Abstract:
A superstructure, rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on the superstructure, and a storage device configured for attachment to the rotatable device are disclosed. The superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. The rotatable device and storage device may form a rack for mounting board-like objects on, for instance, a boat such that the items may be stored outboard of a passenger compartment, but may be rotated such that a user may select a position for the device for ingress and egress to and from the device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/566,315, filed Apr. 29, 2004, and titled “Rotating Board Rack,” the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to the storage of items, particularly storage of board-like objects such as wakeboards, snowboards, or water skis, and more particularly storage of such items on a vehicle used with such items.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Common pastimes and sports include water sports where a person on a board, ski, or similar item is pulled along behind a boat while using a hydroplane effect generated by the speed of the towed person to allow the person to ride generally atop the surface of the water.  
         [0004]     Nearly as common as it is to participate in such activities, the issue of storing a board, ski, or similar item presents itself. Historically, skis or the like were simply piled in a passenger area of a boat. The benefit of this was that the skis or boards were easily stored or accessed by a passenger. However, the detriment was that the boards and skis were underfoot and cumbersome, among other issues. In addition, bringing the items into the passenger area often meant bringing in items that would drain water in the cabin.  
         [0005]     One solution to this problem has been to provide storage devices that allow the boards to be mounted outboard of the passenger compartment, or otherwise on the exterior of the boat. In this manner, dripping from the boards is directed out of the passenger area. In addition, the boards are not in the way of people in the boat.  
         [0006]     However, the use of outboard storage is not necessarily simple. For instance, one typically has to reach around a structure to which the storage device is mounted in order to store or remove an item from the storage device. Furthermore, it is often simply awkward to reach a device mounted in such a manner. At times, this awkward nature requires a person to be careful and the boat being properly steadied.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, there has been a need for an improved storage device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a storage device for boards, skis, and the like is disclosed. The storage device may be moved or rotated between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the storage device is generally oriented towards a person for inserting or storing items, or items stored therein are generally disposed towards the interior or passenger area, or towards passengers in general. In the second position, the storage device is generally oriented such that the device and items therein are generally disposed away from passengers or the passenger compartment. Accordingly, a user may selectively position the device for use, such as for ingress and egress of the items to and from storage in the device.  
         [0009]     In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a superstructure or tower including a storage device is disclosed. The storage device and superstructure may be joined or otherwise be integral with each other to provide storage and support.  
         [0010]     In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a collapsible superstructure or tower is disclosed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     In the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a storage device and a superstructure including features of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the storage device of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the storage device of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of a central shaft of the storage device of  FIG. 2 .  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a superstructure  10  and an apparatus for storing or mounting items in the form of storage device  12  are depicted with the storage device  12  secured to and forming a part of the superstructure  10 . In use, the superstructure  10  is typically secured directly or indirectly to a deck or hull sides of a boat (not shown) so that boat passengers may pass below the central portion of the superstructure  10  and so that, oftentimes, the controls (not shown) of the boat are located below the superstructure  10 . In this manner, a pilot (not shown) of the boat would be present below the superstructure  10  when operating the controls. When operating the boat, the pilot&#39;s ability to move within the superstructure  10  is preferably unhindered, as would be desirable for viewing the operational field of the boat including the water surface.  
         [0016]     The superstructure  10  has a front support structure  14 , a rear support structure  16 , and a plurality of bridges  18  connecting the front support structure  14  and the rear support structure  16 . In present embodiment, the front support structure  14  includes a front crossbar  15  spanning a pair of front support legs  20  secured to the boat by respective front anchors  22 . As depicted, the front anchors  22  provide a particular mounting orientation between the front support legs  20  and a surface on the boat (not shown) that mates with a bottom surface of the front anchors  22 .  
         [0017]     The rear support structure  16  includes a rear crossbar  17  spanning a pair of rear support legs  24  secured to the boat by respective rear anchors  28 . The rear anchors  28  include a pivoting joint such as hinge joint  32  formed between the rear support legs  24  and the rear anchors  28 . The rear anchors  28  also include a bottom surface  30  mating with a surface on the boat (not shown).  
         [0018]     So that the superstructure  10  is collapsible, each of the front support legs  20  includes a connection  34  that is preferably quickly and easily connected or disconnected so the front crossbar  15  and an upper portion  36  of each of the front support legs  20  may be separated from a lower portion  38  of each front support leg  20 . Once separated, the lower portion of the front support leg  20  may be collapsed such as by being folded forward onto itself with a hinge  40 . Furthermore, when separated, rear support legs  24  may rotate around the rear anchors  28  so that the rear support structure  16  and the portion of the front support structure  14  connected thereto by the bridges  18  may be lowered downward.  
         [0019]     As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the superstructure  10  includes two storage devices  12 , one on each of the depicted rear support legs  24 . However, the superstructure  10  may be provided with a single storage device  12  or with several, and the storage devices  12  may be provided on front support legs  20  or on intermediate support legs (not shown). Broadly speaking, the storage device  12  need not be mounted on any portion of the superstructure  10 , it is simply viewed as convenient to do so when such a superstructure  10  is present on the boat.  
         [0020]     The depicted storage devices  12  are shown in a generally rearwardly facing position. As will be described below in further detail, the storage devices  12  may be moved between and to a plurality of positions, preferably by rotating about itself. To simplify such rotation, it is preferred that the storage device  12  rotate around a central shaft  50  (see  FIG. 4 ) shared with the rear support leg  24  and, preferably, vertically oriented.  
         [0021]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , each rear support leg  24  has an upper leg portion  52  and a lower leg portion  54 , and the storage device  12  is located therebetween on the central shaft  50 . In the depicted embodiment, the central shaft  50  is generally vertical while the balance of the rear support structure  16  is not vertical. It should be noted that the upper leg portion  52  and lower leg portion  54  may form a single piece with the storage device  12  mounted thereon, may form a plurality of pieces joined together, or may have other portions generally vertical. Furthermore, the storage device  12  may include an adapter portion mountable around a non-vertical portion such that the adapter forms the vertical central shaft  50 .  
         [0022]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the central shaft  50  is integral with a mount section  60  wherein the mount section  60  is either integral with or joinable to the upper and lower leg portions  52 ,  54  by connections  62 . As much of the superstructure  10  is formed of tubular material such as steel, the connections  62  are cylindrical for being received with an end of the upper or lower leg portions  52 ,  54 , though the configuration may reversed and many other types of connections may used. Each connection  62  is oriented in a direction, represented by arrows C 1  and C 2 , generally along a center line of the portion  52 ,  54  of the rear support structure  16  to which the connection  62  is secured. As can be seen, the central shaft  50  has an axis of rotation R through its center, the axis R being generally vertical as above-described. As can also be seen, arrows C 1  and C 2  have a skew orientation relative to the axis R.  
         [0023]     The connections  62  are secured to the central shaft  50  with, for instance, bolts  66 , presently depicted as being driven through recess  68  aligned with the axis R. A pair of pegs  69  is used at the junction between the connection  62  and the central shaft  50  to ensure proper orientation between therein when secured. In order to provide a storage device  12  for various superstructures where the direction, such as C 1 , C 2 , of the adjoining portion of the superstructure similarly vary, the only components that need be changed or altered are the connections  62 . That is, the superstructure may not be tubular, may have an opening with a different gauge size to meet with the mount section  60 , or may have joining members (upper and lower leg portions  52 ,  54 ) at a different angle from axis R than those depicted by directions C 1 , C 2 . In this case, connection  62  with an mismatched configuration may simply be removed from the central shaft  50  and replaced with another that is properly configured for that superstructure.  
         [0024]     The storage device  12  includes a body  70  that is secured to and rotates around the central shaft  50 . The body  70  may be rotatably secured to the central shaft  50  to form one or more bearings such as top bearing  72  and bottom bearing  74 . Use of the top and bottom bearings  72 ,  74  distributes torque due to items stored in the device  12  items through the central shaft  50  and the superstructure itself.  
         [0025]     For each bearing  72 ,  74 , the body  70  includes a pair of half-cylinders such that the pair, when joined, form a cylindrical outer bearing portion  76 . An inner surface of the outer bearing portion  76  includes grooves wherein the grooves contact similar mating grooves  78  on the central shaft  50  (see  FIG. 4 ). The surfaces between the grooves of the outer bearing portion  76  and the grooves  78  of the central shaft  50  may be formed of or covered by a low-friction material, such as nylon or delrin, or may be lubricated such as with a material suitable for marine lubrication applications. The body  70  further includes a frame  80 , which in the presented embodiment includes two half-frames  82  where each is secured to the outer bearing portions  76 . A representational rack  90  is shown secured to the frame  80  (see  FIG. 1 ) as at securements  92  (see  FIG. 2 ). The rack  90 , as depicted, is designed to receive board-like objects such as skis or wakeboards.  
         [0026]     As discussed above, the storage device  12  maybe provided with a plurality of positions. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the portion of the central shaft  50  forming the top bearing  72  includes a portion  96  with ports or holes  98 , each hole  98  corresponding to a particular position. In the present embodiments, the holes  98  are located every 90° such that the holes  98  correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, or outboard position to which the storage device  12  may be rotated. It should be noted that number and orientation of the holes  98  may be varied to provide for more or different positions for the storage device  12 .  
         [0027]     The storage device  12  may be rotated around the central shaft  50 , as has been discussed, and positioned according to the holes  98 . More specifically, the outer bearing portion  76  of the top bearing  72 , for instance, may have a spring-loaded pin  100  mounted on a knob  102 , as can be seen in  FIG. 3 . The pin  100  is spring-biased to an interfering or locking position with the holes  98 . That is, when the storage device  12  is rotationally positioned such that the pin  100  is aligned with a hole  98 , the pin  100  is spring-biased into the hole  98  such that the storage device  100  is prevented from further rotation. In order to allow the storage device  12  to rotate, the knob  102  is pulled outward, thereby counter-biasing the pin  100  so that the pin  100  retracts from the hole  98  and, thus, the storage device  12  is released such that the storage device  12  may be rotated. In addition, the portion  96  of the central shaft  50  may include surface features for directing the pin  100  towards the holes  98 . For instance, the region laterally proximate each hole  98  may be generally flat transversely to the direction of the hole  98  or be recessed such that a spring-biased pin  100  contacting the proximate region is directed towards the hole  98 . Additionally, such a configuration would allow an operator to feel when a pin  100  that is not located in a hole  98  but is contacting the proximate region is moving towards or away from a hole  98  based on the resistance to rotation of the storage device  12 .  
         [0028]     It should be noted that the present embodiments have been described principally in reference to a boat. However, the storage device and/or superstructure could be used with another vehicle or structures, such as off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, or rigging such as scaffolding. Furthermore, the storage device describes a rotatable mount which may be adapted for uses other than a storage device with a rack  90 , such as rotatably mounting a light, a speaker, a camera, or many other implements.  
         [0029]     While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.