Abstract:
A watercraft floating port lift system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the lift system may include a platform frame, one or more floating ports coupled to the platform frame, and a lift mechanism. The lift system may be operatively coupled to and capable of lifting the one or more floating ports, platform frame, and any watercraft that may be positioned thereon out of a body of water and maintain the watercraft, ports, and platform frame above the water for an extended storage period. The lift system may also be capable of subsequently lowering the watercraft, one or more floating ports, and platform frame back to the body of water in a controlled manner, thereby enabling a user to launch and subsequently recover a watercraft from the body of water.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to and claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/942,789, filed Feb. 21, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference it its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to combination floating docks and lift systems for watercraft. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lift system that allows for use of a floating watercraft port in areas that may experience rough water that would otherwise prohibit use of a floating watercraft port. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Typically, owners and users of watercraft, including fishing boats, recreational power boats, personal watercraft (PWC), and the like, require some means for storing and/or securing such watercraft to a dock or other waterside structure. In many circumstances, it is advantageous to employ floating, drive on ports such as the EZ-Port® by EZ Dock® or the Safe Haven™ by Southeaster Dock and Platform, just to name a few. These floating ports offer many advantages over alternative securing/storage mechanisms (e.g., tying a watercraft to a dock or trailering the watercraft out of the water with a vehicle) including the ability to store the watercraft out of the water, the ability to drive the watercraft onto the port and step off onto a solid surface without the boat moving relative to that surface, and the ability to accommodate such a port in areas subject to changing water levels (e.g., tidal areas). 
         [0004]    Unfortunately, floating ports such as those discussed above are limited to use in relatively calm water. In fact, use of such floating port devices in areas subject to rough water, such as on large bodies of water, areas exposed to extreme weather, or high traffic areas, is typically prohibited by floating port manufacturers because the floating ports cannot withstand the stresses associated with use in rough water areas. Accordingly, those who need to secure/store watercraft on waterways subject to rough water conditions are generally precluded from making use of floating ports. 
         [0005]    Traditionally, those who desire to store/secure their watercraft in rough water areas may utilize a boat lift mechanism. Such boat lift mechanisms generally employ liftable bunks configured to correspond to the hull of the watercraft, much in the same way bunks are employed on corresponding boat trailers. The bunks are configured to be lowered beneath the waterline and the watercraft is then positioned above the bunks. As the bunks are raised, they receive the watercraft&#39;s hull and are then lifted further, thereby raising the bunks and the watercraft above the waterline to a position high enough to avoid any rough water, and when combined with a shelter, any undesirable weather that may occur. Consequently, the bunks must generally be deployed below the waterline in order to allow the watercraft to be positioned above them—a location that makes use of such a device difficult because the bunks are obscured or impossible to see. Moreover, a user of such a lift must generally park the boat and, undesirably, step out of the boat onto the dock in conditions where the boat may be moving relative to the dock. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a solution for watercraft owners desiring the advantages of a floating port but who may be located in areas where rough water precludes such use. Specifically, it would be desirable to have a system that includes a floating port that allows a watercraft owner to take advantage of the benefits associated therewith, that is also configured to be lifted out of the water, thereby enabling the watercraft owner to use the floating port in areas subject to rough water. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A floating port system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the floating port lift system includes a platform frame, one or more floating ports coupled to the platform frame, and a lift mechanism operatively connected to the platform frame. In preferred embodiments, the one or more floating ports are each configured to receive a watercraft. The platform frame may further include securing mechanisms that couple the platform frame to the one or more floating ports. The securing mechanisms may include one or more alignment posts coupled to the platform frame and an alignment hole coupled to each of the one or more floating ports. Such alignment posts may be aligned with an associated alignment hole and sized to pass through the alignment hole on each of the one or more floating ports. Additionally, the alignment posts may be made of a material capable of withstanding lateral forces imparted upon it by the alignment hole coupled to each of the one or more floating ports, thereby preventing substantial lateral movement of the one or more floating ports relative to the platform frame. The alignment posts may also have a diameter less than a diameter of the alignment holes, thereby enabling the one or more floating ports to move vertically relative to the platform frame. In one example, the alignment posts are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. The alignment posts may also be made of other appropriate materials, including stainless steel, aluminum, or other marine grade material. 
         [0008]    In some embodiments, the lift mechanism may include one or more motors and one or more cables, where the one or more cables are coupled to the platform frame. Generally, the lift mechanism is capable of lifting the platform frame, the one or more floating ports, and an associated watercraft positioned thereon. The lift mechanism is generally also capable of holding the platform frame, the one or more floating ports, and the associated watercraft positioned thereon in the air for an extended storage period. 
         [0009]    The platform frame may include first and second side members, first and second end members, and one or more joists spanning between the first and second side members or between the first and second end members. In some embodiments, the one or more joists include two or more joists aligned substantially parallel to one another and evenly spaced apart. In certain preferred embodiments, the first and second side members and the first and second end members are arranged in a substantially rectangular configuration. The platform frame may further be arranged such that the first and second side members and the first and second end members comprise a top area that extends above a top edge of the one or more joists, thereby forming a nest area within the platform frame. The nest area may be configured to include a size and shape substantially similar to a base portion of the one or more floating ports. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side perspective view of the floating port lift system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a front perspective view of the floating port lift system in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates yet another front perspective view of the floating port lift system, including exemplary watercraft positioned thereon, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a top view of the platform frame, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a side view of the platform frame, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The presently disclosed subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying Figures/Examples, in which some, but not all embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter are shown. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The presently disclosed subject matter may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Indeed, many modifications and other embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated Figures/Examples. Therefore, it is to be understood that the presently disclosed subject matter is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0016]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a watercraft floating port lift system  100  is provided generally in accordance with the features identified in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 , each of which form a part of this description and are incorporated herein by reference. The floating port lift system generally includes one or more floating ports  110 , a platform frame  114 , and a lift mechanism  112 . The one or more floating ports  110  may be configured to receive any number of watercraft types (e.g. watercraft  150 ), including fishing boats, recreational power boats, non-motorized watercraft, PWCs, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the floating ports  110  may be of the types discussed above, or may be specially designed for use with the system described herein. Moreover, where more than one floating port  110  is desired (i.e. a system capable of lifting multiple watercraft  150  is desired), the one or more floating ports  110  may be combined such that multiple single watercraft floating ports  110  are coupled together to form one multi-vessel floating port, or alternatively, the floating port may be a single unit configured to receive multiple watercraft  150 . The one or more floating ports may also include two or more floating ports  110  that are not directly coupled to one another, but are each coupled to the system  100  such that the system  100  may lift multiple watercrafts  150  on multiple floating ports  110 . 
         [0017]    The platform frame  114  may be any structure capable of being coupled to the one or more floating ports  110  and further capable of supporting both the one or more floating ports  110  and any watercraft  150  for which the floating ports  110  are configured to receive. By way of just one example, the platform frame  114  may be a rectangular joist system such as the system shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B . In this example, the platform frame  114  may include a first side member  142  opposite a second side member  144  and a first end member  146  opposite a second end member  148 . First and second side members ( 142 ,  144 ) and first and second end members ( 146 ,  148 ) may be coupled to one another such that they form substantially a rectangular outer frame structure. The rectangular outer frame structure may further include one or more joist members  145 . Joist members  145  may span from the first side member  142  to the second side member  144 , or alternatively from first end member  146  to second end member  148 . Joist members  145  are preferably substantially parallel with one another and evenly spaced apart. The platform frame  114  may also be of any other shape or configuration desired, e.g., substantially square, triangular, etc. 
         [0018]    The platform frame  114  and one or more floating ports  110  may be coupled together in any manner desirable. For example, in some embodiments, the one or more floating ports  110  may be secured to the platform frame  114  by way of one or more securing mechanisms, which may include, for example, alignment features  116 . Securing mechanisms may be desirable in order to prevent, for example, high winds or some other force (e.g. wave, watercraft, person, etc.) from pushing the floating port(s)  110  off of their position on or above the platform frame  114 . The securing mechanisms may couple the floating ports  110  directly to the platform frame  114  (i.e. the frame and ports become a single unit) or may secure the floating ports  110  to the platform frame  114  such that the ports are free to move vertically relative to the frame, but not substantially in a lateral manner. 
         [0019]    The one or more securing mechanisms may be any mechanism that mechanically couples the one or more floating ports  110  to the platform frame  114 , including for example, one, or any combination of alignment post/hole system, straps, screws, bolts, ropes, chains, clips, or the like. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the platform frame  114  may include one or more alignment features  116  configured to ensure that the floating ports  110  maintain a desirable position relative to the platform frame  114 . The alignment features  116  may further act as the securing mechanisms securing the floating ports  110  to the platform frame. By way of just one example, the platform frame  114  may include one or more alignment posts  118  that are secured to and extend up from the platform frame  114 . The alignment posts  118  may pass through, for example, one or more alignment holes  120  on the floating ports. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the floating ports may be secured to the platform frame  114  via the alignment hole  120  which is configured to receive the alignment post  118  and prevent substantial lateral movement of the floating ports  110  relative to the platform frame  114 , while allowing vertical movement. Moreover, this configuration allows the platform frame  114  to be lowered substantially below the waterline while the floating ports  110  to remain floating on the surface of the water. The alignment posts  118 , however, may be configured to remain extending through the alignment holes  120  of the floating ports  110 , thereby preventing the floating ports  110  from floating away or otherwise moving along the waterline in an undesirable manner. 
         [0021]    In certain other embodiments, the first and second side members ( 142 ,  144 ) and first and second end members ( 146 ,  148 ) may be configured such that a top area  162  of each of the first and second side members ( 142 ,  144 ) and first and second end members ( 146 ,  148 ) extends above the one or more joist members  145 , thereby creating a nest area  160  into which the floating ports  110  may sit upon the platform frame  114 . In such embodiments, the floating ports  110  may be configured such that a bottom portion of the floating ports  110  substantially corresponds in size and shape to the size and shape of the nest area  160 . By virtue of their corresponding shape and/or positioning within the nest area  160  formed in the platform frame  114  when raised, the floating ports  110 , in this configuration, may not require securing mechanisms in order to be adequately secured to the platform frame  114 . Of course, if desired, securing mechanisms may be used in combination with the nest configuration. 
         [0022]    When lifting of the floating ports  110  and/or any watercraft  150  thereon is desired, the alignment posts  118  and alignment holes  120  ensure that the floating ports  110  remain desirably positioned above the platform frame  114  as the platform frame  114  is raised such that the floating ports  110  are properly received by the platform frame  114  (e.g., in the nest area  160 ) as it is raised, thereby facilitating proper positioning for continued lifting to a desired height above the waterline once the platform frame  114  engages the floating ports  110 . 
         [0023]    To facilitate the lifting, the watercraft floating port lift system  100  may further include a lift mechanism  112 . The lift mechanism  112  may include winch, hoist, or other suitable lift system, wherein the lift mechanism  112  may also utilize a cable, rope, chain, similar mechanism, or combination thereof coupled to the platform frame  114 . The lift mechanism  112  may further include a pulley system  126  if desired. Furthermore, the lift mechanism  112  may be hand operated or be powered by a motor (e.g. motor  124 ). In some embodiments, the motor  124  may be an electric motor (e.g., a 120 volt motor), which may be coupled to a switch  128  and configured to be powered by a standard household outlet, for example, a 120 volt AC household outlet, or hardwired directly to an electrical supply/source. The motor may, alternatively, be powered by a 12 volt motor, or any other suitable voltage and/or mechanism (e.g. battery and/or solar power). 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, the watercraft floating port lift system  100  may be installed on or within a boat house, boat shed, or any other waterside dock or pier type structure (e.g. waterside structure  130 ). Generally, the lift mechanism  112  is preferably configured to lift the platform frame  114 , floating ports  110 , and/or any watercraft  150  positioned thereon out of the water, thereby protecting the watercraft  150  and floating ports  110  from rough water and/or undesirable weather. Accordingly, the lift mechanism  112  is preferably configured not only to lift the platform frame  114  and floating ports  110  and/or any watercraft  150  positioned thereon out of the water, but also enable such components to remain suspended above the waterline for extended periods of desired storage. 
         [0025]    The lift mechanism  112  may include any mechanism capable of lifting the platform frame  114 , the one or more floating ports  110 , and any watercraft  150  that may be desirably positioned thereon. Such mechanisms include cantilever style lifts installed on one or more pilings, four piling lift mechanisms, or hydraulic style lift mechanisms, any of which may be associated with a waterside structure  130  like those described above. In certain embodiments, the lift mechanism  112  may include a winch or motor  124  coupled to a cable spool and cable  122 , wherein the cable  122  is coupled either directly to the platform frame  114  or more indirectly by way of the pulley system  126 . Note that some embodiments of the lift mechanism may employ, for example, multiple motors, multiple winches, and/or multiple cables as desired. 
         [0026]    By way of one example, when the switch  128  is activated, thereby allowing power to flow to the motor  124 , the motor  124  drives the cable spool which either coils or uncoils the cable  122  as desired so as to raise or lower the platform frame  114 , floating ports  110 , and/or any watercraft  150  positioned thereon. Operation may begin by starting with the platform frame  114  and floating ports  110  in a lowered position, whereby the platform frame  114  and floating ports  110  are positioned such that the floating ports  110  are substantially positioned as they would be if installed to float on the water as designed. From this lowered position, one or more watercraft  150  (e.g. one or more personal watercraft) may be driven onto the floating ports as designed. The watercraft operator may then exit the watercraft  150  and optionally step onto the floating port  110  before moving to a dock or other structure to which the system is installed (e.g. waterside structure  130 ). 
         [0027]    Thereafter, a user may operate the switch  128  to power the one or more motors  124  so as to drive the cable spool, wherein the cable spool coils the cable  122 . As the cable  122  is coiled, the platform frame  114  is raised. Once the platform frame  114  contacts the floating ports  110  (in embodiments where the floating ports  110  are configured to move vertically relative to the platform frame  114 ), the ports  110  being properly positioned relative to the platform frame  114  by virtue of, for example, the alignment features  116 , the floating port  110  may be received by the platform frame  114  and both the platform frame  114  and floating ports  110 , including any watercraft  150  positioned thereon, may continue to be lifted. Operation continues until the floating ports  110  and/or watercraft  150  achieve a desired height above the waterline. Thereafter, the system is capable of maintaining the watercraft  150 , one or more floating ports  110 , and platform frame  114  at the desired height above the waterline for an extended storage period (e.g. several hours, several days, several months, etc.). 
         [0028]    When desired, the process may be reversed to return the floating ports  110  and/or watercraft  150  to a point substantially near the water. Specifically, power may be delivered to the motor  124  such that the motor  124  drives the cable spool, thereby uncoiling the cable  122  such that the platform frame  114 , floating ports  110 , and/or any watercraft  150  positioned thereon are lowered towards the waterline. The platform frame  114  may be lowered until the floating ports  110  reach a desired point substantially at or near the waterline. At that point, the platform frame  114  may be optionally lowered further with the floating ports  110  remaining afloat on the surface of the water (in embodiments where the floating ports  110  are configured to freely move vertically relative to the platform frame  114 ), or alternatively the platform frame  114  may be positioned such that the floating ports  110  remain generally coupled to the platform frame  114  (either by additional securing mechanisms or by gravity alone), but in a manner that allows the floating ports  110  to be positioned such that watercraft  150  may be driven onto and off of the ports as designed. 
         [0029]    Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” refer to “one or more” when used in this application, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to “a subject” includes a plurality of subjects, unless the context clearly is to the contrary (e.g., a plurality of subjects), and so forth. 
         [0030]    Throughout this specification and the claims, the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” and “comprising” are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the term “include” and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items. 
         [0031]    For the purposes of this specification and appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, sizes, dimensions, proportions, shapes, formulations, parameters, percentages, parameters, quantities, characteristics, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear with the value, amount or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter. For example, the term “about,” when referring to a value can be meant to encompass variations of, in some embodiments, ±100% in some embodiments ±50%, in some embodiments ±20%, in some embodiments ±10%, in some embodiments ±5%, in some embodiments ±1%, in some embodiments ±0.5%, and in some embodiments ±0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions. 
         [0032]    Further, the term “about” when used in connection with one or more numbers or numerical ranges, should be understood to refer to all such numbers, including all numbers in a range and modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers, e.g., whole integers, including fractions thereof, subsumed within that range (for example, the recitation of 1 to 5 includes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as fractions thereof, e.g.,  1 . 5 ,  2 . 25 ,  3 . 75 ,  4 . 1 , and the like) and any range within that range. 
         [0033]    Although the foregoing subject matter has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.