DEVICE FOR COUPLING A BOAT TO A MOORING

A device for coupling a boat to a boat mooring. The device comprises an elongate shaft which has first and second ends and the first end has a coupling mechanism for coupling the device to a mooring while the second end supports a hook member having a C-shaped hook base with a first end thereof integrally formed with the shaft and a free second end which curves back toward the shaft. The second free end of the C-shaped hook base comprises an elongate retaining and guide section which extends parallel and adjacent to the shaft. An unobstructed entrance is formed between the elongate retaining and guide section and the shaft. The shaft has a thickened transition section where the shaft transitions into the hook member so as to provide additional strength to the device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for releasably coupling and uncoupling a boat to a mooring with the device preferably being manufactured from a strong, durable corrosion resistant material such as a combination of stainless steel and steel, coated with a corrosion resistant material or coating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a variety of known devices which assist a user with either hooking a conventional mooring hook to a boat mooring or some other device or object as well as facilitating unhooking of the mooring hook from a boat mooring or some other desired object. However, all the known prior art devices suffer from a number of associated drawbacks. In particular, such devices do not facilitate quick, secure and reliable latching and unlatching of the hook from a desired object in a quick and easy manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Wherefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings and drawbacks associated with the prior art boat coupling devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device with a sturdy and durable hook which facilitates easy coupling and uncoupling of a boat to a desire boat mooring or an eyelet of a boat.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is manufactured from stainless steel, steel (coated with a corrosion resistant covering or some other conventional but durable coating), brass, aluminum or some other strong and durable yet corrosion resistant material which facilitates use of the device in corrosive environments, such as water and salt water environments.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a device which allows a user to easily and securely couple and uncouple the device, according to the present invention, to an eyelet typically secured to the forward most portion of the bow of the boat, slightly above the water line, as well as to an eyelet of a floating mooring.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device, which does not have any moving or operable components, but still facilitates relatively easy and secure coupling and uncoupling of the hook member of the device to and from either a boat eyelet, secured to the bow of the boat, or a mooring eyelet coupled to a conventional floating mooring.

Still another object of the present invention is to avoid any moving components, for the device, so as to improve the overall reliability and functionality of the device and thereby avoid any possible malfunction of the device during use.

The present invention relates to a device for coupling a boat to a mooring, the device comprising a device for coupling a boat to a mooring, the device comprising an elongate shaft having a first end and an opposed second end, the first end of the shaft having a coupling mechanism for coupling the device to a mooring, and the device defines a longitudinal axis; the second end of the shaft supporting a hook member having a C-shaped hook base with a first end thereof integrally formed with the shaft and a free second end which curves back toward the shaft; and the second free end of the C-shaped hook base comprising an elongate retaining and guide section which extends parallel and adjacent to the shaft and being spaced therefrom so as to facilitate receiving a desired eyelet therebetween.

The present invention also relates to a boat mooring for a boat, the boat mooring comprising: a device for coupling a boat to the boat mooring, the device comprising: an elongate shaft having a first end and an opposed second end, the first end of the shaft having a coupling mechanism for coupling the device to a mooring, and the device defines a longitudinal axis; the second end of the shaft supporting a hook member having a C-shaped hook base with a first end thereof integrally formed with the shaft and a free second end which curves back toward the shaft; the second free end of the C-shaped hook base comprising an elongate retaining and guide section which extends parallel and adjacent to the shaft and being spaced therefrom so as to facilitate receiving a desired eyelet therebetween; a mooring weight for engagement with a bottom of a body of water; a floatable mooring for marking a location of the boat mooring; a second flexible linkage for interconnecting the floatable mooring with the weight; and a first flexible linkage interconnecting the floatable mooring with the coupling member of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning first toFIG. 1, a detail description concerning the various components of the present invention will now be provided. As can be seen in this Figure, the device1generally comprises an elongate shaft2, preferably manufactured from a unitary solid piece of steel, stainless steel, brass, or typically some other corrosion resistant material. The shaft2defines a longitudinal axis X of the device1and has an outer diameter of at least ⅛ of an inch, more preferably between about ⅜ to about ½ of an inch or so. It is to be appreciated that the thickness of the shaft2may vary, from application to application, depending upon the size of the boat to be moored by the device1.

The elongate shaft2has a first end4and an opposed second end6. The first end4supports a coupling member, such as an eyelet or continuous loop member8. The eyelet or continuous loop member8is preferably a continuation of the shaft or otherwise permanently attached to the first end4of the device1, e.g., by welding or in some other conventional manner, so as to become integral with the first end4of the shaft2. A conventional plastic hand grip10is preferably positioned or otherwise secured adjacent the eyelet or continuous loop member8and the hand grip10is located so as to facilitate manipulation of the device1by an end user, as will be described below in further detail.

The opposed second end6of the elongate shaft2supports a hook member12for releasably engaging a desired “eyelet” or “continuous loop” component26(seeFIG. 6, for example) of a mooring buoy28or a desired “eyelet” or “continuous loop” component30(seeFIGS. 2-5, for example) of a boat32. As shown inFIG. 1, the second end of the shaft2has a thickened or transition section16where the shaft2transitions from a generally thinner shaft2into a generally thicker hook member12. This thickened section16of the shaft2provides additional strength to the device1and the hook member12to ensure that the device1does not fail, yield, sheer, or break even under the most extreme, adverse and turbulent mooring conditions of a boat.

The hook member12comprises a generally C-shaped hook base14which has a first end thereof integrally formed with the transition section16located at the second end of the shaft2. The opposite free end of the C shaped hook base14eventually curves back toward the shaft2and comprises a generally solid but thinner elongate retaining and guide section18. The hook member12, is preferably manufactured from steel, or some other high strength material, which resists bending or deformation of the hook member12during use. Preferably the hook member12will be able to lift 3,000 pounds of weight without undergoing any straightening, bending and/or distortion of the hook member12.

Typically, a center C of the central open region20, defined by the inwardly facing surface of the hook member12, is substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis X of the device1(seeFIGS. 1 and 3). This arrangement facilitates centering of the eyelet26,30with respect to hook member12of the device1, e.g., its longitudinal axis X.

The elongate retaining and guide section18extends generally parallel to both the longitudinal axis X and the transition section16of the shaft2. The elongate retaining and guide section18typically has a length of between 0.5 inch or so and 4 inches or so and an outer diameter of at least ⅛ of an inch, more preferably between about ⅜ to about ½ of an inch or so, for example. An unobstructed entrance E is formed between the leading free end22of the elongate retaining and guide section18and the transition section16, and this unobstructed entrance E leads to the C-shaped central open region20. The leading free end22of the elongate retaining and guide section18is typically rounded, tapered, or otherwise contoured so as to facilitate engagement with a desired eyelet26,30, as discussed below in further detail. If desired, a plastic sleeve or cap S may be fitted over the leading end22of the elongate retaining and guide section18, as shown in dashed lines inFIG. 1.

The spacing of the elongate retaining and guide section18from the transition section16of the shaft2is typically slightly greater than the overall thickness, dimension or diameter D of the desired eyelet26,30to be engaged. That is, there is typically a clearance of at least a few thousands of an inch or so to about an ⅛ or a ¼ of an inch or so to facilitate sliding movement of the device1, relative to the desired eyelet26,30of a mooring buoy28or a boat32, as is described below in further detail.

The device1typically engages with either a desired eyelet26of a mooring buoy28or a desired eyelet30of a boat32and, by way of example, a detailed description concerning engagement of the device with an eyelet30of a boat32now be described with reference toFIGS. 2-5. As shown inFIG. 2, the longitudinal axis X of the device1is arranged to be substantially perpendicular to a plane P defined by the through passage or opening O of the desired eyelet to be engaged, in this instance, the eyelet30of the boat32.

Once the device1is orientated in such position such that the leading free end22of the elongate retaining and guide section18is substantially centered with respect to the through passage or opening O of the eyelet30of the boat32, the device1can be moved along an engagement axis Y, which extends through the center of the eyelet to be engaged and is normal to the plane P defined by the eyelet to be engaged, so that the leading end22of the elongate retaining and guide section18enters and commences passing through the opening O of the eyelet30, as generally shown inFIG. 3. As a result of such movement, a section of the eyelet30becomes captively retained between the elongate retaining and guide section18and the transition section16of the shaft2.

As the user continues moving the device1along the engagement axis Y, the eyelet30eventually becomes accommodated within the C-shaped central open region20of the hook member12, as generally shown inFIG. 4. Once the device1and the eyelet30are located in the relative generally positions shown inFIG. 4, further relative movement of those two components, along the engagement axis Y, discontinues and a pivoting motion now commences.

Once the eyelet30and the device1are in the relative positions generally shown inFIG. 4, the device1then commences a pivoting movement with respect to the eyelet30of the boat32. That is, the device1is pivoted such that the device1no longer lies generally normal with respect to the plane P but is pivoted so as to lie generally within the plane P defined by the eyelet30of the boat32, as shown inFIG. 5. That is, the longitudinal axis X of the device1is either generally coincident with or extends generally parallel to the plane P of the eyelet30of the boat32. Once the device1and the eyelet30of the boat32are located in the relative positions shown inFIG. 5, the device1is thus securely and reliably coupled to the eyelet30of the boat32, and such coupling of the device1with the eyelet30securely and reliably couples the boat32to the mooring buoy28.

Following engagement of the device1with the eyelet30of the boat32, in the event that the moored boat experiences any wind, waves, turbulence, etc., the device1and/or the eyelet30of the boat32may experience a relative to and fro motion in the direction of arrow A (seeFIG. 5) generally along the plane P defined by the device1. During such relative motion, a leading second end6of the hook member12of the device1typically abuts against section of the eyelet30of the boat32while the retaining and guide member18prevents the hook member12from becoming inadvertently dislodged or otherwise disconnected from the eyelet30of the boat32. That is, it is to be appreciated that in order for the device1to be disconnected or uncoupled from the eyelet30of the boat32, the above described procedure must be generally reversed. Namely, the device1must first undergo a pivoting movement with respect to plane P defined by the eyelet30of the boat32(i.e., the device1must first be pivoted or moved from the orientation shown generally inFIG. 5to the orientation shown generally inFIG. 4) so that the device1no longer generally lies in the plane P defined by the eyelet30but is essentially oriented normal to the plane P of the eyelet30. That is, the longitudinal axis X of the device1typically forms an angle of at least 35° or so, and more preferably an angle of at least 45° or so relative to the plane P defined by the eyelet30so as to facilitate movement of the device1along the engagement axis Y which extends generally normal to the plane P.

It is to be appreciated, however, that the typically mooring forces, between the moored boat32and the mooring weight34, counteract such pivoting motion of the device from its orientation shown generally inFIG. 5into its orientation shown generally inFIG. 4. That is, the weight of the device1typically restrains and maintains the device1so that it typically lies substantially in plane P and, in addition to this, the associated coupling of the boat32to the mooring weight34, via first and second flexible linkages36,38, the device1, the mooring buoy28, etc., (seeFIG. 6and a further description concerning these components will follow below) have a tendency of returning back toward and retaining the device1in the position shown inFIG. 5and thereby resist positioning of the device1in an orientation that could possibly result in any undesired uncoupling or disconnection of the device1from the eyelet30of the boat32.

As is apparent from the above, due to the contour of the C shaped hook member12and the associated arrangement of the retaining and guide member18as well as the shape of the eyelet30of the boat32, these components all interact with one another to facilitate a safe, reliable, convenient and accurate coupling and uncoupling of a boat to a mooring buoy28in the simple manner which avoids any inadvertent disconnection of the device1from the eyelet30of the boat32or the eyelet26of the mooring buoy28. That is, in order for the device1to become disconnected from the eyelet30of the boat32, the device must first be pivoted into the relative position shown inFIG. 4so as to lie generally normal to the plane P. However, both the inherent weight of the device1as well as the typical mooring tensioning forces applied between the mooring weight34and the boat32will tend to retain the device1in an orientation such that the longitudinal axis X of the device1lies substantially in or is parallel to the plane P defined by the eyelet30of the boat32, as shown inFIG. 5.

As shown inFIG. 6, the device1, according to the present invention, is typically permanently coupled, via its eyelet or continuous loop member8, to a mooring buoy28of the mooring40. Typically the loop member8is coupled to a lower loop member42of a floating mooring buoy28of the mooring40via the conventional first flexible linkage36such as a marine rope, a stainless steel chain, a wire cable or any other conventional marine securing member which is conventionally used for such application. The lower eyelet or loop member42of the mooring40is also permanently attached, via a conventional second flexible linkage38such as a marine rope, a stainless steel chain, a wire cable or any other conventional marine securing member, to a submerged mooring weight34located on the bottom56of a lake, a river, a pond, an ocean or some other body of water58on which the boat will be moored at a desired location. The submerged mooring weight34is sized so as to retain the mooring40, and any moored boat, at its initially installed location in the body of water.

The mooring weight34is typically embedded, sunken or submerged into the bottom56of the body of water58so that the weight34is essentially permanently affixed and retained at the submerged location. As the mooring buoy28is buoyant, the mooring buoy28floats on the top surface of the body of water58and is coupled to the mooring weight34by the conventional second flexible linkage38. Such coupling and floatation facilitates positioning of an upper eyelet or loop member26so that is generally located out of the body of water58to facilitate both coupling and uncoupling with the hook member12of the device1, generally as described above. As the general features of the boat mooring40are conventional and well known in the art, and form no part of the present invention per se, a further detailed discussion concerning the same is not provided.

During normal use, the hook member12of the device1is initially hooked to the upper eyelet or loop member26, supported by the mooring40, such that the hand grip10, of the device1, is typically partially or completely submerged under the water58, as generally shown inFIG. 6. The device1, according to the present, is primarily manufactured from steel/stainless steel, or some other material resistant to rust and corrosion. In addition, any metal, e.g., steel, which may be prone to rust or corrosion is coated with or dipped into a durable plastic or some other corrosion/rust resistant material, so as to facilitate use of the device1in fresh water or salt water.

When a user desires to moor a boat, the user maneuvers his/her boat so as to approach the mooring40by a conventional boat approach path which facilitates retrieving the first end4of the completely or partially submerged device1from the water58(seeFIG. 5) either by hand or by using a paddle, hook or some other retrieval element, such as a hook retrieve apparatus described below with reference toFIG. 7. Once the device1is retrieved by the user, the user then grabs the hand grip10of the device so as to manipulate detachment of the hook member12from the upper eyelet or loop member26of the mooring40, as described above. That is, the user first pivots the device1from a position in which the device1generally lies in the plane defined by the eyelet26to a position in which the device lies substantially normal to the opening O of the eyelet26of the mooring40. Thereafter, the device is moved relative to the eyelet26so that a section of the eyelet26is guided between the retaining and guide section18and the transition section16of the shaft2until the eyelet26is completely uncoupled and disconnected from the device1.

Once this has occurred, the user can thereafter easily, quickly and reliably secure the hook member12to the eyelet30located at the bow of the boat32, as described above with reference toFIGS. 2-5. Once the hook member12is secured to the eyelet30located at the bow of the boat32, the user then releases the device1and the device1then reliably couples the eyelet30of the boat32to the boat mooring40. Thereafter, the user can disembark from the boat32, in a conventional manner, and remain confident that the hook member12of the device1will remain permanently connected with the eyelet30located at the bow of the boat32.

When use of the boat32is desired, the user retrieves the device1from the water58by hand or using a paddle, a hook or some other retrieval component. Once the device1is retrieved, the user will grasp the hand grip10and manipulate the device1so as to facilitate detachment of the hook member12from the eyelet30of the boat32by reversing the steps shown inFIGS. 2-5. Thereafter, the user can then hook the hook member12to the eyelet26of the mooring40. Once this has occurred, the user releases the device1and the hook member12remains affixed to the upper eyelet or loop member26, supported by the mooring40, but typically partially submerged in the water58. Due to the floatation of the mooring buoy28, the device1is maintained adjacent to the top surface of the water58for easy retrieval by the end user once the boating activity of the user is concluded.

With reference now toFIG. 7, a brief description concerning a hook retrieve apparatus, for use in retrieving the device according to the present invention , will now be described. As can be seen in this Figure, the hook retrieval apparatus60generally comprises an S-shaped elongate member, preferably manufactured from304stainless steel, which has a length of approximately 40±20 inches and a diameter of about ¼±⅛ inches. Each opposed end62,64of the retrieval apparatus60generally has a C-shaped opening66which defines a retrieval aperture for engaging with the shaft2of the device1which typically has a radius of about ¾±½ inches. During use, a user will grab one end62of the S-shaped retrieval apparatus60while the opposite end64thereof is lowered into the water58. User will then position the C-shaped opening66of the submerged end64of the retrieval apparatus60beneath the shaft2of the device1and then gradually raise the retrieval apparatus60, along with the retrieved device1, out of the water as the C-shaped opening66captively engages and retains the shaft2of the device1. Once the device1is sufficiently out of the water, the user can then grab the handle10, in a conventional manner, and separate the device1from the retrieval apparatus60and thereafter unhook the device1from the buoy40, in the manner described above.

Preferably the device1has an axial length of between at least one (1) feet and ten (10) feet, typically depending on the size of the boat to be moored, and more preferably the axial length of the device1is between about two (2) to about five (5) feet.

Since certain changes may be made in the above described improved device for coupling a boat to a mooring, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.