Abstract:
A twin hull foldout watercraft that quickly and easily deploys from a small mobile and portable size unit that will fit into a vehicle or stow in a closet, camper or larger boat to a dry stable watercraft that could be used with small motor, paddles, ores, stand up paddles, push poles or sail and which has all parts and accessories attached thereto. The twin hull foldout watercraft comprises a central deck, two side mounted hull flaps hingedly attached to the opposing side edges of the central deck and positionable in a vertical or horizontal position, a fore deck extension member hingedly attached to the front edge of the central deck and positionable in a vertical or horizontal position, and an aft deck extension member hingedly attached to the rear edge and which can be extended out from the rear of the central deck.

Description:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       [0001]      FIG. 1  is a left side perspective view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in an upright orientation in its storage configuration. 
         [0002]      FIG. 2  is a left side perspective view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation in its storage configuration. 
         [0003]      FIG. 3  is a right side elevational view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation in its storage configuration. 
         [0004]      FIG. 4  is a left side perspective view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation between its storage configuration and its deployed configuration. 
         [0005]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of a center deck of a two hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown between its storage configuration and deployed configuration, with the progression of its fold out hull flaps in shadow. 
         [0006]      FIG. 6  is a left side perspective view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation between its storage configuration and its deployed configuration. 
         [0007]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of a hull flap of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown between its storage configuration and its deployed configuration. 
         [0008]      FIG. 8  is a left side perspective view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation between its storage configuration and its deployed configuration. 
         [0009]      FIG. 9  is a left side perspective view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation in its deployed configuration. 
         [0010]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a lateral orientation in its deployed configuration. 
         [0011]      FIG. 11A  is a side elevational view of a cross section of a central motor of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown with its central engine in a storage configuration. 
         [0012]      FIG. 11B  is a side elevational view of a cross section of a central motor of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown with its central engine in a deployed configuration 
         [0013]      FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a deployed configuration with the wheels removed. 
         [0014]      FIG. 13A  is a top plan view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a deployed configuration with the seats in a first arrangement. 
         [0015]      FIG. 13B  is a top plan view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a deployed configuration with the seats removed to allow use as a stand up paddle board. 
         [0016]      FIG. 13C  is a top plan view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a deployed configuration with the seats in a second arrangement. 
         [0017]      FIG. 14  is side elevational view of a twin hull foldout watercraft built in accordance with the present invention shown in a deployed configuration with various motor positions in shadow. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Referring now to the drawings and in particular  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 , a twin hull foldout watercraft  100  built in accordance with the present invention is selectively configurable in a storage configuration, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , and deployed configuration, as illustrated in  FIGS. 9-10 . The twin hull foldout watercraft  100  defines a watercraft housing having a central deck  110 , two side mounted hull flaps  120 , a fore deck extension member  130 , and an aft deck extension member  140 . The central deck  110  defines a horizontally oriented planar panel having a front edge, two opposing side edges, and a rear edge. The side mounted hull flaps  120  are hingedly attached to the opposing side edges of the central deck  110  such that they may be hinged between a vertical position relative to the central deck  110  wherein they extend down from the respective side edges of the central deck or a horizontal position relative to the central deck  110  wherein they extend horizontally on the same plane as the central deck  110 . It is understood that in one embodiment, support beams are used to selectively locked the hull flaps  120  in the horizontal position relative to the central deck  110 . In another embodiment, a lockable hinge is employed to attach the hull flaps  120  to the central deck  110 , thereby enabling each individually to be selectively locked into the horizontal position relative to the central deck  110 . 
         [0019]    The fore deck extension member  130  is hingedly attached to the front edge of the central deck  110  such that it, similar to the hull flaps  120 , can be hinged between a vertical position relative to the central deck  110  wherein it extends down from the front edge of the central deck or a horizontal position relative to the central deck  110  wherein it extends horizontally from the front edge of the central deck  110  on the same plane thereof. It is understood that a lockable hinge is employed to attach the fore deck extension member  130  to the central deck  110 , thereby enabling it to be selectively locked into the horizontal position relative to the central deck  110 . 
         [0020]    The aft deck extension member  140  is hingedly attached to the rear edge of the central deck  110  such that it, similar to the hull flaps  120  and fore deck extension member  130 , can be hinged between a vertical position relative to the central deck  110  wherein it extends down from the rear edge of the central deck or a horizontal position relative to the central deck  110  wherein it extends horizontally from the rear edge of the central deck  110  on the same plane thereof. In one embodiment, a lockable hinge is employed to enable the aft deck extension member  140  to be selective fixed in the horizontal position. 
         [0021]    Each hull flap  120  of the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  includes folding top section  120 ′, a fold out fore hull extension  121  and an aft hull extension  122  integral therewith. In the preferred embodiment, folding top  120 ′ is hinged to the distal edge of the hull flap  120  relative to the central deck  110  and swingable between an open position, as illustrated for the right side hull flap  120  in  FIG. 8 , and a closed position, as illustrated for the right side hull flap  120  in  FIG. 9 . The fore hull extension  121  is hingedly attached to the fore side of its respective hull flap  120  with a hinge  123  and aft hull extension  122  is hingedly attached to the aft side of its respective hull flap  120  with a hinge  123 . The hull extensions  121 ,  122  are structured to swing between a hull position defined by the respective hull extension  121 ,  122  extending horizontally away from the edge of the hull flap  120  and a nested position defined by the respective hull extension  121 ,  122  being positioned within the structural profile of the hull flap  120 . The hinged attachment of the respective hull extensions  121 ,  122  to the respective edges of the hull flap  120  enables the hull extensions  121 ,  122  to sequentially swing between the hull position and the nested position.  FIG. 7  illustrates the progression of the fore hull extension  121  swinging between its nested position and its hull position. 
         [0022]    It is contemplated that when the respective hull extensions  121 ,  122  have been moved to the hull position, the space  129  vacated by the hull extensions  121 ,  122  in the hull flaps  120  may be used for storage. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, a plurality of hull support beam  128  are integral with the hull flap  120 , with one at each hinge  123 . The hull support beams can be extended from the hull flap  120  when the hull extensions  121 ,  122  are in the hull position and moved across the shared edge of the hull flap  120  and the respective hull extension  121 ,  122  so as to selectively hold the hull extension  121 ,  122  in the hull position. 
         [0024]    Each hull flap  120  of the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  additionally includes a front stand member  124  hingedly attached thereto, a detachable wheel assembly  125 , and paddle clips  126 . The front stand members  124  may swung between an extended position, as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 , wherein they extend away from their respective hull flap  120  and a retracted position, as shown in  FIGS. 6, 8-10, and 12 , wherein they are positioned adjacent to their respective hull flap  120 , aligned with its edge. The wheel assemblies  125  are positioned on their respective hull flap  120  such that when the hull flap  120  is in its vertical position relative to the central deck  110 , it will extend below the edge of the hull flap  120  sufficient to contact a ground surface over which the watercraft  100  is located. In this regard, when the watercraft  100  is in its storage configuration and the front stand members  124  are in the extended position, the front stand members  124  provide a leg support structure on which the watercraft  100  may stand on and the wheel assemblies  125  provide opposing wheels that enable the watercraft  100  to roll. 
         [0025]    It is contemplated that the paddle clips  126  allow the selective attachment of a paddle  126 ′ to the hull flap  120 . 
         [0026]    It is appreciated that when the hull flaps  120  are moved to the horizontal position relative to the central deck  110 , the detachable wheel assembly  125  may be moved to the aft hull extension  122 , as exemplified in  FIG. 8 , left in place on the hull flaps  120 , as exemplified in  FIG. 14 , or removed altogether as exemplified in  FIG. 9 . It is contemplated that in the preferred embodiment, the detachable wheel assemblies  125  are each attached to an aperture on the hull flaps  120  with a conventional nut and bolt style fastening system. 
         [0027]    The central deck  110  of the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  additionally includes two seat assemblies  112  selectively attached thereto. In the preferred embodiment, each seat assembly  112  can be flipped between a down position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  to an up position, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . It is contemplated that in the preferred embodiment, the seat assemblies  112  are each attachable to an aperture on the central deck  110  with a conventional nut and bolt style fastening system. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11A, 11B, and 12 , in one embodiment, the central deck  110  additionally includes central motor area  114 , defined as a closeable opening in the surface of the central deck  110  having an integral mounting structure  114 ′ that enables a conventional propeller motor  115  to be placed therein and be selectively moved between a storage configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 11A , and a deployed configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 11B . It is appreciated that in the deployed configuration, the propeller motor  115  extends sufficiently down vertically such that its propellers may be used for propulsion when the watercraft  100  is in water in its deployed configuration. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 14 , in one embodiment the central deck  110  includes a plurality of seat receiving apertures  113  in its surface, each positioned to receive a seat assembly  112  so as to enable the seat assembly  112  to be fastened to the central deck  110  at that location. 
         [0030]    In one embodiment, a fore motor mount  131  may be attached to the fore deck extension member  130 , thereby enabling a conventional propeller motor  132  to be placed therein and extend sufficiently down vertically such that its propellers may be used for propulsion. 
         [0031]    In the one embodiment, the aft deck extension member  140  includes a motor mount  141  sized to receive and hold a conventional propeller motor  142 . The motor mount  141  is positioned on the aft deck extension member  140  such when the aft deck extension member  140  is in its extension position, a motor  142  mounted therein will extend sufficiently down vertically such that its propellers may be used for propulsion. It is contemplated that the motor mount  141  defines a mounting structure that enable sufficient manipulation of a mounted propeller motor  142  to facilitate is use for propulsion and steering. 
         [0032]    In one embodiment, the aft hull extensions  122  each include a conventional propeller motor  127  disposed within its profile. 
         [0033]    It is appreciated that because the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  is configured to allow the selective attachment of its wheel assemblies  125 , paddles  126 ′, propeller motor  142 , and seat assemblies  112 , the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  enables substantially all parts involved in the conversion between a storage configuration and deployed configuration to remain attached at all times (if desired). Advantageously, by keeping all of such parts attached, a user is less likely to lose parts when using the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  or when storing the same. 
         [0034]    It is contemplated that in one embodiment, the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  measures 14″ by 14″ by 48″ when in the storage configuration and 7″ by 41″ by 11′, 6″ in the deployed configuration. In alternate embodiments, the twin hull foldout watercraft  100  may measure 3′ in the storage configuration and approximately 9′ in the deployed configuration, 6′ in the storage configuration and approximately 18′ in the deployed configuration, or 8′ in the storage configuration and approximately 24′ in the deployed configuration. 
         [0035]    The present invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.