Abstract:
A multi-purpose support plate for use with a boating accessory assembly is disclosed. The multi-purpose support plate includes a first mounting end portion having a first clamping region, a center portion having a top layer, a bottom layer, and a central bore, a second mounting end portion having a second clamping region positioned opposite said first mounting end portion, wherein the first and second clamping regions are in removable engagement with an accessory clamp operatively engaged to a boating structure. The first and second clamping regions are affixed to a boat structure by at least one accessory clamp assembly, the accessory clamp assembly being constructed to fit the mounting end portions at their respective clamping regions by frictional engagement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/473,303, filed on May 23, 2003, entitled CLAMP-ON MULTI-PURPOSE SUPPORT PLATE. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to the field of sport fishing, and particularly to an outrigger mounting system having a multi-purpose support plate capable of withstanding high forces and permitting rotational movement of an outrigger.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Saltwater sport fishing typically consists of anglers positioned on boats that are then dispatched to prolific offshore fishing areas. One useful method of catching game fish involves a technique known as trolling. Trolling is the practice of baiting hooks that are subsequently lowered and dragged behind the stern of a slow moving vessel by the angler. In order to increase the chances of hooking a fish, it is beneficial to have as many lines in the water as possible. To a game fish, the wake of a vessel generally creates the appearance of a large school of smaller fish to be preyed upon. The angler can strategically simulate bands of straggling or displaced fish from the school with numerous baited lines. These simulated straggling fish are misinterpreted by the game fish to be the disadvantaged and weakened fish that game fish frequently utilize as a food source.  
           [0004]    As stated above, an angler will often drag as many baited lines from behind the boat as possible, thereby increasing the chances of hooking a fish. However, as more baited lines are used, the probability of the lines becoming entangled with one another increases. This is a problem that occurs in a variety of situations, such as with a narrow beam boat or any boat that is in the process of being turned. As a result, sport fishing outriggers have been developed to assist in keeping the various lines separated. However, the positioning and lowering of outrigger booms presents additional problems of rotational movement and preventing the booms from contacting the water. This problem has brought forth various attempts to create mechanisms to rotate the boom and that prevent the boom from contacting the water.  
           [0005]    Outriggers consist of a long pole, or boom, having one end secured to the boat with deployment resulting from an outward lateral extension of the boom from a side of the boat. Baited fishing lines often have integrated release clips that are attached to the outriggers, thereby providing sufficient separation between the lines to prevent tangling. When a fish is hooked on the bait line, the line clip releases from the outrigger, thus allowing the angler to reel in the fish.  
           [0006]    Outriggers are required to be freely stowable to a position beside the boat for close quarters operation and docking. For practicality, the outrigger should be swung laterally outward to its deployed position. The prior art includes various types of mounting schemes including outrigger units for horizontal and vertical mounting, on center consoles, flybridges, half towers, tuna towers, radar arches, and/or T-tops. Prior patents disclose a variety of methods for mounting such outriggers into place (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,213,441 and 5,685,107), with each having distinct drawbacks. Such drawbacks include overall mechanical complexity; powered operation; non-durable construction; and/or ineffective position adjustment and locking mechanisms that slip and/or wear out.  
           [0007]    Outrigger poles often extend outwardly from the boat to a significant distance while in their fishing position. Due to the forces applied to the mount by a combination of the weight of the outrigger assembly with the outrigger, the rotational movement of the boat, the wind force and the forces associated with trolling, an extremely sturdy structure is essential in order to provide suitable performance over a period. Various outrigger mounts currently supply bracing struts and rods to provide the requisite strength. These structures can be cumbersome in operation, particularly when it becomes necessary to reposition the outrigger.  
           [0008]    A number of outrigger mounts employ telescoping or sliding joints that are particularly susceptible to corrosion and sticking, particularly in conjunction with salt water fishing. Furthermore, outrigger mounts of the prior art often require an array of independent attachments to the boat structure in specific relation to each other, thus necessitating skilled and protracted installation, as well as additional structural reinforcement to the boat.  
           [0009]    In addition, the prior art outrigger mounts present extended sleeve sockets for the slidable receipt of the proximal ends of the outriggers. Due to the degree of support required for the outrigger, a secure fit between the proximal end and the sleeve socket is essential. Thus, the outriggers are frequently extremely difficult to remove from the sockets after a prolonged period of usage, particularly in salt water, and often call for dismounting at least a portion of the outrigger mount.  
           [0010]    The prior art presents a variety of approaches that have been engaged to suspend an outrigger in place while trolling for fish. Notwithstanding these efforts to provide suitable outrigger mounts, the existing prior art devices are limited in numerous respects. Accordingly, what is lacking that the prior art has not provided is a simple multi-purpose support plate for a boating accessory assembly, such as an outrigger assembly, that is capable of withstanding high forces while permitting rotational movement of an outrigger without using bracing struts and rods or sleeve sockets.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned needs for a support plate by providing a clamp-on multi-purpose support plate for a boating accessory assembly that is capable of withstanding high forces while permitting rotational movement.  
           [0012]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a multi-purpose support plate for use with a boating accessory assembly. The multi-purpose support plate includes a first mounting end portion having a first clamping region, a center portion having a top layer, a bottom layer, and a central bore, a second mounting end portion having a second clamping region positioned opposite said first mounting end portion, wherein the first and second clamping regions are in removable engagement with an accessory clamp operatively engaged to a boating structure. The first and second clamping regions are affixed to a boat structure by at least one clamp, the clamp being constructed to fit the mounting end portions at their respective clamping regions by frictional engagement.  
           [0013]    The present invention is further directed to a method for supporting a boating accessory. The method includes the steps of providing a multi-purpose support plate having at least one accessory opening and clamping the multi-purpose support plate to a surface of a boating structure with an accessory clamp assembly, wherein the multi-purpose support plate is clamped on at least one clamping region of the multi-purpose support plate.  
           [0014]    Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to disclose a sport fishing multi-purpose support plate that is capable of both withstanding high forces and permitting rotational movement of boating accessories, as well as being releasably engaged to a boating structure. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is an isometric top view of the clamp-on multi-purpose support plate of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an isometric top view of the accessory clamp of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is an isometric bottom view of the accessory clamp of FIG. 2.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustration of the accessory clamp of FIG. 2 with an insert.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the clamp-on multi-purpose support plate in operative engagement with the accessory clamp in accordance with preferred embodiment of the present invention on a T-top.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the mating relationship of clamp and support plate on attached to a pipe.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a front view of the mating relationship of FIG. 6.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is a side view of reducer for a large tube.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 is a side view of reducer for a small tube. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a portion of the multi-purpose support plate assembly  10  is illustrated as multi-purpose support plate  11 . Multi-purpose support plate  11  includes a first mounting end portion  12 , a second mounting end portion  16 , and a center portion  20 .  
         [0025]    First mounting end portion  12  includes a first clamping region  14  for attachment to an accessory clamp, such as accessory clamp  27  of FIG. 2 (detailed below). First clamping region  14  is preferably formed from first mounting end portion  12 . First clamping region  14  further includes first surface  14   a  and opposing second surface  14   b . First and second surfaces  14   a  and  14   b  provide engagement surfaces for the accessory clamp, such as accessory clamp  27  of FIG. 2.  
         [0026]    As with first mounting end portion  12 , second mounting end portion  16  includes a second clamping region  18  for additional attachment to another accessory clamp, such as accessory clamp  27  of FIG. 2 (discussed below). Second clamping region  18  is preferably formed from second mounting end portion  16 . Second clamping region  18  further includes first surface  18   a  and opposing second surface  18   b . First and second surfaces  18   a  and  18   b  provide engagement surfaces for the accessory clamp, such as accessory clamp  27  of FIG. 2.  
         [0027]    Between first mounting end portion  12  and second mounting end portion  16  is center portion  20 . Center portion  20  includes a top layer  22 , a bottom layer  24 , and preferably a central bore  26 . Central bore  26  passes through both the top layer  22  and the bottom layer  24 . The benefit of central bore  26  in general is that it is pre-drilled and used to accommodate a boating accessory, such as an outrigger assembly, a light, or the like, that requires passage through multipurpose support plate  11 . If the accessory does not require passage there through, then central bore  26  is not required.  
         [0028]    Specifically, central bore  26  permits a portion of the boating accessory assembly, such a handle, to pass through central bore  26  of multi-purpose support plate  11 . In doing so, central bore  26  further allows for a boating accessory assembly to be engaged in rotational movement within multi-purpose support plate  11 . This is particularly useful for boating accessories, such as outriggers, that function better when they are less restricted in movement.  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, accessory clamp assembly  27  of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Accessory clamp assembly  27  includes an upper clamping member  28  having an upper arm  30  for operatively engaging first surface  14   a  of first clamping region  14 . Similarly, accessory clamp assembly  27  further includes a lower clamping member  32  having a lower arm  34  for operatively engaging second surface  14   b  of first clamping region  14 . A first attachment region  36  is provided for affixing upper clamping member  28  to lower clamping member  32 . An array of materials and methods that are known to those skilled in the art can be employed to use first attachment region  36  to secure upper clamping member  28  to lower clamping member  32 , such as fasteners  37 .  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 4, fasteners  37  are preferably adjustable so as to permit a tightening of the frictional fit between upper arm  30 , first surface  14   a  of first clamping region  14 , lower arm  34 , and second surface  14   b  of first clamping region  14 .  
         [0031]    Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, as well as FIG. 4, a second attachment region  38  for affixing upper clamping member  28  to lower clamping member  32  is further provided. As is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and  4 , second attachment region  38  incorporates first engagement arm  38   a  and second engagement arm  38   b . First engagement arm  38   a  is formed as a portion of upper clamping member  28  and is positioned opposite upper arm  30  with respect to upper clamping member  28 . Likewise, second engagement arm  38   b  is formed as a portion of lower clamping member  32  and is positioned opposite lower arm  34  with respect- to lower clamping member  32 .  
         [0032]    Preferably, first engagement arm  38   a  and second engagement arm  38   b  are arranged in a slidable engagement, or, alternatively in a clam shell opening engagement. The slidable engagement permits the user to position accessory clamp assembly  27  around an attachment substrate, such as a portion of metal tubing on a boat, with relative ease by positioning upper clamping member  28  over the attachment substrate then sliding lower clamping member  32  into position so that first engagement arm  38   a  and second engagement arm  38   b  are placed in a slidable engagement. Once the slidable engagement between first engagement arm  38   a  and second engagement arm  38   b  is completed, fasteners  37  are preferably positioned so as to frictionally secure accessory clamp assembly  27  to the attachment substrate. Likewise, by using a claim shell-like engagement upper clamping member  28  and lower clamping member  32  can operate as a hinge, with first engagement arm  38   a  and second engagement arm  38   b  in a hinging engagement. The hinging engagement permits upper clamping member  28  and lower clamping member  32  to wrap around a portion of metal tubing on a boat. However, unlike a traditional hinge, the hinging engagement between upper clamping member  28  and lower clamping member  32  is not susceptible to the wear or deterioration from exposure to the elements.  
         [0033]    Referring now to FIG. 5, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in operation. As illustrated in FIG. 5, accessory clamps assembly  27  is demonstrated frictionally secured to attachment substrate  40 . Preferably, accessory clamps  27  are engaged in pairs multipurpose support plate  11 . As detailed above, attachment substrate  40  is preferably a portion of a boat, such as tubing, that is common for use as a support structure. FIG. 5 illustrates that first engagement arm  38   a  and second engagement arm  38   b  are arranged in an engagement with respect to one another around attachment substrate  40 . In order to facilitate a good fit and reduce the amount of slip along attachment substrate  40 , fasteners  37  (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) are tightened.  
         [0034]    Tightening fasteners  37  also reduces the distance between upper arm  30  and lower arm  34  so as cause upper arm  30  to operatively engage first surface  14   a  of first clamping region  14  and lower arm  34  to operatively engage second surface  14   b  of first clamping region  14 . The resulting operative engagement between upper arm  30 , first surface  14   a , lower arm  34 , and second surface  14   b  results in a friction fit between multi-purpose support plate  11  and accessory clamp assembly  27  (as shown in FIG. 7). This resulting combination eliminates the need for welding or otherwise permanently affixing multi-purpose support plate  11  to attachment substrate  40 , thereby permitting multi-purpose support plates to be moved to and from various locations on a boat. Additionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, lips  20   a  and  20   b  prevent multi-purpose support plate  11  from shifting side to side when secured between upper arm  30  and lower arm  34  of accessory clamp assembly  27 .  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIG. 4 and accessory clamp assembly  27  is illustrated engaging a reducer, reducer  41   a  in FIGS. 4 and 8 and reducer  41   b  in FIGS. 6 and 7. Reducers  41   a  and  41   b  are employed so that clamp assembly  27  can engage a variety of tubings having differing circumferences, including tubing having substantially circular circumferences and tubing having substantially oval circumferences. Reducer  41   a  of FIGS. 4 and 8, for example, can be utilized so that accessory clamp assembly  27  can engage tubing of a first diameter, thereby permitting accessory clamp assembly  27  to be used in connection with tubing that would otherwise allow accessory clamp assembly  27  to slide thereon. Similarly, reducer  41   b  permits accessory clamp assembly  27  to engage tubing of a second, smaller diameter than reducer  41   b . Reducers  41   a  and  41   b  are preferably constructed from a resilient flexible material that is bendable an yet capable of retaining its shape. Additionally, reducers  41   a  and  41   b  function as insulators, and prevent abrasion between accessory clamp assembly  27  and the tubing. Preferably, the material forming reducers  41   a  and  41   b  has a shore A durometer ranging from about 40 to about 120, with a preferred range of about 50 to about 75. Additionally, reducers  41   a  and  41   b  incorporate a cut line  42 , thereby permitting reducers  41   a  and  41   b  to be stretched around the tubing, such as tubing  40  of FIG. 5.  
         [0036]    Providing the user with a variety of reducers, such as reducers  41   a  and  41   b , in one package allows for a significant reduction in the number of stockkeeping units (often referred to as “SKUs”). Thus, a retailer is not required to keep track of more SKUs than is necessary.  
         [0037]    Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above and in the following Figures, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.