Abstract:
A boat storage canopy fitted to a boat storage lift has an entry portion, raised center portion and shore side portion with downwardly depending curtains on first and second sides and the shore side end with a hinged curtain at the entry end.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority based upon U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29-362,689 filed May 28, 2010 and entitled Boat Storage Canopy. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention is a boat storage canopy and apparatus adapted to lift and provide dry storage for a boat having a wakeboard tower or other elevated midships structure. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Boat houses and canopies raised above the water surface are known for the weather protection of a boat and permit a floating boat to enter and exit. Boat lifts, hoists and the like are known and permit a boat to be lifted from the water&#39;s surface for dry storage, maintenance and the like. Lifts are known to be used in boathouses and to have canopies fitted or otherwise used in conjunction with mooring or storage structures. 
     While various flat, peaked or curved roofs, when looking at a transverse section, are known, substantially all the length is of uniform height having a horizontal ridge or equivalent. 
     Horizontal ridge canopies or roofs when used to receive a boat having an elevated superstructure such as a wakeboard tower, flying bridge, radar arch or the like have to be mounted with a vertical dimension adequate to permit ingress and egress. Traditionally, boat canopies have been either flat topped or barn roof type of structures that either do not provide sufficient protection because the boat cannot be raised high enough with a wakeboard tower in place or are structurally demanding, provide high windage and are aesthetically unpleasing. Simply elevating the flat canopy or roof will either leave substantial portions of the boat exposed to weather, such as driving rain, or will require extensively downwardly extending walls or curtains thereby requiring additional structure with incumbent additional expense, complexity and windage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A wakeboard tower canopy enables wakeboard boats which contain wakeboard towers of various height that protrude above the gunwale, sheer, and/or windshield of the wakeboard boat to gain protection against the elements. By constructing a special frame that incorporates a drive-through curtain system and also a peak in the canopy structure itself, the wakeboard boat is allowed to pull in to the normal lift with enough clearance for the tower from the canopy frame and then once the boat pulls into the lift far enough, it can then be raised to the full protective height underneath the confines of the peaked portion of the roof canopy structure. 
     A boat canopy adapted to receive a boat with an elevated structure can be mounted above a boat lift and has generally three portions, an entry portion a raised center portion and a front end portion. The entry and shore side portion are preferably the same height with the center portion substantially vertically displaced therefrom. Sidewalls or curtains extend down from a canopy edge frame. An entry curtain permits hinged movement inwardly and outwardly depending upon the direction of movement entering or exiting of the boat. The boat can be raised with its wakeboard tower aligned with the raised center portion. In this manner the boat can be protected from the weather but the overall structure having reduced height windage and materials. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the boat storage canopy which is subject of the present application; 
         FIG. 2  is right side elevational view thereof, the left side elevational view being a mirror image thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view thereof; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the boat storage canopy frame; 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a U-shaped member of the canopy frame; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the canopy with a boat entering; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the boat&#39;s storage canopy with a boat in the raised storage position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a boat canopy  10  is adapted to receive a boat  12  having an elevated structure  14  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ), such as a wakeboard tower. The canopy  10  can be fixed to a canopy frame  11  ( FIG. 6 ) and mounted above a boat lift  16  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The canopy  10  and canopy frame  11  are formed and arranged to have three portions: an entry portion  18 , a raised center portion  20  and a front end portion  22 . The term “front end portion”  22  is defined in this specification to be relative to the canopy  10 , only. The entry  18  and front end  22  portions are preferably the same height with the center portion  20  substantially vertically displaced therefrom. Perimetrical downwardly depending sidewalls or curtains  24 ,  26  extend from the canopy roofs  40 ,  52 , and  42  of the entry portion  18 , raised center portion  20 , and front end portion  22 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , front end curtain  32  extends downwardly from the roof  42  of the front end portion  22  and front end frame member  34  and is preferably affixed at its corners to the side curtains  24 ,  26 . An entry curtain  36  extends downwardly from an entry frame member  38 , having a length ‘w,’ and permits hinged movement inwardly and outwardly depending upon the direction of movement of the boat  12  while entering or exiting. The canopy frame  11 , as further described below, leaves an entrance to the canopy at the entry portion  18  generally open, which allows the boat  12  and elevated structure  14  to pass under the entry portion roof  40 . In a preferred embodiment, curtains  24 ,  26 ,  32  and frame members  28 ,  30 ,  34  drop down approximately 18″ from the roofs  40 ,  42  of the entry portion  18  and front end portion  22 . 
     The entry curtain  36  may also have one or more open seams  39  to allow for hinged movement of the entry curtain  36 . In the preferred embodiment, entry curtain  36  is formed and arranged to have the open seams  39  at approximately ¼ of the distance ‘w’ from each entry frame end  37  so as to enable the boat  12  and elevated structure  14  to pull through the entry curtain  36  upon either entering or departing the canopy  10  and boat lift  16 . 
     The horizontal roof  40  of the entry portion  18  typically protects the aft portion of the boat  12 . The horizontal roof  42  of the front end portion  22  typically protects the forward portion of the boat  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the raised center portion  20  has an upwardly projecting shore side panel  44 , upwardly projecting entry side panel  46 , and side panels  48 ,  50 . All the panels  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  mate with a roof panel  52  to form a continuous weather-tight surface. Additionally, the roofs  40 ,  42  are similarly continuously connected to the raised center portion  20  and the curtains  24 ,  26 ,  32  are formed and arranged to provide a continuous weather-tight surface. The entry curtain  36  is able to open and close, as described below. 
     The typical ski/wakeboard boat lift  16  sits in the water on four support posts  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  and consists of a cradle that is lowered to a point in the water beneath the boat  12  so that the boat  12  can pull on and off the lift  16  when afloat. A carriage or mechanism  17  of the lift  16  is raised or lowered in order to either disembark or store the boat  12  depending on the user&#39;s action. 
     Upon entry of the boat  12  into the canopy  10  and temporarily mooring in position for operation of the lift  16 , the seams  39  of the end curtain  36  can be closed using fasteners (not shown). Using the lift  16 , the boat  12  can be raised with its wakeboard tower  14  aligned with the raised center portion  20 . Upon confirmation of alignment, the lift  16  can be engaged and the entire boat  12  lifted out of the water so that the boat&#39;s gunwale is raised proximate the downwardly depending curtains  24 ,  26 ,  32  to provide substantial weather protection. 
     Shown in  FIG. 2 , lift  16  is preferably mounted on posts  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 , which posts  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 , also support canopy  10 . It will be noted that the spacing of posts  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  is such that they are generally located proximate the intersection between the center portion  20  and entry portion  18  at the entry end, and the intersection between center portion  20  and front end portion  22 . In this manner, entry portion  18  and front end portion  22  are supported in cantilevered fashion. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , structurally, edge frames  28 ,  30  and end frame members  34 ,  38  define the perimeter of canopy frame  11 , with center frame members  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76  defining center portion  20  and supporting panels  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  and  52 . In  FIG. 7 , edge frames  28  and  30  join front end frame member  34  to create a U-shaped frame member  29 . Entry frame member  38  is a transverse member extending over the open end  31  of the U-shaped frame member  29 . As shown, elevated center frame members  70  and  76  are midlevel frame members and have a vertical height between the highest center frame members  72 ,  73 ,  74  and the front end portion members  78  and entry portion members  80 . Front end support members  82  join a front end portion member  78  and front end frame member  34 . 
     Front end portion members  78 , entry portion members  80 , and center frame members  70 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74 , and  76  are transverse members joining edge frames  28  and  30  to create a unitary structure supported by posts  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 . Generally, the transverse members  78 ,  80  of the front end portion  22  and the entry portion  18  have a height ‘h’ above the U-shaped frame member  29 . In a preferred embodiment, center frame members  70 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74 , and  76  are centered on the U-shaped frame  29  between the front end frame member  34  and the entry frame member  38 . Center frame support members  84 ,  86  provide additional support to center frame members  70 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74 , and  76 . Parallel frame member  88  begins at entry frame member  38 , and joins each transverse member  78 ,  80 ,  70 ,  72 ,  73 ,  74 , and  76  and ends at front end frame member  34 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the canopy  10  is formed and arranged so that when the boat  12  is afloat the highest point of the wakeboard tower  14  will clear the lowest point on the entry frame member  38 . When storing the boat  12  with wakeboard tower  14 , the operator will drive the boat  12  into the boat lift  16  with the highest point of the wakeboard tower  14  clearing the lowest point of the entry frame member  38  work and the tower pushing through the entry curtain  36 . Alternatively, the entry curtain  36  can be arranged to rest on the entry portion roof  40 . The operator then positions the boat  12  in the lift  16  in its normal position so that the wakeboard tower  14  is substantially centered in the peak of the wakeboard tower canopy in the center portion  20 . The operator then activates the lift  16  to raise the carriage  17  and boat  12  to a height sufficient to have the boat  12  clear out of the water and allow the canopy  10  to provide adequate protection from the elements ( FIG. 9 ). 
     From the stored position, the operator will lower the cradle of the lift  16  and boat  12  until the boat  12  is just floating and then back out the boat  12  using reverse thrust, allowing the wakeboard tower  14  to clear the lowest point of the entry frame member  38  and pass through the curtain  36  overhanging the entrance. 
     In this manner the boat  12  can be protected from the weather but the overall structure having reduced height windage and materials. 
     The forgoing is a preferred embodiment however it will be recognized that variations consistent with this disclosure, arrangement of boat structures and maneuvering such as backing into a mooring can be accommodated.