 and 6. The catch80has a chisel portion82with an outward facing surface84and an oppositely located inward facing surface86. As shown, the surfaces84,86are parallel, but it is contemplated that they could be angled with respect to each other. The surfaces84,86define the thickness of the chisel portion82, which is less than or equal to the depth of the catch trough60. The chisel portion82has side surfaces85that define a width. The chisel portion82has a ramp surface88that terminates at a chisel edge90. The ramp surface88faces outward and is located in the transverse notch52and partially obscures the bottom of the notch54in the unlocked position. The chisel portion82includes a protruding grip surface92. The protruding grip surface92provides a place for the user to place their finger or thumb to move the catch80between the locked and unlocked position. The catch80has a narrowed portion94with catch stop surfaces96between the chisel portion82and narrowed portion94. The narrowed portion94has side surfaces87and fits within the narrow area70and the chisel portion82fits within the catch trough60. The catch80is long to provide support and stability when it is in the locked position. Without sufficient length, outward force exerted on the inward facing surface86could cause the catch80to move outwardly and allow the catch80to escape the catch trough60.

A spring100resides in the narrow area70and is located between the spring support surface72and the narrowed portion94. A spring support post98on the catch80along with the width of the narrow area70keeps the spring100in position. The spring100provides a biasing force to push the catch80towards the locked position, as shown inFIG. 3. In the locked position, the chisel edge90is in biased contact with the far notch surface58and part of the chisel portion82interrupts and blocks the transverse notch52. The ramp surface88faces outwardly. As assembled into the latch32, the narrow area70and spring100are completely covered by the tube100.

As assembled to the main body40, the catch80slides between the locked position where the chisel edge90contacts the far notch surface58. In the unlocked position, the catch stop surfaces96contact the backstop surfaces68and the chisel portion82is clear of the transverse notch52, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6. Without the tube20surrounding the tube portion42, the catch80is insufficiently constrained and can easily fall out of the catch trough60. The outside surfaces110,112,114,116of the tube portion42are surrounded by the inside surfaces120,122,124,126of the tube20. Assembly of the main body40, catch80, and spring100into the tube20completes the assembly of the latch32. As assembled, the outward facing surface84will contact the inside surface120of the tube20to prevent the catch80and spring100from becoming separated from the main body40. This is shown inFIGS. 3 and 5. The hook portion44has outside surfaces74,76that define a width that closely matches the adjacent outside surfaces of the tube20. This is shown onFIG. 6. The hook portion44further includes outside surfaces75,77that closely matches corresponding outside surfaces of the tube20.

The mounting bracket34is affixed to the watercraft12and has upstanding walls140,142. As shown, the upstanding walls140,142are parallel, but it is contemplated that they are angled with respect to each other. The upstanding walls140,142have corresponding pin apertures144,146that align on a pin axis148. A pin150extends through the apertures144,146and is secured to the walls140,142. Aperture144is shown as threaded and aperture146is shown as having a countersink feature, but this is not required. It is contemplated that one or both apertures are straight holes. It is further contemplated that the pin150is a rivet, shaft, or integral to the mounting bracket34. The pin150is also referred to as a hinge pin150because it provides a pivot axis for the latch32. The walls140,142are spaced apart to define a width. The width is wider than the width of the tube20and the hook portion44. The pin150may include a locknut152to prevent the pin150from loosening due to vibration, temperature changes, or repeated latching and unlatching. The transverse notch52between the bottom of the notch54and the inward facing surface86of the catch80forms an elongate hinge pocket130, shown inFIG. 3. The pin150is sized to fit in the hinge pocket130between the notch surfaces56,58. The mounting bracket34as shown encircles the railing with a box portion154, but it is contemplated that it is a flange mount, C-shaped, or H-shaped, depending on the style of watercraft12or railing where it is affixed. When the latch32is connected to the mounting bracket34, the central axis36intersects the pin axis148. This allows the latch and mounting bracket34to act as a hinge where the latch32pivots about the pin axis148.

To connect the latch32to the mounting bracket34, the user simply aligns the pin150with the opening of the transverse notch52. The user moves the latch toward the pin150, where it contacts the ramp surface88. The user then may manually retract the catch80with the grip surface92or allow the pin150to push the catch80towards the unlocked position with the ramp surface88transferring the force to move the catch80parallel to the central axis36. By applying pressure to the ramp surface88by the pin150, the latch32can be latched or connected to the mounting bracket by only applying force to displace the catch80. The motion to connect the latch32to the mounting bracket34is perpendicular to the central axis36. As soon as the pin150passes the chisel edge90, the spring moves the catch80to the locked position. To disconnect the latch32from the mounting bracket34, the user presses on the grip surface92to move the catch80to the unlocked position, where the user can move the latch32away from the pin150as shown inFIG. 5.

The latch32and mounting bracket34provide a hinge by allowing the latch32to pivot about the pin150and pin axis148in the latched position. The width of the latch32between the upstanding walls140,142prevents excessive movement of the latch along the pin axis148.

It is understood that while certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subject matter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects. No specific limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Modifications may be made to the disclosed subject matter as set forth in the following claims.