Abstract:
A retractable horn cleat device with a seat body having a receiving cavity inside, a retractable handle provided in the seat body and slidingly displaceable upward and downward by the biasing action of two springs, and a coupling member connected to the retractable handle and coupled to a track on a driving plate inside the receiving cavity. The coupling member serves to guide the retractable handle along the track thereby allowing a user to selectively lock the retractable handle in either a retracted configuration or an unretracted configuration similar to a conventional horn cleat.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention is directed to nautical hardware, and more particularly to nautical holdfast devices and, even more particularly, to a retractable horn cleat device that can be stowed flush with a deck or other surface upon which it is mounted when not in use.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Horn cleats are usually positioned peripherally on a deck, generally in proximity to the ship&#39;s gunwales. They are used to secure cargo and other objects on board and are also adapted to belay hawsers when the boat is berthed at a dock.  
         [0005]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional horn cleat structure for a boat comprises a transverse rod  10  and two vertical rods  12  connected below the transverse rod  10 . The transverse rod  10  is often fixedly secured both to the two vertical rods  12 and to a boat deck  16  with two screw bolts  14  passing through the two vertical rods  12 .  
         [0006]     When cleats are used to lash down cargo, the line is wound around the cargo, and the two ends of the line are belayed respectively to different cleats thereby substantially immobilizing the cargo and preventing the cargo from loosening, shifting weight, or otherwise moving. When the ship is docked, one end of the line is belayed to the cleat on board, while the other end of the line is cleated at the dock, thereby making fast the boat to prevent it from slipping its mooring and drifting away.  
         [0007]     However, currently available conventional cleats protrude from the surface of the boat deck, or any other surface on which such cleats are fixedly mounted. The consequent problems are that the horn cleats of the prior art not only take up some of the limited space on a boat deck, but constitute a safety hazard, potentially causing persons to trip, stumble, stub toes, injure feet, and the like.  
         [0008]     Furthermore, insofar as conventional cleats are fixed objects protruding from the deck, the available and suitable installation positions are rather limited. They are typically installed on the outer aspects of the deck periphery to stay as clear as possible of passageways and similarly busy places.  
         [0009]     Accordingly, these and related problems of conventional horn cleats of the prior art are substantially overcome by the retractable horn cleat device of the subject invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     An important object of the present invention is to provide a retractable horn cleat device that can be conveniently deployed for use and can then be conveniently retracted and stowed when not in use.  
         [0011]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable horn cleat device for boat, one which minimizes the risk of people tripping, falling and otherwise being injured by a cleat.  
         [0012]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable horn cleat device, which can be installed at any convenient place because of its retractable concealable structure.  
         [0013]     To achieve the above goals, the retractable horn cleat device is comprised of a seat body, a retractable handle, two biasing components, a driving plate, and a coupling member. The seat body has a receiving cavity inside. The retractable handle longitudinally connects onto the seat body, and can slide up and down upon the seat body in which the handle&#39;s two vertical rods are telescopingly received. The biasing components are disposed in the sliding direction between the vertical rods of the retractable handle and the seat body.  
         [0014]     The driving plate is disposed in the receiving cavity of the seat body. The driving plate is formed with a longitudinal track that has two substantially V-shaped sections. The coupling member is connected to the retractable handle and coupled to the track at the driving plate and adapted to guide movement of the retractable handle along the track and to selectively lock the retractable handle in either the unretracted operative position or the retracted non-operative position. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a conventional horn cleat device;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a retractable horn cleat device according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a front sectional view of a retractable horn cleat device according to the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is an isolated schematic view of the driving plate for the retractable horn cleat device of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is an isolated schematic view of the coupling member of the retractable horn cleat device of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a front sectional view of the present invention, showing the retractable handle received inside the seat body;  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a side sectional view of the subject retractable horn cleat;  
         [0023]     FIGS.  9 ( a ) to  9 ( g ) are a series of illustrative schematic views of the sequential action of the coupling member and the block relative to the track of the driving plate as the retractable handle moves from the retracted non-operative position to the unretracted operative position; and,  
         [0024]     FIGS.  10 ( a ) to  10 ( e ) are a series of illustrative schematic views of the sequential action of the coupling member and the block relative to the track of the driving plate when the retractable handle is moved from the unretracted operative position to the retracted non-operative position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a retractable hom cleat device comprises a seat body  20  having a receiving cavity  21  therein. A recess  23  is further provided at the inside top of the receiving cavity  21 . Two longitudinal holes  22  are vertically formed and disposed in the seat body  20  at two opposite sides of the receiving cavity  21 .  
         [0026]     A retractable handle  24  longitudinally connects to the seat body  20  in which the handle&#39;s two vertical rods are telescopingly received, and can be slid up and down on the seat body  20 . Two biasing components, preferably being springs  26 , are disposed in the sliding longitudinal direction between the pair of vertical rods of the retractable handle  24  and the seat body  20 .  
         [0027]     The retractable handle  24  comprises a transverse rod  28  and two vertical rods  30  fixedly attached to the inferior aspect of the transverse rod  28 . A cross-bar  32  is transversely connected between the two vertical rods  30 . A square block  34  through which the cross-bar  32  passes is pivotally connected to the coupling member  44 . The square block  34  has a form corresponding to the recess  23  of the receiving cavity  21  in which it is receivedly seated when the retractable handle is in the unretracted configuration.  
         [0028]     The retractable handle  24  has the two vertical rods  30  that connect to the upper aspects of the springs  26  that are disposed in the sliding direction in the vertical holes  22  of the seat body  20 . A slidable connection is thus formed between the retractable handle  24  and the seat body  20 .  
         [0029]     A groove  36  is formed at the top of the seat body  20  corresponding to the position exactly below the transverse rod  28  of the retractable handle  24  and adapted to receive and conceal the transverse rod  28  therein.  
         [0030]     A recess  23  is provided at the inside top of the receiving cavity  21 , and adapted so that the upper part of the block  34  connected to the cross-bar  32  is seated in the recess  23  when the cross-bar  32  is moved upward and makes contact with the top of the receiving cavity  21 .  
         [0031]     A driving plate  40  is disposed in the receiving cavity  21  of the seat body  20 . As may be seen in  FIG. 4 , the driving plate  40  has a longitudinal track  42  formed therein. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the track  42  comprises a longitudinally extended deep groove  422 , and a shallow groove. The track is formed with an inverted-U-shaped upper positioning section  428  corresponding in proximity to the upper part of the center groove  422 , and a substantially V-shaped lower positioning section  424  oriented downwardly from the upper positioning section  428  corresponding in proximity to the left side of the lower part of the center groove  422 . A substantially V-shaped lower guide section  426  is oriented upwardly from one end of the lower positioning section  424  corresponding in proximity to the right side of the lower part of the center groove  422  and in continuity with the other end of the upper positioning section  428 .  
         [0032]     A coupling member  44  is composed of a guide disk  442  and a butterfly control block  444  pivotally mounted thereon, as may be seen in  FIG. 6 . One side of the coupling member  44  is connected to the block  34  through which passes the cross-bar  32 , and the other side is slidingly coupled to the center groove  422  of track  42  and thereby adapted to constrain the vertical movement of the retractable handle  24  along the track  42 .  
         [0033]     A butterfly control block  444  fastened pivotally to the guide disk  442  is adapted to control movement and positioning of the coupling member  44  in the track  42 . The butterfly control block  444  can be moved vertically along the center groove  422  only when the two opposite long sides of the butterfly control block  444  are maintained in parallel orientation relative to the upper positioning section  428 .  
         [0034]     When a user presses the retractable handle  24  downwards from the unretracted operative position to the retracted non-operative position, the butterfly control block  444  is stopped in the lower positioning section  424  to securely maintain the retractable handle  24  in the retracted non-operative position. When a user then presses the retractable handle  24  again, the butterfly control block  444  is disengaged from the lower positioning section  424  and is moved along the lower guide section  426  into the upper positioning section  428  (due to the upward pressure from each of the biasing compression springs  26 ) to hold the retractable handle  24  in the unretracted operative position.  
         [0035]     In the above-mentioned structure, the cross-bar  32  is formed substantially as a cylinder that is connectedly seated at each of its ends in a receiving space formed in each of the vertical rods  42 . The block  34  surrounding the cross-bar  32  that passes transversely therethrough is contained in the recess  23  when a user pulls the retractable handle  24  upward causes the cross-bar  32  to move upward until upward excursion of the cross-bar is stopped by its contact with the top of the receiving cavity  21 . The bearing consists of the block  34  and the cross-bar  32  so that with the combined area of the block  34  and the cross-bar  32  the retractable horn cleat device can resist stronger pulling forces, as when used for securing lines .  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the retractable handle  24  of the retractable horn cleat device is usually in the retracted or stowed condition, a configuration of the coupling block  44  shown in  FIG. 9 ( a ). The movement of the butterfly control block  444  along the track is stopped in the lower positioning section  424  to maintain the coupling member  44  and block  34   44  in the lower positioning section  424 .  
         [0037]     When preparing to belay a line, it is only necessary to press the retractable handle  24  downwards. After the retractable handle  24  transfers the external force to the coupling member  44 , as shown in  FIG. 9 ( b ), the point C of the butterfly control block  444  is forced into contact with a section of the lower guide section  426 , thereby causing the butterfly control block  444  to be rotated counter-clockwise to the configuration shown in  FIG. 9 ( c ).  
         [0038]     With sustained pressing on the retractable handle  24 , the coupling member  44  and the block  44   34  move to the bottom end of the center groove  422 . At this time, the butterfly control block  444  is forced against a section of the lower guide section  426  to rotate counter-clockwise to the configuration shown in  FIG. 9 ( d ). Upon releasing pressure from the retractable handle  24 , the compression springs  26  bias the movable handle  24  vertically upwards as shown in  FIG. 9 ( e ). The butterfly control block  444  is then concomitantly forced against a part of the lower positioning section  424  to rotate counter-clockwise to the configuration shown in  FIG. 9 ( f ), enabling the coupling block  44  to move to the top end of the track  42  as shown in  FIG. 9 ( g ). At this time, the retractable handle  24  is extended out from the seat body  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . This is the unfolded, unretracted, or unstowed state.  
         [0039]     When a user no longer needs to belay a line a vertical downward force is applied to the retractable handle  24 . Similarly, during a downward stroke of the retractable handle  24 , the coupling member  44  and the block  44   34  are moved from the upper limit position as shown in  FIG. 10 ( a ) toward the position shown in  FIG. 10 ( b ). When the position shown in  FIG. 10 ( b ) is reached, section B of the butterfly control block  444  is forced against a part of the lower guide section  426 , thereby causing the butterfly control block  444  to rotate counter-clockwise as shown in  FIG. 10 ( c ).  
         [0040]     When pressure on the retractable handle  24  is released, the biasing components  26 , which in the preferred embodiment are compression springs  26 , immediately force the retractable handle  24  upwards. This causes the butterfly control block  444  to move against a part of the lower positioning section  424  as shown in  FIG. 10 ( d ) and then rotate counter-clockwise until point C is stopped at the lower positioning section  424  as shown in  FIG. 10 ( e ), at which point the retractable handle  24  is concealedly housed in the seat body  20 . The above sequence of actions can be repeated as needed.  
         [0041]     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the subject invention is not intended to be limited except as by the appended claims.