Abstract:
An engine compartment cover for watercraft incorporates first and second pivots The cover can be rotated from an adjacent engine compartment in a first direction to a second location to provide a convenient access to the engine from the stern of the watercraft. Alternately, a portion of the cover can be rotated in the opposite direction on the second pivot to provide access to the engine compartment from the deck of the craft.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/640,136 filed Dec. 22, 2004 and entitled “Multiply Hinged Sundeck for Pontoon Boat”. 
     
    
     FIELD  
       [0002]     The invention pertains to pontoon boats. More particularly, the invention pertains to such boats with easy-to-access engines to facilitate maintenance.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Known pontoon boats usually have an elongated deck with a bow and a stern. The deck is supported in the water by two or three pontoons. Some known pontoon boats incorporate an inboard/outboard-type engine in an engine compartment located at the stern of the deck. The engine compartment is usually centrally located relative to the width of the deck with the outboard portion of the engine extending axially generally on a center line of the deck.  
         [0004]     One of the problems with many known pontoon boats that have inboard/outboard engines relates to ease of engine maintenance. The engines are often located in a recessed engine compartment. For example, hinged seats or a sundeck may cover and close the engine compartment.  
         [0005]     The seats and/or sundeck are usually attached by a pivot, or hinges to the stern of the boat. Hence, the seats and/or sundeck must be rotated upwardly from the deck toward the stern. When the seats and/or sundeck are so rotated, the compartment cannot be reached from the stern. Instead, it can only be reached from the deck.  
         [0006]     Providing a pivot or hinge structure at the stern of the watercraft for the seats/sundeck, as described above, precludes access to the engine from the stern of the watercraft. On the other hand, it may be desirable at times to access the engine from the deck, for example, where the boat is in deep water.  
         [0007]     Often the inboard section of the engine, in the compartment is 24 or more inches below deck level. This location can require maintenance personnel to kneel or lay on the deck to reach the engine. Neither of these postures contributes to efficiency or ease of maintenance. In some known instances, the opening to the engine compartment is not as wide as the engine is long. The engine thus extends, at least in part, under the deck. This also contributes to inconvenience and difficulty in carrying out maintenance makes engine maintenance more difficult and less convenient than desired.  
         [0008]     Thus, it would be desirable to be able to configure engine compartments for pontoon boats to facilitate easier maintenance. It would be especially desirable if the engine would be readily accessible from the stern of the boat without having to get up on the deck to carry out maintenance procedures.  
         [0009]     Since many such watercraft do not carry an enclosed cabin it would be desirable to be able to incorporate a temporary changing room or privacy region on such watercraft provided such could be done without compromising access to the engine compartment. One such privacy structure has been disclosed in Tomczak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,053 B1 issued Oct. 16, 2001 entitled “Boat Mountable Stowable Enclosure”. The Tomczak et al. patent is assigned to the Assignee hereof and incorporated by reference herein. It would be further desirable to be able to combine an engine hatch which provides for more convenient access to the engine from the stern of the watercraft than has heretofore been available while at the same time providing a temporarily deployable privacy region of the type generally disclosed in the above noted Tomczak et al. patent. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pontoon boat in accordance with the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the boat of  FIG. 1  with the engine compartment closed;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view from the stern of the boat of  FIG. 1  with the engine compartment closed;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an elevational view of the port side of the stern of the boat of  FIG. 1  with the engine compartment closed;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a view of the stern of the boat of  FIG. 1  with the engine compartment opened;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the stern of the boat of  FIG. 1  with the engine compartment opened;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a view of the sundeck of the boat of  FIG. 1 , as seen from the deck of the boat with the engine compartment opened;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a view of the sundeck of the boat of  FIG. 1  opened to provide access to the engine compartment from the deck of the boat;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the stern of the boat with the sundeck opened to provide access to the engine compartment of the deck;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a partial view of the cover for the privacy unit rotated to a location where the privacy unit would be deployed; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a view of the structure of  FIG. 10  from the side of the boat. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawing and will be described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pontoon boat  10  viewed from the stern thereof. The boat  10  incorporates a multiply hinged sundeck  12 . When rotated upwardly, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the sundeck exposes an engine compartment indicated generally at  14  which includes an inboard portion E of an inboard/outboard engine. The outboard portion E 1  is coupled to the stern  14   a  of the engine compartment.  
         [0023]     A flip-up privacy unit  16  can be located adjacent to one side of the sundeck  12 . Further, an additional hinged sundeck  18  can be provided to provide access to an underlying fuel cell. For example, the fuel cell might contain a 37-gallon fuel tank for the engine E.  
         [0024]     The boat  10  includes pontoons  20   a, b  and has a deck  22 .  
         [0025]     The engine compartment  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , is bounded on first and second sides by members  14 - 1  and  14 - 2 .  
         [0026]     The rotatable sundeck  12  is pivotally attached to the bounding members  14 - 1 , - 2 . It can be rotated away from the stern  14   a  of the engine compartment, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , to thereby make the inboard portion of E the engine readily accessible for maintenance.  
         [0027]     In the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the inboard portion E of the engine can be easily accessed from the stern of the boat  10 . The configuration of the engine compartment, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , is especially advantageous in that a person conducting maintenance can stand at the stern of the engine compartment, open the sundeck  12  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and not have to kneel or lay down on the deck to reach the engine. Further, to the extent that the maintenance activities involve oil or grease, those materials will tend to be retained between the sidewalls  14 - 1 , - 2  of the engine compartment  14  and will soil or damage any of the sundeck or seats.  
         [0028]     The sundeck  12  carries a cushion  12   a  on top of an engine compartment closing panel  14 - 3 . The stern portion of the engine compartment is closed by a panel  14 - 4  also carried by the sundeck  12 .  
         [0029]      FIGS. 2, 3  and  4  are of various views of the boat  10  with the hatch for the engine compartment  14  in a closed state. As illustrated therein, the cushions  12   a  which overlie the enclosure panel  14 - 3  completely close the top of the engine compartment  14 . Seating  12   b  can be located adjacent to the sundeck  12 .  
         [0030]      FIGS. 5-7  illustrate various views of the boat  10  with the engine compartment  14  open. As illustrated therein with the hinged sundeck  12  rotated upwardly away from the stern of the boat  10  the inboard portion E of the engine is readily accessible from the stern of the boat.  
         [0031]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate views of the boat  10  with the sundeck  12  rotated to open engine compartment  14  for access from the deck  22  of the boat. As illustrated therein, the sundeck  12  has a second hinge or pivot indicated generally at  30  whereby the cushion  12   a  and underlying panel  14 - 3  can be rotated upwardly toward the stern. As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the engine compartment  14  can be readily accessed from the deck  22  in this configuration.  
         [0032]      FIGS. 10 and 11  illustrate various details of the instruction of the flip-up privacy unit  16 . The privacy unit  16  can be implemented in accordance with the teachings of the Tomczak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,053 B1 incorporated herein by reference. In  FIG. 1 , the portion of the sundeck and related seat  16  are illustrated in an open position which deploys the privacy unit.  FIG. 11  illustrates the opened position of the unit  16  with a view from the side of the boat.  
         [0033]     It will be understood that the sundeck  14  can be locked into a closed position closing the engine compartment  14  via latch  34 . The latch  34  can be released by way of a remote cable from the captain&#39;s stand of the boat  10 , if desired. Alternately, the latch  34  can be configured to be released locally at the stern of the boat. An optional ski tow  36  can be added to the frame for the sundeck  12 .  
         [0034]     From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.