Abstract:
A vessel, including a transom for mounting outboard engines thereto, is spanned on opposite sides by aft-facing hull extensions which extend beyond the engines and allow a swim platform to be positioned between the hull extensions. The design allows the outboard engines to be covered with an engine cover, which provides an attractive vessel design in which the outboard engines can be concealed with a cover, which may serve other functions, such as a seat or the like. The cover houses an engine cowl mist shield which includes a support frame surrounding one or more outboard engines. The frame includes aperture(s) with edges spaced from the cowl and a flexible member extending from the edges to the cowl below the air intake of the cowl, such that spray and mist from the operation of the vessel does not reach the air intake of the cowl.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/579,337 entitled V ESSEL  H AVING  E XTENSIONS FOR  S UPPORTING  S WIM  P LATFORM AND  C ONCEALING  O UTBOARD  E NGINES , filed on Dec. 22, 2011, by Christopher Gratz, et al., and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/705,874, entitled E NGINE  C OWL  M IST  S HIELD , filed Sep. 26, 2012, by Christopher Gratz, et al., the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to vessels, such as recreational boats employing outboard engines. 
         [0003]    Vessels, such as pleasure boats, powered with multiple outboard engines are becoming increasingly popular as they provide desired performance and are relatively economical to acquire. As emission standards become stricter, inboard/outdrive type propulsion systems for pleasure vessels meeting new standards are becoming more expensive, thereby making an outboard driven vessel even more attractive to the consumer. Inboard/outdrive vessels have some features, for example, a rear deck and/or swim platform areas, which are not available on vessels with an outboard engine or engines mounted on the transom. Typically, outboard engines extend from the transom aft and do not allow space behind the engine for such amenities. Swim ladders are frequently mounted to the transom of outboard powered vessels but have limited use only for ingress and egress onto the vessel when the outboard engine is not in operation. Some inboard/outdrive vessels, however, as well as conventional inboard driven vessels, have swim platforms which can be relatively extensive and provide convenience to the vessel operator and passengers in many instances while getting onto or off of a vessel, as well as when anchored and engaging in recreational activities, such as swimming, lounging, and the like. Thus, it would be desirable to have such a feature with an outboard powered vessel. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The vessel of the present invention satisfies this need by providing several unique features to the hull design, including a transom for mounting one or more outboard engines thereto which is spanned on opposite sides by aft-facing hull and deck extensions which extend the sides and part of the hull aft beyond the transom. This allows a swim platform to be positioned between the hull extensions and behind the outboard engines. Additionally, the design allows the outboard engine or engines to be covered to provide an attractive vessel design in which the outboard engines are concealed. The cover may serve other functions, such as providing seating, a sun pad, or other amenities. Such a cover may be opened or include an opening hatch to allow easy access to the engines for servicing. By integrating extensions to the hull which extend aft beyond the transom, an entirely unique vessel design is provided allowing amenities, such as a walkthrough to a swim platform, seating, and/or sun pads, to be incorporated in an outboard powered vessel in previously unavailable areas. With or without an added swim platform, the extensions allow the outboard engine or engines to be covered to present a vessel which has the appearance of an inboard driven vessel but with the performance and cost effectiveness of using outboard engines. 
         [0005]    Vessels embodying this invention include a hull with a transom for holding at least one outboard engine and starboard and port hull extensions formed on the hull and deck and extending toward any outboard engine mounted to the transom. Vessels embodying this invention may also include an engine cover positioned on the hull and over an outboard engine when mounted to the transom and supported, at least in part, by the hull extensions. Vessels embodying the invention may further include a swim platform between the hull extensions aft of the area occupied by an outboard engine. A swim platform may be integrally formed at an aft end of the engine cover which may include a hatch for providing access to the outboard engine. The engine well of a covered engine of this invention includes a mist shield surrounding the engine cowl, wherein the shield has a flexible member extending into engagement with the engine cowl. In one embodiment, the flexible member comprises bristles of a brush extending from the edges of the mist shield to the engine cowl. The mist shield may be a pivoted frame movable between engine operating and servicing positions. The engine cover includes air inlets to provide combustion air for the engine(s). 
         [0006]    These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a vessel embodying the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a right side elevational view of the vessel shown in  FIG. 1 , shown with the water line identified; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the vessel shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the vessel; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a rear elevational view of the vessel; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the stern of the vessel, showing the engine cover and cover hatch; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the engine cover and hatch, shown with the engines in phantom form under the cover; 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is an exploded fragmentary perspective view, showing the stern of the vessel and the engine cover; 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a fragmentary perspective view looking aft on the vessel, shown with the engine cover hatch in an open position; 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along section lines X-X of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along the same plane as  FIG. 10 , but shown with an engine in a raised position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  is a rear elevational view, partly in phantom, showing the structural members for the extensions of the vessel; 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating the deck and hull junction and the engine cover junction to the deck; 
           [0020]      FIG. 14  is a top perspective view of the engine well illustrating the mist guards for the engines; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 15  is a right side perspective view of the engine well shown with the engines in a raised position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    Referring initially to  FIGS. 1-5 , there is shown a vessel  10  including a hull  20  and deck  30 . The deck  30  includes a bridge deck area with the usual amenities, including a windshield  32 , side windows  34 , a hard top  36  for the bridge deck, and electronics  38  mounted to the hard top ( FIGS. 2-5 ). The top may include a sunroof  37  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ), which can be opened and closed. The deck  30  supports handrails  22  assisting operators access to the bow area  21  of the vessel. 
         [0023]    The hull  20  includes a starboard side  24  and a port side  26  which are integrally molded with the bottom  28  and transom  29  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 ,  10 , and  11 ). Hull  20  and deck  30  are unique in that they include hull extensions  40  and  42  on the starboard and port sides, respectively, which are integral with the sides  24  and  26  and the bottom  28  of the hull. Hull  20  and deck  30  are made of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) typically integrally molded and joined in a conventional manner. At the extensions  40 ,  42 , the two members are joined in a sealed watertight connection, as seen in  FIG. 13  discussed below. The hull may, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , include ports  25 , which are sealably enclosed with suitable watertight transparent port covers for providing natural light to the living quarters within hull  20 . 
         [0024]    The stern of the vessel includes a transom  29  extending upwardly from the bottom  28  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  5 ,  10 , and  11 ) to which a pair of outboard engines  50  and  52  are mounted for providing propulsion for vessel  10 . The vessel  10  may include one or several engines (three or four or more) mounted to the transom depending upon the size of the vessel. Hull extensions  40  and  42  are substantially symmetrical and include horizontally extending lower first sections  41  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  6 - 8 ) on each of the port and starboard sides of the vessel. The lower surface of first sections  41  are slightly below the water line (WL) in relation to the hull  20 , as best seen in  FIG. 2 , but do not form part of the performance characteristics of the vessel controlled by the shape of bottom  28 . Thus, the lower surface of sections  41  is not visible and, as seen in  FIG. 2 , extends to an observer to what appears to be the waterline of the vessel, which can range in size from 24 to 40 feet or longer. 
         [0025]    Hull extensions  40 ,  42  each include an intermediate upwardly inclined aft extending section  43  and a generally horizontally extending aft third section  45  on both the starboard and port sides, which extend toward and behind engines  50 ,  52  a distance sufficient to allow the engine(s) to be fully raised, as seen in  FIGS. 11 and 15 , without contacting a swim platform  70  extending between hull extensions  40 ,  42 . As best seen in  FIG. 12 , the hull extensions  40 ,  42  are fabricated with integrated stringers  74  and braces  72  in the hull  20  sufficient to support the weight of an engine cover  60  and integral swim platform  70  and several individuals using the swim platform and walkway  76 . The hull may have a reinforcing grid  27  ( FIG. 12 ), such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,495, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Platform  70  can be fixedly secured between ends  45  of extensions  40 ,  42  or, as seen in  FIG. 8 , can be an integral part of an engine cover  60  for covering the engines  50 ,  52 . 
         [0026]    Engine cover  60  comprises a housing  62  with port and starboard side walls  64 ,  66  and a lower edge  68 , which is secured to deck  30 , as seen in  FIG. 13 , by a plurality of spaced-apart backed through bolts  69  and a conventional marine bedding compound  67 . The deck  30  to hull  20  junction at extensions  40 ,  42  is also seen in  FIG. 13  and includes a plurality of spaced-apart backed through bolts  31  and a marine bedding compound  33 . Thus, the deck  30  and hull  20  have a watertight mechanical junction, as does the housing  62  of cover  60  to the deck  30 . 
         [0027]    Cover  60  includes a hatch  65  which is hinged to an aft lower edge  63  ( FIG. 1 ) of cover housing  62  by hinges  61  ( FIG. 14 ) to open rearwardly, as illustrated in  FIGS. 9-11 ,  14 , and  15 , providing access to engines  50 ,  52  for servicing. In  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the hatch is shown in open and closed positions and moves between these positions in an arc represented by arrow A in these figures. Gas springs  54  ( FIGS. 10 ,  11 ,  14 , and  15 ) extend between the hatch and the edge of the cover opening defining the motor well  56  behind the transom  29 . Hydraulic or electrical struts could be employed for raising and lowering hatch  65 . Hatch  65  includes an integrally molded aft-facing seat  61 , which can be used in conjunction with swim platform  70 . Platform  70  includes a stowable extendable swim ladder  71  ( FIG. 6 ) to facilitate individual ingress and egress to and from the water. Hatch  65  also includes an upper air intake  48  for combustion air for the engines. The junction of the hatch  65  and the cover housing  62  also includes air inlets  49  ( FIG. 15 ) on each side of the cover  60  to assist in providing combustion air. 
         [0028]    As seen particularly in  FIG. 7  and in  FIGS. 8-15 , engines  50  and  52  fit within the open area or motor well  56  defined by the space between the hull extensions  40 ,  42 , the transom  29 , and the swim platform  70 . This provides sufficient room, as illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 15 , to allow engines  50  and  52  to be raised within the well  56  as desired for maintenance and/or shallow water running. The hull extensions  40 ,  42 , including sections  41 ,  43 , and  45 , may include walkways, such as walkway  76  shown in FIGS.  1  and  4 - 7 , to provide access to the swim platform  70  from the cockpit area  80  ( FIG. 1 ) of the vessel. The upper surface  46  ( FIGS. 1-3  and  5 - 9 ) of hull extension  40  is part of the deck  30  and is inclined downwardly toward section  45  to provide a streamlined appearance to the vessel  10 . 
         [0029]    As seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the engines  50 ,  52  are situated in the motor well  56  to which a pivoted mist-blocking frame  90  is hingedly mounted at hinges  92  at the forward end of the well  56 . This allows the frame  90  to pivot between a raised position, as shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , and a lowered servicing position which allows access to remove the cowls  13  of engines  50  and  52  for servicing. The mist-blocking frame  90  includes a pair of apertures  91  and  93 , which have edges  95  in spaced relationship to the engine cowls to allow the engine cowls  13  to extend through the apertures. Coupled to the edges  95  are flexible members  100 , which extend from edges  95  into engagement with the cowls  13  of engines  50  and  52 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible members  100  comprise, as best seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , bristles of brushes which had a length of approximately 11-inches to 12-inches to extend between edges  95  of apertures  91  and  93  into contact with the cowl  13  of the engines  50 ,  52 . The frame  90  positions the flexible members  100  in engagement with the cowl at an area near the lower end thereof, as seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , below the air intake  51  of each of the engines. The bristles employed in flexible member  100  can range in diameter size of from about 0.003-inches to 0.060-inches, depending upon the particular installation, although a diameter of 0.045-inches was successfully used in the test trials of the vessel  10 . The bristles, as best seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , are attached to the edges  95  of apertures  91  and  93  of frame  90  by underlying strips of material sandwiching the brush bristles in place and held by fasteners  97 . The use of the flexible members prevents water from interfering with engine performance while allowing the engines to be raised, lowered, and turned for steering the vessel through the apertures  91 ,  93  in mist-blocking frame  90 . 
         [0030]    Frame  90  typically will be made of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), and the brushes will be mounted to the underside of frame  90  for aesthetic purposes. In the embodiment shown, frame  90  was made of 3/16-inch FRP and had an integral reinforcing rib  94  located between apertures  91 ,  93 . Instead of brush bristles employed for flexible member  100 , other means of providing a spray or mist guard interface between the apertures  91 ,  93  in mist-blocking frame  90  and the engine cowls  13  can be employed. Thus, for example, a flexible rubber or other flexible membrane could be employed which allows the engine to be turned for steering and tilted for trimming during operation and the frame  90  lowered for servicing. Also, strips of semi-rigid polymeric materials likewise could be employed, although the bristles are extremely effective in preventing liquid from accumulating on the engines. 
         [0031]    The mist-blocking frame  90 , as best seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , is hinged by hinges  92  and latched in a raised operational position with a conventional latch  96  extending between the cover housing and frame  90 . With the aft-facing end of frame  90  lowered, the cowls  13  on both engines  50  and  52  are fully exposed, allowing them to disengage from the bristles of member  100  and be removed for access to the engine components. 
         [0032]    By providing a cowl mist shield of the present invention, the engines are protected against the deleterious effects of salt or fresh water spray entering the engine area and the cowl and air intakes of the engine while the vessel is running at operational speeds. The trim of the vessel can vary from 0° at idle to about 12° when on plane and the wake created by operational speeds together with the turbulence of the propellers of the engine may otherwise, in the enclosed engine environment of the vessel shown in these figures, reduce the life of the engines or their performance. 
         [0033]    It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.