Abstract:
A modular pontoon boat assembly comprising a railing assembly, a deck assembly comprising a plurality of panels, each of said panels interfitting with an adjacent panel. The deck assembly and the railing assembly are coupled to one another. A plurality of spaced apart cross supports supporting the deck assembly and are releasably secured to a plurality of pontoons. A carrier for the disassembled pontoon boat is also disclosed.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/808,642, filed 26 May 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to pontoon boats and, more specifically, to pontoon boats that may be collapsed into smaller sizes for storage and transportation. 
   Pontoons boats are quite commonly used for leisure. Typically, such boats employ a deck generally disposed between a pair of buoyant hull members such as pontoons. The deck area is preferably constructed as large as possible to provide optimum accommodation for people and/or equipment. Desired length of the boats can generally be accommodated as needed. 
   However, if the boat must be transported on the highway, the magnitude of the width can be limited by vehicle width limits for legal transportation on the road. In addition, although the weight of the boat is typically quite modest, the length and width dimensions of the boat can require a fairly large-dimension trailer. Typically, especially with respect to pleasure boats, vehicle width limits on the roads operate as a functional limit of the widths to which such boats are built. 
   Even given the above criteria regarding width limits of vehicles on roads, pontoon boats typically require use of trailers specially designed for pontoon boats, which makes such trailers especially costly, and of limited use. Accordingly, one common practice is for a pontoon boat owner to not purchase a trailer for the boat, but to rely on marina service organizations or other service operators to trailer the boat to a launch location at the beginning of a boating season and to remove the boat from the water when the boating season is over. As a result, use of the pontoon boat commonly may be limited to a single body of water in a given season. Further, since the boat is left in the water the entire season, plant life such as algae or mussels readily attach themselves to the vessel thereby hindering speed of the boat, and adding to the periodic task of cleaning the hull e.g. at the end of the boating season. 
   Efforts have been made to make transport of pontoon boats easier. For instance, Smidt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,079, discusses a folding pontoon boat. However, the boat is not a full size pontoon boat and cannot adequately support more than two people. Still, the boat must be transported behind another vehicle. Other boats, such as Pruonto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,786, can be disassembled for storage in a smaller area. However, there are many sections and parts that must be reassembled, which makes such actions more cumbersome than desired. Reassembly is not the most efficient process, as each of the deck sections requires border sections that must be fastened between each deck section. 
   Foldable pontoon boats, such as Jackson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,735, Little, U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,925, and Valliere, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,458, have been contemplated in the prior art. While these boats reduce the storage and transportation space needed, there is still room for improvement. Most specifically, these boats still are transported by being pulled by a vehicle on a trailer. Thus, it would be advantageous to develop a full-size pontoon boat that can be easily and quickly collapsed and reassembled when necessary. Further, it would be advantageous that such a boat could be stored and transported without the need of a trailer or a similar vehicle, and would not require that the boat be towed by a vehicle. An ideal boat would balance the ability to disassembly the pontoon boat to a sufficient storable size so that it could be easily transportable without necessarily using a boat trailer, while allowing for the boat to be easily and quickly reassembled when being use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a modular pontoon boat assembly that comprises a railing assembly, a deck assembly having a plurality of panels. Each of the panels interfits with an adjacent panel, with the deck assembly supporting the railing assembly and removably coupled to the deck assembly. The boat further comprises a plurality of spaced apart cross supports that are coupled to and support the deck assembly. A plurality of pontoons are releasably secured to the cross supports. 
   The present invention thus provides a collapsible pontoon boat that provides improved storage and transportation options. The boat can be transported on top of a vehicle, so that it is unnecessary to tow the boat or a trailer for the boat. A winch system may be employed to further assist in moving the boat onto the top of a vehicle when the boat is in a folded position. The boat is relatively lightweight and can be easily and quickly reassembled when necessary. Other features will become apparent with the disclosed drawings and further description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective of a pontoon boat in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the pontoon boat of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the boat of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the boat of  FIG. 1  floating on a body of water. 
       FIG. 5A  is an exploded perspective view of a deck assembly used in connection with the present invention. 
       FIG. 5B  is a sectional close-up perspective view of a coupling arrangement used with the deck assembly of  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of an individual deck section. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a storage device use in connection with the pontoon boat of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the storage device of  FIG. 7  supporting a portion of the pontoon of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the storage device of  FIG. 7  supporting a further portion of the pontoon of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a side view of the storage device of  FIG. 7  supporting another portion of the pontoon of the present invention. 
       FIG. 11  is a side view of the storage device of  FIG. 7  being loaded with and supporting the pontoon boat of the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a storage device supporting the pontoon boat and being carried by a trailer. 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of the pontoon boat and storage device being carried on top of a motor home. 
       FIG. 14  is a side view of the pontoon boat and storage device being carried underneath a motor home. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims. 
     FIG. 1  depicts a pontoon boat  10  according to the present invention. The pontoon boat  10  is a full-sized pontoon boat, yet can be folded up and stored, as will become evident from the following drawings and description. In a preferred embodiment, the floor space of the pontoon boat or boat assembly  10  is approximately 12′×6′. The boat  10  generally comprises a railing assembly  20 , a deck assembly  40 , and a pair of pontoons  70 . The individual pontoons are designed from a durable, inflatable material, such as Hypelon® or another similar rubber material. The individual pontoons preferably have two chambers, with each chamber being sufficient to support the entire weight of the boat. When not in use, the pontoons can be deflated and easily stored away for future use. A pair of chairs  11  is located on and secured to the deck assembly  40 , but are not necessary and any desired seating arrangement may be used with the boat  10 . 
     FIG. 2  provides an exploded view of the boat  10 . The railing assembly  20  is preferably comprised of four railing sections,  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  28 , with each of the section being arranged and designed for attachment around a perspective corner of the deck assembly  40 , but other arrangements of the railing sections  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  28  will fall within the scope of the invention as well. For instance, the railing assembly  20  may be designed so that a deck portion would lie outside of the railing assembly  20  near the front  16  of the boat  10 . The railing sections  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  28  preferably are formed of individual railing panels that are pivotal with respect to one another so that they can be easily folded and stored when the boat  10  is to be transported. The railing sections  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  28  preferably are arranged around the deck assembly  40  to form a plurality of gates  30 , with a gate  30  located at the sides  12 ,  14  of the boat  10  and the front  16  of the boat  10  (see  FIG. 1 ). The railing assembly  20  preferably does not extend completely across the rear  18  of the boat  10 , thereby forming an opening  34  where a transom  54  would be located on the deck assembly  40  to support a motor (not shown). However, it is understood that any number of gates  30  or openings  34  may be incorporated into the railing assembly  20  and still fall within the scope of the present invention. Likewise, the number of railing sections could be increased or decreased and the arrangement would still fall within the scope of the present invention. 
   Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the deck assembly  40  is generally comprises a front desk section  44 , a middle deck section  46 , and a rear deck section  48 . Each of the deck sections  44 ,  46 , and  48  are fittingly secured in a direct fashion to an adjacent deck section. The deck section further comprises a plurality of mating areas  42 , which are designed to receive respective posts  32  located on the railing assembly  20 . The mating areas  42  are sized to fittingly mate with the posts  32  and for easy assembly and disassembly of the boat  10 , and preferably are formed as polygonal shapes to assist in efficient orientation and mating of the posts  32  and the mating areas  42 . The mating areas  42  and the posts  32  also assist in properly organizing the various components of the boat  10  when the boat is disassembled and stored. That is, the mating areas  42  and the posts  32  are preferably shaped and designed so that they could fit together with other mating sections for ease of storage purposes when mounting the various sections within or upon a storage caddie (see  FIGS. 7-11 ), which is another advantage of the present invention over the prior art. While the posts  32  easily slide into the mating areas  42  and the mating areas  42  securely hold the posts  32  in position, it is possible to use further securing or coupling means to hold the railing assembly  30  and the deck assembly  40  together. Likewise, it is understood that the mating areas  42  could be located on the railing assembly  20  and the posts  32  could be located on the deck assembly, and the arrangement would still fall within the scope of the present invention. 
   The deck section can also incorporate other features as is necessary. For example, the front section  44  and the rear section  48  have inserts  50  for supporting the chairs  11 , and a latch  52  that could lead to a storage area (not shown) located in the deck assembly  40 . Provided that the deck assembly  40  comprises adjacent deck sections that are directly mated with and connected to one another, the deck assembly  40  sections will fall within the scope of the present invention. 
   The deck assembly  40  is supported by a plurality of spaced apart cross support members  56 . The cross support members  56  are arranged to mate with the deck sections  44 ,  46 , and  48 . As shown, each of the cross support members  56  has a pair of post members  58  that are configured to mate with a respective lower mating area  43  located on the various deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48 . The post members  58  could also be located on the deck sections  44 ,  46 , and  48 , and the lower mating areas  43  and the mating areas  42  could be located on the cross support members  58 , and the arrangement would still fall within the scope of the present invention. Similarly, the lower mating areas  43  and the mating areas  42  could be centrally aligned with one another, or be a single area, and the arrangement would stall fill within the scope of the present invention. However, it is possible that the cross support members  56  and the deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48  could be fastened together in other manners or possibly designed as a single piece. For instance, the cross support members  56  could be pivotably secured to the deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48 , so that they may be stored together with the deck sections. 
   The cross support members  56  further comprise beam members  60 , which provide the general support structure for the cross support members  56 . Each of the beam members  60  are connected to a pair of oppositely disposed pontoon braces  62  that will rest upon and mate with the exterior of the pontoons  70 . Securing means, such as straps  64 , will secure the pontoon braces  62  to the pontoons  70 . The pontoon braces  62  form a generally curved or partially-circular design that allows for easy mating and support by the pontoons  70 . It is understood when discussing a curved or partially-circular design that there may be portions of the design that potentially would not be curved and the design would fall within the scope of the present invention. Generally, if the pontoon braces form an arched shape that generally follows the surface of the pontoons  70 , the design would fall within the scope of the present invention. The design allows for sufficient space between the deck assembly  40  and the pontoons  70  and reduces the direct stress and force placed upon the pontoons  70  from shifting and moving of the deck assembly  40  when the boat is in use  10 . That is, when the boat  10  is being used on a body of water, the natural forces of the water will cause the pontoons  70  to shift and sway. The present invention allows these forces to act on the boat, while minimizing stress between the pontoons  70  and the deck assembly  40 . Such a design is an improvement over prior art designs that would attach a deck assembly directly to pontoons, which results in wear and tear on the pontoons and unnecessary force between the pontoons  40  and the deck assembly  40 . Other securing means besides the straps  64  could be used to secure the braces  62  and the pontoons  70 , such as clamps or structures that may entirely surround the pontoons  70 . However, the use of straps  64  and the braces  62  provides for a solid, secure support, while still allowing for some movement of the pontoons  70  relative to the deck assembly  40 , thereby reducing stress and wear on the pontoons  70 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  provide side views of the boat  10  before and after being launched into a body of water.  FIG. 3  shows the boat  10  being supported by a front support member  80  and a rear support member  82 . The front support member  80  may further comprise a brace  84  that holds the front support member  80  in proper position. The brace  84  may be secured with any known fastening device. Both the front support member  80  and the rear support or support members  82  are supported by castors  86 , which allow the boat  10  to be moved and rolled when on land. This is an improvement over prior designs, as well, since a boat trailer is not required as would be needed for previous pontoon boats. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the boat  10  has been launched on a body of water, and the supports  80  and  82  have been raised into a stored position. The front support member  80  is preferably pivoted upwardly towards the deck assembly  40 , while the rear support members  82  are preferably slid upwardly and out of the way. The support members  82  can be held in place with releasable securing means  88 , such as a series of holes and an indent pin or cotter pin. Provided that the supports  80  and  82  can be moved from a first position that allows transport of the boat  10  on land to a second position where the supports  80  and  82  do not interfere with movement of the boat  10  in a body of water, the arrangement would fall within the scope of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 5A-6  further describe the arrangement of the deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48 . As previously noted, the deck sections  44 ,  46 , and  48  are arranged to be secured and mate directly with an adjacent deck section  44 ,  46 , and  48  without the need for borders or rails between the various deck sections. The deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48  are generally secured to one another by way of a plurality of inserts  90  and mating receptacles  92 , similarly to the mating arrangement described above for the railing assembly  20  and the deck assembly  40 . Preferably, a pair of inserts  90  and receptacles  92  is spaced apart and located on each deck section  44 ,  46 ,  48 , but any arrangement that will allow the deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48  to be directly secured to one another, including more or fewer inserts  90  and receptacles  92 , is understood to fall within the scope of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 5B , the insert  90  is fittingly slid into the receptacle  92 . Additional fastening means may be used to join the sections  44 ,  46 ,  48  together. For instance,  FIG. 5B  shows a strut  94  located on the middle deck section  46 . The strut  94  supports a bolt  96 , which is arranged to interact and be secured to the deck section  44  by way of a nut  98 , further insuring the deck sections  44 ,  46 , and  48  are sufficiently secured to one another. 
     FIG. 6  shows an exploded view of the front deck section  44  and a frame member  100 . The deck section  44  and the frame member  100  are preferably permanently secured to one another for ease of assembly, but it is possible that they would be fabricated as separate pieces and secured to one another by the user. 
     FIG. 7  shows a storage caddy  150  according to the present invention. The caddy  150  is designed for easy and efficient storage of the various sections of the boat  10  so that it will be easily transported and stored when not being used. Further, the storage caddy  150  allows for easy removal of the various boat sections  10  so that reassembly of the boat  10  can be accomplished quickly and easily.  FIG. 7  shows the caddy  150  without any parts or sections of the boat  10  being stored on the caddy  150 . The caddy generally comprises an upright section  152  and a base section  154 . The base section  154  further comprises struts  156 , which provide stability to the caddy  150 . Partitions  158 ,  160 ,  162  are pivotally connected to the struts  156  by way of cross bars  164 ,  166 , and  168 , respectively. The partitions provide means for organizing and arranging the various sections of the disassembled boat  10 . The caddy  150  also comprises a rear bracket  170  that provides a solid structure or backrest when the various boat  10  sections are loaded on the caddy  150 . The caddy  150  can be designed with various other brackets, such as brackets  172  and  174 , that can be used to mount various sections of the boat  10 . 
     FIGS. 8-11  show side views of the caddy  150  with various sections of the boat  10  being stored on the caddy.  FIG. 8  shows the caddy  150  supporting the rear deck section  48  and the railing sections  24  and  26 . If the cross support members  56  are made as separate sections from the deck sections  44 ,  46 ,  48 , one or more of the cross support members  56  could also be stored on the caddy  150  as shown in  FIG. 8 . Once these sections have been mounted onto the caddy  150 , the partition  158  will be pivoted upwardly to secure these sections in place. 
     FIG. 9  depicts further sections of the boat  10  being loaded onto the caddy  150 . The middle deck section  46  and another railing section, such as railing section  22 , are mounted on the caddy  150  and the partition  160  is pivoted upward to secure these sections in place.  FIG. 10  shows further sections being mounted on the caddy  150 , such as the front deck section  44  and the railing section  28 , with the partition  162  being pivoted upwardly to further secure the various sections in place. Any remaining portions of the deck assembly  40  or the railing assembly  20 , such as the supports  80  and  82 , can be mounted on the caddy  150 , possibly secured to the brackets  172  and  174 . The partition  162  will be locked or secured to the caddy  150 , possibly by latching or joining the partition to a post  176  located on the upright section  152 . The caddy  150  may incorporate an area for storage of the pontoons  70 , or they may be stored in a different area. 
   It is understood that the various sections of the boat  10  do not need to be mounted on the caddy  150  in the order presented. Preferably, the sections will be mounted in a fashion as they would be assemble, i.e. from the rear  18  of the boat  10  to the front  16  of the boat  10 , or vice versa, but any manner of mounting the various sections is acceptable. The design of the connecting means of the various boat  10  sections also contributes to the ease of storing the boat  10  on the caddy  150 . For example, the various posts  32 , post members  58 , and inserts  90  are preferably of the same dimensions, as are the upper and lower mating areas  42  and  43 , and the receptacles  92 . This allows the various sections to be temporarily mated with one another so that they may be more easily mounted on the caddy  150 . The caddy  150  allows for easy organization of the various sections of the boat  10  so that it can be quickly and efficiently reassembled. 
   When the boat is stored as in the currently shown embodiment in  FIGS. 7-11 , the boat preferably will comprise an approximate area of 87″×56″×21″, which can be easily stored on top of a motor home, RV, or other vehicle. This will allow the user to tow another vehicle behind the RV, such as a car. This is advantageous for people who are traveling long distances for extended periods of time, such as people who spend winters in southern areas, such as Florida. Also, when not in use, the boat can be easily stored by hanging, which will allow the boat to be stored in a garage or similar building while still being able to park a vehicle within the building. 
     FIGS. 12-14  shows the caddy  150  and the boat  10  being transported by a motor home  8 .  FIG. 12  shows the caddy  150  carried by a trailer  190 . The trailer  190  may be of any design, but preferably is a one-wheel trailer, having an individual wheel  194  and tongues  192  for attachment to the motor home  8 . However, as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , it is not necessary to use a trailer. The caddy  150  could be stored on top of the motor home  8  ( FIG. 13 ) or underneath the motor home  8  ( FIG. 14 ), which is possible with larger styles and makes of motor homes. If the caddy  150  is to be stored on top of the motor home  8 , a winch or pulley system  196  may be incorporated into the caddy  150  or the motor home  8 . 
   The present invention has several advantages over the prior art. The caddy  150  and the boat  10  can be stored without taking up a large area. The caddy  150  allows for the boat  10  to be stored in an organized fashion, which allows for the boat  10  to be quickly assembled without requiring any special tools or supports when assembling. The invention also minimizes the necessary interacting parts and sections needed to provide a full size pontoon boat. Further, the present invention removes the necessary requirements of a trailer or other vehicle required to transport or launch a pontoon boat, while still providing for a full size pontoon boat. 
   The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.