Abstract:
A retractable boat extension. The retractable boat extension is a platform that is attachable to a boat, such as a pontoon boat, that provides additional space to transport items or lounge upon. The platform includes a sliding mechanism having an actuator for sliding relative to the boat, pedestal mounts for attaching a plurality of interchangeable accessories thereto, such as grills, fishing chairs and food preparation tables, an outboard motor mount configured to receive a variety of outboard motors including, but not limited to, trolling motors, and a mounting bracket configured to receive a forward ramp for handicapped access to the pontoon boat.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/087,996 filed on Dec. 5, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to pontoon boats. More specifically, the present invention relates to extensions for pontoon boats that are attachable, retractable, and designed to provide more room for passengers, an extra space for transportation, and create more boat functionality. 
         [0003]    Pontoon boat owners are often looking for additional space when hosting people on their pontoon boat. Besides needing the extra space to provide a more spacious and comfortable environment for their passengers, boat owners often need the additional space for conducting activities on the boat, such as food preparation, fishing, and grilling. Further, boat owners are often looking for additional space for transporting items necessary for enjoying time spent out on the water without compromising space for their passengers. Because the space on a pontoon boat is limited, there may not be enough room on any given pontoon boat for individuals to prepare food and enjoy grilling or fishing, while simultaneously providing a spacious environment for passengers. Therefore, individuals are forced to conduct all pontoon boat activities in a compact area, often creating discomfort and limited use of the boat. By expanding the pontoon boat deck area and creating a way in which to temporarily transport items outside the boat, there can be more room for passengers to lounge and enjoy their day without worrying about bumping into each other and other items. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art to create a pontoon boat extension that creates a more spacious environment for passengers, while simultaneously increasing pontoon boat functionality by creating an extra space in which many different items can be affixed to, such as food preparation tables, grills, chairs, and outboard motors, and which can also be used to transport various items. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The following summary is provided to indicate the nature of the subject matter disclosed herein. While certain aspects of the present invention are described below, the summary is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0005]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of pontoon boat extensions now present in the prior art, an embodiment of the present invention provides a retractable pontoon boat extension wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when hosting people on his or her boat and conducting activities thereon. The present invention comprises an attachable platform that is slidably adjustable relative to a pontoon boat deck via a sliding mechanism, thereby creating more space on the pontoon boat whenever desired by the boat owner. The platform includes pedestal mounts which are utilized to interchangeably connect various accessories to the platform, such as grills, tables, and chairs. The platform includes an outboard motor mount which can be flush mounted and configured to receive a variety of outboard motors. The platform further includes mounting brackets configured to receive a ramp. Finally, the platform may include strap connectors for securing items to the platform for transportation, a stowable ladder, and hand grasps that enable passengers to get onto the boat in deep waters. 
         [0006]    This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a partially exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  shows a bottom view of one embodiment of the present invention, displaying an electrical sliding mechanism which is used to slidably adjust the platform. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  shows a top phantom view of the pontoon boat in one embodiment of the present invention, displaying the platform as fully extended out from underneath the pontoon boat by the electrical sliding mechanism. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2C  shows a perspective front view of the pontoon boat with the platform  15  completely stowed underneath the pontoon boat deck by the electrical sliding mechanism. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2D  shows a bottom view of one embodiment of the present invention, displaying a manual sliding mechanism which is used to slidably adjust the platform. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2E  shows a top phantom view of the pontoon boat in one embodiment of the present invention, displaying the platform as manually extended out from underneath the pontoon boat. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2F  shows a bottom view of one embodiment of the present invention, displaying a pneumatic sliding mechanism which is used to slidably adjust the platform 
           [0015]      FIG. 2G  shows a top phantom view of the pontoon boat in one embodiment of the present invention, displaying the platform as fully extended out from underneath the pontoon boat by the pneumatic sliding mechanism. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3A  shows a detail view of a universal outboard motor mount in one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3B  shows an exploded view of an outboard motor mount with an outboard trolling motor being mounted thereon. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3C  show an exploded view of a motor mount plate with an outboard trolling motor being mounted thereon. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a pedestal fishing chair is mounted onto a pedestal mount. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a pedestal grill is mounted onto a pedestal mount. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  shows a starboard side view of one embodiment of the present invention, displaying a forward ramp mounted onto the platform via mounting eyelets. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, which displays a grill fastened to the platform using the strap connectors. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention, which displays the stowable ladder in use, the hand grips, and universal outboard motor mount. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the retractable pontoon boat extension. For the purpose of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for a conventional pontoon boat. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0025]    The present invention includes a retractable platform attached to and extending from the hull of a boat, such as a pontoon boat. In one embodiment, the retractable platform is integral to the hull. In another embodiment, the retractable platform is affixable to the hull of a boat, such as a pontoon boat, as an after-market modification. The platform comprises at least one pedestal mount, a mounting bracket, a universal outboard motor mount, and attachable mounting rails. The platform can be installed on a boat at a boat manufacturing facility or can be attached manually by the user. When manually attaching the platform to a pontoon boat, for example, the user first installs a slide-on mounting track to the underside of the pontoon boat by attaching it to the boat floor braces. The mounting track may be attached by bolting it to the floor braces at various mounting holes disposed on the mounting track. After attaching the mounting track to the floor braces of the pontoon boat, the platform is mounted thereon via the mounting rails which are attachable to the sides of the platform. The user attaches the mounting rails via various mounting holes disposed on the sides of the platform. Once attached, the mounting rail is slidably engageable with the mounting track via rollers disposed therein, thus allowing it to be inserted in the mounting track and extended or retracted manually as desired by the user via a sliding mechanism comprising an actuator. The platform, mounting track, mounting rail, and rollers can be constructed from aluminum, steel, plastic, or any other like suitable material or combination thereof. 
         [0026]    The platform is configured to slidably attach to the undersurface of the hull of any pontoon boat and is configured to fit underneath the deck of any pontoon boat. The platform is slidably adjusted via the sliding mechanism, which actuation thereof allows it to be extended and retracted as desired. When retracted, the platform does not extend past the perimeter of the pontoon boat and is fully concealed thereby. The sliding mechanism enables the user to utilize the platform as an additional area to supplement the deck area of the pontoon boat as needed. In various embodiments of the present invention, the sliding mechanism comprises manual, pneumatic, or electronic sliding mechanisms having actuators for operation of the mechanism. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention with a mounting rail. This embodiment provides a platform  15 , which can be removably attached to a pontoon boat. The platform  15  comprises three pedestal mounts  30 A,  30 B,  30 C, two D-rings  35 A,  35 B as strap connectors, a universal outboard motor mount  40 , and two mounting eyelets  45 A,  45 B as the mounting bracket, and an attachable mounting rail  50 . In alternative embodiments, the mounting bracket comprises a piano hinge or other type of mounting bracket existing in the art. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-2C , there is shown an electrical sliding mechanism as employed on a pontoon boat in one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2A  shows the hull of the pontoon boat and the platform  15  as stowed and retracted by the electrical sliding mechanism.  FIG. 2B  shows a top phantom view of the pontoon boat, such that the platform  15  is displayed as fully extended from underneath the pontoon boat by the electrical sliding mechanism.  FIG. 2C  shows a perspective front view of a pontoon boat with the platform  15  completely stowed underneath the pontoon boat deck. 
         [0029]    In the depicted embodiment, the platform  15  is slidably adjustable via a linear screw type system. The system comprises a screw  100 , an actuator  105 , a control, a mounting track  110 , a mounting rail  115 , and rollers  120 . The mounting track  110  is disposed on the underside of the front portion of the pontoon boat and the mounting rail  115  is disposed on the sides of the platform  15 . The mounting track  110  is configured to receive the mounting rail  115 , which is slidably adjustable along the mounting track  110  via the rollers  120 . The actuator  105  comprises an electrical screw drive motor that is operably connected to a control. In one embodiment, the control is disposed on the steering station of a pontoon boat so that it can be operated by the pontoon boat operator. In another embodiment, the control is a remote control unit. When activated, the actuator  105  drives the horizontal screw extension  100  in a forward motion and pushes the platform  15  horizontally out from underneath the pontoon boat. The mounting rail  115  slides along the mounting track  110  via the rollers  120 . In one embodiment, the mounting track  110  further includes a locking mechanism that is configured to lock the platform  15  in its fully extended or stowed configuration. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2D-2E , there is shown a bottom view and top phantom view, respectively, of another embodiment of the boat extension illustrating the sliding mechanism. In the depicted embodiment, the sliding mechanism lacks a drive or other mechanism for mechanically deploying the platform  15 . Rather, the sliding mechanism is manually actuated by a user such that the platform  15  can be deployable and retractable. The platform  15  includes a hand grip  106  for enabling the user to grasp the platform  15 . By grasping the hand grips  106 , users can pull the platform  15  out from underneath the boat or push the platform  15  back underneath the boat. When the user pushes or pulls the platform  15 , the mounting rails  115  slide along the mounting track  110  via the rollers  120 . In some embodiments, the mounting rails  115  comprise a locking mechanism, which locks the platform into place inside the mounting track  110 . 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2F-2G , there is shown a bottom view and top phantom view, respectively, of another embodiment of the boat extension illustrating the sliding mechanism. In the depicted embodiment, a pneumatic sliding mechanism is actuated to retract and extend the platform. The pneumatic sliding mechanism includes an actuator  108  comprising an pneumatic motor operably connected to an electrical control, which is located on the pontoon boat steering station in one embodiment of the present invention so that it can be operated by the pontoon boat operator. When actuated, the pneumatic motor drives a screw  102  in a forward motion, pushing the platform  15  horizontally out from underneath the pontoon boat. The mounting rail  115  slides along the mounting track  110  via the rollers  120  to its fully extended position. In some embodiments, the mounting track  110  contains a lock that holds the platform  15  in its place when in use or when not in use and stored underneath the pontoon boat. 
         [0032]    In alternative embodiments, the platform  15  is retractable and extendable via different mounting bracket assemblies known in the art, which comprise a mounting track and a mounting rail slidably disposed in the mounting track that is capable of sliding therein via rollers. In alternative embodiments, the mounting bracket assembly may contain any number of additional mounting tracks and mounting rails slidably adapted to interact with one another for the purposes of retracting and extending an item and creating a stronger bracket assembly for sustaining more weight thereon. 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3A-3B , there is shown a perspective detail view of the universal outboard motor mount  40  in one embodiment of the present invention and an exploded view of the mount  40  with an outboard trolling motor being mounted thereon. In the depicted embodiment, the mount  40  is flush to the surface of the platform  15  such that it does not cause a tripping hazard. The mount  40  includes an interior portion  41  and pair or channels  42  with mounting holes  43  thereon. The interior portion  41  and channels  42  are configured to receive the mounting bracket of an outboard motor. The mounting holes  43  are adapted for receiving fasteners, such as screws or bolts, for installing and fastening the outboard motor to the platform  15 . The outboard motor may be any variety of outboard motors commonly used for boating, such as a trolling motor. In alternative embodiments, the mounting holes are adapted to correspond to a specific type of outboard motor, thereby only being able to receive that outboard motor. The mount  40  can be constructed of aluminum, steel or any other like suitable material. 
         [0034]    Referring now to  FIG. 3C , there is shown a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, the outboard motor mount comprises mounting eyelets  60 , configured to horizontally receive an outboard motor mount plate  62  via mounting rods  64  disposed on the plate  62 . The mount plate  62  comprises various mounting holes  66  adapted for receiving corresponding outboard motors, such as trolling motors. The mount plate  62  is interchangeable with other mount plates, as desired by the user to mount a different outboard motor to the boat. 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , there are shown views of an embodiment of the present invention, displaying various interchangeable accessories mounted to the platform. The pedestal mounts  30 A,  30 B are flush to the surface of the platform  15  and comprises a female receiver configured to engage with a male end  32  of an interchangeable accessory. The interchangeable accessory includes a pedestal fishing chair as depicted in  FIG. 4 , a pedestal grill as depicted in  FIG. 5 , a pedestal food preparation table, and any other such accessory having a male end configured to engage with the pedestal mounts  30 A,  30 B. The flush mounted nature of the pedestal mounts  30 A,  30 B helps prevent a tripping hazard to users. The male end of the interchangeable accessory comprises a locking or detent pin that is configured to engage and lock a pedestal mount. In a second embodiment, the interchangeable accessory comprises a taper lock mechanism that is configured to engage with a pedestal mount. In a third embodiment, the interchangeable accessory comprises a screw-in locking mechanism that is configured to engage with a pedestal mount. 
         [0036]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown a side view of a forward ramp  46  mounted onto the platform  15  via the platform mounting bracket in one embodiment of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, the mounting bracket comprises mounting eyelets  45 . The mounting eyelets  45  are disposed on the platform  15  and comprise a pin hole configured to receive a locking pin  48 . The forward ramp  46  contains a piano hinge  47  comprising pin holes configured to correspond to the pin holes on the mounting eyelets  45  and also configured to receive the locking pin  48 . When the forward ramp  46  is mounted onto the mounting eyelets  45 , the pin holes on the piano hinge  47  are aligned over the corresponding pin holes on the mounting eyelets  45  such that a locking pin  48  is insertable therethrough, locking the forward ramp  46  to the platform  15 . The forward ramp  46  creates a ramp for handicapped individuals to access the platform or walk on access from a dock. 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, which further comprises strap connectors. The strap connectors can be used in conjunction with ratchet straps, tie down straps and bungie cords to secure objects, such as a grill as shown, therebetween. In the depicted embodiment, the strap connectors are flush to the platform. In alternative embodiments, they can be protrusive. The strap connectors are being utilized to fasten an item to the platform. The depicted strap connectors comprise two flush-mounted D-rings  35 A,  35 B, which are being utilized to fasten a grill using two ratchet straps  36 A,  36 B. Each D-ring  35 A,  35 B receives a ratchet strap  36 A,  36 B, which is then hooked onto the item. The ratchet straps are then adjusted accordingly to fasten the item to the platform  15 . Once the items are fastened to the platform  15 , they are ready for transportation. In alternative embodiments, the strap connectors comprise buckles, utility loops and other like connectors known in the art. 
         [0038]    Referring now to  FIG. 8 , there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention in use. In the depicted embodiment, the platform  15  further comprises a stowable ladder  25  hingedly connected to the platform  15  via a hinge  26 . The hinge  26  is slidably disposed along the interior surface of a ladder compartment  27 , thereby allowing the ladder  25  to be stowed within the interior volume of the ladder compartment  27 . The interior volume of the ladder compartment  27  is equal to or greater than the volume occupied by the ladder  25  so that the ladder  25  can be received therein without extending beyond the open end of the ladder compartment  27 . The ladder compartment  27  is located on the distal side of the platform  15 , opposite to the side of the platform  15  that is nearest to the boat deck. When not in use, the ladder  25  can be stowed by pivoting the ladder  25  about the hinge  26  to position it parallel to the platform  15  and then sliding it into the ladder compartment  27 . The hand grip  28  can be utilized in conjunction with the stowable ladder  25  to aid a person in exiting the water. 
         [0039]    It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0040]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.