Abstract:
A paddled watercraft is disclosed that is readily convertible between a stand-up paddleboard configuration and a seated paddling configuration. The watercraft includes a board with an operator body support assembly attached onto the top deck of the board, the body support assembly being capable of being reconfigured to support a person in a standing position for padding from a standing position, or to support a person in a seated position for paddling from a seated position. The watercraft can be converted from stand-up paddling configuration to a seated paddling configuration while underway on open waters.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This applications claims priority based on Provisional Application No. 61/317,146, filed Mar. 24, 2010. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of paddled recreational watercraft, such as canoes, paddleboards and kayaks. 
     More particularly, the invention relates to a paddleboard watercraft that is readily convertible, while on the open water, between a stand-up paddleboard (“SUP”) mode, in which the user paddles the watercraft from a standing position, and a sit-on-top watercraft (“SOW”) mode, in which the user sits on a pivoting chair assembly and paddles the watercraft from a seated position 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In recent years, a variety of different types of recreational paddleboats have been developed and have become popular. 
     The use of stand-up paddleboards (referred to below as an “SUP” or “SUPs”) has become popular. An SUP can be a large surfboard, or a specially made board that is usually shaped much like a surfboard. The person stands on top of the SUP and uses a long, single-bladed paddle to propel the craft forward. SUPs can be used on rivers, lakes or on the ocean, and are well suited to surfing on waves. An SUP provides an entertaining and efficient way for a person to move across the surface of a body of water or to surf on waves. It is also an excellent form of exercise. 
     The use of “sit-on-top” kayaks has also become increasing popular. A “sit-on-top” kayak is different than a traditional kayak, in which the person&#39;s legs and lower body must be lowered into the kayak through an opening in the top deck. A sit-on-top kayak does not have any opening through which a person can insert their legs and lower body into the boat. Instead, the person sits on the top deck of the boat, with their legs sticking forward toward the bow. The top deck of the boat is typically shaped to conform to the contours of the person&#39;s legs and lower body. Getting onto the boat is much easier than getting into a traditional kayak. Also, if the boat flips, the person is not trapped inside the boat, but will simply fall off the boat as it flips, much like falling off a surfboard. 
     Sit-on-top kayaks have become particularly popular with fishermen, in particular. They provide simple, maneuverable access to most fishing waters, and they also provide an excellent platform for fishing. Sit-on-top kayaks often include rod-holders, tackle holders, and other accessories for fishing. 
     Notwithstanding the recent popularity of stand-up paddle boarding and sit-on-top kayaking, there has been an absence of watercraft designs that provide the features and benefits of both types of watercraft in a single, convertible watercraft structure. 
     A standup paddleboard (SUP) called the Bote Board, manufactured by Boat Boards of Destin, Fla., U.S.A., includes a removable leaning post that is inserted into holes formed in the top surface of the paddleboard. The removable leaning post sticks up from the top surface of the paddleboard. A person can lean back against the leaning post while paddling the board from a standing position. The leaning post is equipped with a paddle clip, rod holders and hooks for hanging items such as a backpack. However, the support is not convertible to a seated paddling mode. A person could sit on some object (such as a small ice cooler) positioned near the leaning post but the object (e.g., the ice cooler) would the space where the person would need to stand if they decided to switch from a sitting position to a standing position, to paddle the boat from a standing position. Thus, to switch from a seated position to a standing position, the person would need to remove the cooler. In addition to the support post not incorporating any seating structure, the rake (the forward or rearward tilt of the support structure) is fixed in place and cannot be adjusted. 
     In view of the above, there is a need for a recreational watercraft that provides many of the important features and benefits of both SUPs and SOWs, in a single watercraft structure that is readily convertible between SUP and SOW modes. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a watercraft that is readily convertible between a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) mode, and a sit-on-top watercraft (“SOW”) mode. The term SOW would include a sit-on-top kayak, but is not limited to a kayak. The he present invention is directed to a watercraft that is based as much on a paddleboard design as a kayak design. 
     The watercraft includes a rigid body support assembly that can be converted from a stand-up paddling configuration to a seated paddling configuration. The conversion can be done while the boat is being used on the open water, by pivoting the seat surface to a vertical position within the body support structure (the SBU configuration). The watercraft can also be converted to a traditional surfboard form, a third mode, by pivoting the entire support structure downward to lie flat on the watercraft&#39;s horizontal deck surface. 
     In a basic aspect, the invention is generally directed to a paddle driven watercraft that is convertible between a stand-up paddleboard configuration and a seated paddling configuration. The watercraft comprises: a) a board portion having a generally horizontal upper deck surface, a starboard side, a port side, a fore end, an aft end and a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end; and b) a convertible operator support assembly, which is fastened to the board&#39;s upper deck surface. The operator support assembly comprises a first vertical support post with a first end portion that is connected to the board portion, with the post extending generally upward from the board. A seat structure is pivotally connected to the first vertical support post, such that the seat can be pivoted downward to a horizontal seating position or upward to a vertical seat storage position. 
     In one embodiment, the operator support assembly comprises a first vertical support post having a first end that is connected to the board portion with the first support post extending vertically upward from the board, between the longitudinal axis and the starboard side of the board portion, and a second vertical support post having a first end that is connected to the board portion with the second support post extending vertically upward from the board, between the longitudinal axis and the port side of the board portion, and a cross-support that extends horizontally between the first and second support posts, above the deck of the board portion. A flat seat structure is pivotally connected to the first and second vertical support posts, between the two support posts, such that it can be pivoted to a horizontal seating position or to a vertical seat storage position between the first and second support posts and below the cross support. 
     In another embodiment, the operator support assembly includes one or more base members that are attached to the surface of the board. The base members are used to connect the support structure to the board, to provide mechanical support for the operator support assembly, and to distribute the forces that are exerted against the board by the support structure (including those forces caused by a person leaning against or sitting upon the support structure) over a broader area. The base members can have a variety of different shapes so long as they provide an appropriate way for connection to the board&#39;s deck, and provided they are capable of handling the forces generated by the weight of the operator support assembly and any person resting against the operator support assembly (in a standing or seating position). 
     In one preferred embodiment, the base members comprise first and second elongated rails or tracks, oriented generally parallel to the board&#39;s longitudinal axis. The first and second rails provide a connection point for the first and second support posts, respectively. The base members may be made of any suitably rigid material, including aluminum or ABS plastic. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first and second rails are hollow tubes (preferably square in cross section) made of ABS plastic, with longitudinal slots on the top of tube, running the length of the tube. The ends of the tubes are adapted to receive a flange with an enlarged portion that slides within the tube, a narrow portion that extends out through the slot, and a mounting plate portion outside the tube, to which the rest of the operator support assembly is attached. With this arrangement, the entire support structure can be shifted forward or aft on the board, to adjust the specific location of the support structure relative to the watercraft&#39;s bow and stern. The support structure assembly can then be fixed in place at a desired position, using a screw, bolt, pin, shackle, clamp or the like. 
     In another embodiment, the operator support assembly (or the portion above the base members that are attached to the deck of the board) can be tilted forward or backward relative to the deck, and locked into different positions with different degrees of positive (forward) or negative (backward) rake. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  of the drawing shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a convertible watercraft made according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  of the drawing shows a front view of the convertible watercraft of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  of the drawing shows a cross-sectional view of a track assembly and a hinge plate that slides along the track assembly, taken along A-A of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  of the drawing  FIG. 3  of the drawing shows a cross-sectional view of a track assembly and a hinge plate that slides along the track assembly, taken along B-B of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  of the drawing shows a cross-sectional view of the hull of a watercraft in accordance with the present invention, taken along C-C of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-5  show the details of exemplary embodiments of a watercraft made in accordance with the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the watercraft  10  comprises a board  12  and an operator body support assembly  14  that is mounted onto the board  12 . 
     The board  12  an be constructed in any way that is suitable for making surfboards or small recreational watercraft, including with fiberglass on foam, molded shells, or any of a variety of different polymeric materials or other materials. Preferably, the board  12  is made of molded ABS plastic, with a molded top shell  16  and a molded bottom shell  18  being joined together along their edges to form a hollow board  12 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The top and bottom shells  16  and  18  preferably have a substantially uniform wall thickness of about ¼ inches and ⅜ inches. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the hollow interior of the board  12  includes a generally rigid stringer  20 , in the form of an elongated plank, rectangular in cross-section, made of closed cell foam. The stringer  20  preferably extends from the bow to the stern inside the hollow hull, parallel to the board&#39;s longitudinal axis  22 , to lend rigidity to the hull when a person is standing on the board. The stringer  20  has a sufficient height to extend fully between the inner surfaces of the top shell and the bottom shell, extending along the longitudinal axis  22  of the board  12 . The board  12  may also include one or more internal ribs or spars or other structures to provide structural support. 
     The joints between the top and bottom shells  16  and  18  are preferably formed with the edge of the bottom shell  18  being sandwiched between the lower the wall of the upper shell  16  and a tab  24  that runs along the edge of the wall of the upper shell  16 , at a point where the wall of the upper shell juts outward and then downward, as shown in  FIG. 5 , to form a thin slot or channel into which the wall of the lower shell  18  can be positioned. The attachments between the upper and lower walls and between the upper wall and the tab can be made in any of a variety of suitable ways. Preferably, they are glued together using an adhesive  80 . The adhesive can be any type of adhesive that will form strong bonds between the components to be joined. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the operator support  14  generally comprises a first support post  26 , a second support post  28  and a cross member  30 . The cross member  30  can, and preferably does, have a cushion or pad  32  attached to the cross member  30 , against which a person can lean when paddling the watercraft from a standing position. 
     The posts and cross member  26 ,  28  and  30  can be made of any suitable rigid pipe or tubing, including aluminum tubing, PVC pipe, roto-molded polyethylene pipe, stainless steel pipe or the like. Preferably, they are made using 5052 or 5086 aluminum pipe, with an outer diameter of ⅞ inches and a wall thickness of between ⅛ and 3/16 inches, and with an anodized or powder coated surface. The posts and cross member can be separate structures that are joined together with appropriate fittings, connectors or welds. Preferably, however, they are formed from a single piece of tube or pipe (such as aluminum alloy pipe) that is bent or formed to shape. 
     The lower ends of the posts  26  and  28  can be fixed to the board  12  in any of a variety of different ways. Preferably, the operator body support assembly  14  includes at least one horizontally oriented base member  34 , which is attached to the upper deck surface  36  of the board  12 . The base member(s)  34  distribute the forces from the operator support  14  onto the board  12 , over a larger area than if the posts were connected directly to the board at a single point or held in place by inserting the posts  26  and  28  into bores drilled into the top surface of the board. The base member(s)  34  can be as simple as a single horizontal plate of rigid material that can be fastened to the upper deck surface  36  of the board  12 , with the support structure  14  being attached to the deck via the base member  34 . The base member(s)  34  can have any of a variety of different shapes that allow the base member to be mounted onto the board  12  and provide adequate structural support for the operator body support  34  when the watercraft is being used in either the SUP or the SOW mode. 
     In the embodiments shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , and as shown in more detail in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there are two base members  34 , each in the form of an elongated, linear track comprising a straight, rigid hollow square tube with a slot  38  in its upper surface, which extends into the hollow interior  40  of base member/track  34 . The base members can be attached to the upper deck surface of the board  12  using a suitable adhesive, rivets, bolts or any similar attachment means. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , a hinge plate connector assembly  42  includes an expanded portion  44  that is positioned inside the hollow space  40  of the member. A hinge plate  46  extends vertically upward from the portion  40  through the slot  38 , aligned with the slot  38 . The expanded portion  44  is wider than the slot  38 , so the expanded portion  44  is trapped inside the hollow interior  40  of the member/track  34 , but is capable of sliding within the member/track  34 . This arrangement allows each connector assembly  42 , including the hinge plate  46 , to slide forward or aft in the slot  38  of the base member  34 , to adjust the position of the operator body support  14  on the upper deck  36  of the watercraft. The hinge plate connector assembly  42  can be locked in place at a desired location on the member  34 , using any of a variety of clamps, screws, fasteners or other suitable structures. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the hinge plate connector assembly  42  can be locked in place at a desired location on the member/track  34  using a screw  48  that is inserted through a washer  50 , through the slot  38  and into a threaded bore  52  formed in the top surface of the expanded portion  44  located inside the hollow space  40  inside the member/track  34 . The head of the screw is too wide to pass through the washer or the slot, so tightening the screw into the threaded bore  52  causes the expanded portion  44  to rise and press against the inner surface of the member  34 , thereby locking the connector assembly  42  and the hinge plate  46  in place on the member  34 . The screw preferably includes a knob or flat head at its top end, so a user can actuate the screw manually and without needing any tools. 
     The bottom end of each support post  26  and  28  is pivotally attached to the hinge plate  46  that extends upward through the slot  38 . The hinge plate connector assembly  42 , including the hinge plate  46 , is preferably made of rigid ABS plastic, but they can also be made using other any other material, such as aluminum or stainless steel, that is suitably rigid and shapeable. 
     The hinge plate  46  may have any of a variety of different shapes, including rectangular or curved. The hinge plate  46  is preferably semicircular, with a large enough radius to provide a size and strength sufficient to sustain the forces that are exerted against the hinge plate  46  in use. Preferably, when made using ABS plastic, the hinge plate  36  has a radius of between about 8 inches and 12 inches and a thickness of about ¾ inches. The lower ends of the first and second support posts  26  and  28  are pivotally connected (directly or indirectly) to the hinge plate  46 , with a pin  54  that extends though a bore  56  in the hinge plate  46  and a corresponding bore  58  in the support post  26  or  28 . 
     The rake (tilt) of the support posts  26  and  28 , and of the entire operator body support assembly  14 , can be adjusted by pivoting the support posts about the pin  54 . When the support posts have been pivoted to achieve the desired rake for the support assembly, the position of the support posts can be fixed in place by extending a removable pin  60  though a second bore  62  in the post  26  or  28  and through a corresponding second bore  64  in the hinge plate  36 . The post can also be held in place by forming a detent between two raise areas  66  on the surface of the hinge plate  46 , with the seat post being held in place in the detent that is formed between the two raised areas  66 . 
     The seat assembly  68  can have any suitable shape or construction that will provide an appropriate seating surface. Preferably, the seat assembly  68  comprises a rectangular, planar frame  70  with a flexible plastic mesh or other suitable material attached to the rectangular frame to form a seating surface  72 . The seat assembly  68  is positioned between the first and second support posts  26  and  28 , and pivots on an axle  74  that extends between the first and second support posts  26  and  28  and through a bore in each support post. A support tether  76  extends from each support post  26  or  28  to the correspondence lateral edge of the seat frame  70 , to support the seat frame  70  and the seating surface  72  in a generally horizontal orientation for sitting. The leading edge of the seat frame  70  can be pivoted upward between the first and second posts for storage, to enable the watercraft  10  to be used in the SUP mode. 
     A vertically oriented back support  78  can also be hung between the first and second posts  26  and  28 . The back support  78  can be made from any suitable material, and is preferably made of the same mesh material as the seating surface  48 . 
     The ability to pivot the seat from a horizontal “seating” position to a vertical “standing” position, allows a user to switch between a SUP mode and a SOW mode while underway on open water.