Abstract:
A stowage device for a mobile conveyance such as a watercraft. In the case of a watercraft, the stowage device replaces an inspection port cover. The stowage device is adapted to screw into the existing inspection port with no modification. The stowage device incorporates a stowage cavity to securely hold a drink bottle or other liquid refreshment container or object easily accessible within an arm&#39;s length of an operator.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application relates to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/927,537 filed on May 3, 2007, entitled DEVICE FOR HOLDING WATER BOTTLE IN WATERCRAFT, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to equipment for watercraft or other mobile conveyances and, more particularly, to stowage equipment for liquid refreshments or other objects on mobile conveyances such as watercraft. Specifically, one preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a readily accessible and secure stowage device for a liquid refreshment container or other object incorporated into a mobile conveyance such as a hull inspection port commonly found on a watercraft. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Among numerous mobile conveyances, there are hundreds of thousands of small watercraft in regular use, including small sailboats, kayaks, motorboats, and the like. Generally, the size and design of these watercraft are oriented toward speed, agility, and performance, often in racing situations, at the expense of stability on the water. They frequently lack even the most basic amenities found on larger boats, and have little or no storage space, particularly of the kind that the operator can access quickly and easily without compromising stability and control of the boat. These boats require a great deal of physical exertion to sail or row and often operate in a windy, sunny, and frequently saltwater environment, making hydration a real concern for racers and recreational boaters alike. 
         [0006]    One of the constant challenges for boaters is how to keep a drink bottle or other object secured, yet accessible, in a dynamic environment on boats that require having at least one hand engaged at all times. A popular online forum for Laser sailboats (one of the most popular boats of the type described above, with over 200,000 sold in 28 years of continuous production) shows how sailors struggle for a solution to the problem of accessibility to liquid replenishment: http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=4607. 
         [0007]    The problem of stowing a drink bottle or other liquid refreshment container or object on a watercraft for ready accessibility during operation continues to exist. It is an object of the present invention to provide a readily accessible liquid refreshment container or object stowage device for watercraft or other mobile conveyance such as an all terrain vehicle or other land-based vehicle or aircraft such as a glider or airplane. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide such a device which is effective and which does not interfere with the operation of the watercraft or other mobile conveyance. It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such a device for a watercraft which retains the container or object in a capsize situation and also holds an empty container in place if the device fills with water. Various embodiments of the present invention provide a solution to the liquid refreshment container or object stowage problem in a watercraft or other mobile conveyance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, it is recognized that many boats of the aforementioned type have inspection ports that allow access to the inside of the hull for maintenance purposes. These are installed either by the manufacturer or are easily added by the owners as aftermarket items. For example, the five- and six-inch Viking Marine inspection ports are by far the most popular. For a variety of reasons, these inspection ports are typically located within an arm&#39;s length of the cockpit or seating area. 
         [0009]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the hydration problem is solved by supplying watercraft with a replacement inspection port lid easily accessible within an arm&#39;s length of the operator, that incorporates a stowage cavity to hold a drink bottle or other liquid refreshment container or object securely. In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lid is adapted to screw into an existing inspection port with no modification. 
         [0010]    The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0011]    The various embodiments of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to like elements. In the drawing: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of one embodiment of the stowage device in accordance with the present invention holding a water bottle. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a view of the stowage device shown in  FIG. 1  installed on a boat. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the stowage device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the stowage device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a view of a presently preferred embodiment of the stowage device in accordance with the present invention that allows for the adjustability of the shock cord. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of an adapter ring. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a detailed isometric view of the underside of the adapter ring shown in  FIG. 6  with the storage device installed to form an assembly. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a detailed sectional view of the stowage device assembly shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the stowage device in accordance with the present invention. A water bottle or other liquid refreshment container or other object  3  is disposed in a stowage cavity  11  in a main body  1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the main body  1  comprises threads  12  positioned proximate a sealing lip  19  of the main body exterior to the stowage cavity  11 . Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the bottle or container or object  3  is secured by securing means, for example, resilient elastic material such as a shock cord  2  which is tied at one end  21 , threaded through holes  141  in a first shock cord cavity  14  at one side of the main body  1  to form a U shape, and is terminated at the other end by a knot  22 , with the knots  21 ,  22  disposed in a second shock cord cavity  14  at the opposite side of the main body. For example, the shock cord  2  may be a commercially available one-eight-inch diameter shock cord commonly available for sale at outdoor equipment or hardware stores. Preferably, the depth of the shock cord cavities  14  is such that the knots  21 ,  22  are substantially flush with the top of the main body  1 . The shock cord cavities  14  on each side of the top of the main body  1  also preferably serve as finger stops to facilitate screwing and unscrewing of the stowage device. 
         [0021]    The shock cord  2  may flex outwardly so that the bottle or container or object  3  can be manually pushed in and pulled out of the stowage cavity  11  in the main body  1 . When the user forces the bottle or container or object  3  in or out of the stowage cavity  11 , the force causes the shock cord  2  to stretch apart and expand laterally. However, if the boat were to capsize or otherwise encounter forces that would tend to eject the bottle or container or object  3  were it not secured, the movement of the bottle or container or object is constrained, and cannot produce enough force or momentum to push the shock cord  2  apart so as to release the bottle or container or object. Additionally, the shock cord  2  retains an empty or partially empty bottle or container from floating out of the stowage cavity  11  in the event that water enters the cavity to a sufficient extent that the resulting buoyancy exceeds the weight of the bottle or container. 
         [0022]    If any size bicycle water bottle style container is used, the shock cord  2  holds the container in a “ready position” partially protruding from the stowage cavity  11  for convenient access. This feature is made possible by the indentation present in typical water bottles intended to sit in a bottle cage on a bicycle. The shock cord  2  retains the water bottle by tightening on this indention instead of stretching over the top of the bottle. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates the stowage device shown in  FIG. 1  installed in the hull inspection port  4  on a boat  5 . The threads  12  shown in  FIG. 1  are configured to match those of a cover for the inspection port  4 , for example, the threads of a five- or six-inch Viking Marine inspection port cover, which is already installed on many watercraft. To install the stowage device on a boat  5 , the user simply removes the existing cover for the inspection port  4  and threads the main body  1  into the inspection port. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , indentations  13  are preferably provided at the top of the main body  1  to facilitate threading the main body on and off to install or remove the stowage device, respectively. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of the stowage device shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  more clearly illustrates the threads  12  than the isometric view of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  also shows the sealing lip  19  of the main body  1 , which acts as a sealing surface when the main body is tightened down on the inspection port  4 . The sealing lip  19  extending outwardly above the threads  12  seals with the existing O-ring of the inspection port  4  to provide the same secure, watertight seal as the original inspection port cover. Finally,  FIG. 3  illustrates that a portion of the stowage cavity  11  preferably flares out between the bottom and top of the stowage cavity, and preferably at the top of the main body  1 , creating a larger elliptical opening  16  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The opening  16  allows the user more space to fit his or her hand in order to retrieve a shorter bottle or container or object  3 , while still tightly constraining the bottom of the bottle or container or object. Preferably, the top of the flared portion of the main body  1  is sufficiently inward of the threads  12  so that the stowage device is also fully compatible with the additional installation of a conventional inspection port bag, although the stowage device will occupy much of the volume in the bag. The base  18  of the main body  1  has a depth relative to the top of the main body of preferably approximately nine inches to ensure that the top of the vast majority of commonly used bottles or containers or objects  3  will be approximately flush with the top surface. This ensures that the top of the bottle or container or object  3  will not catch on any stray ropes, etc., sweeping across the deck of the boat  5 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates a top view of the stowage device shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  more clearly illustrates the U-shape of the shock cord  2 .  FIG. 4  also shows a top view of the elliptical opening  16 , illustrating how the aperture at the top of the main body  1  changes from a circular shape  17  to an elliptical shape. Finally,  FIG. 4  shows two drain port channels  15  preferably incorporated on opposite sides of the stowage cavity  11 . When a bottle or container or object  3  is pressed down into the stowage cavity  11 , any water at the base  18  of the main body  1  will be forced out through the drain port channels  15 , so that the bottle or container or object will be inserted all the way to the base without hydraulic resistance. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  shows a presently preferred embodiment of the stowage device in accordance with the present invention incorporating a modified shock cord  2 . In accordance with the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the shock cord  2  is tied more loosely, and is provided with a sliding clip  23  which slides along the shock cord to tighten or loosen the cord. Knots  21 ,  22  retain the clip  23  from sliding off. The clip  23  allows the user to adjust the tension in the shock cord  2 , relaxing the shock cord when not necessary to retain a bottle or container or object  3 . When tightened, the clip  23  preferably tucks into the shock cord cavity  14  in the main body  1 . 
         [0027]    The stowage device in accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention can be used on various watercraft, but is advantageously intended to be used on smaller, performance-oriented watercraft such as the Laser sailboat, kayaks, and catamarans, where space is tight and there are currently no immediately accessible places to stow a water bottle or other refreshment container or object or the like so that the bottle or container or object can be removed and replaced quickly and without using more than one hand. The stowage device in accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention is a device that can be retrofitted to any such boat by removing the inspection port cover, for example, the popular Viking Marine inspection port lid, and installing the stowage device in accordance with one of the various embodiments of the present invention in its place. As will be understood by persons skilled in the art, the Viking Marine inspection port lids currently simply cover a hole cut in the boat, which allows the owner to access the interior of the boat for cleaning and storage. The stowage device in accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention preferably uses the same thread pattern, so it merely screws into the existing ring and uses the same sealing surface. It can be removed to access the interior of the boat, so the existing inspection port lid is no longer necessary. Alternatively, a threaded adapter may be additionally employed and/or a bayonet or other attachment means may be employed to install the stowage device in the inspection port  4 . 
         [0028]    Considered in more detail,  FIG. 6  illustrates an adapter ring  6 , for example, to adapt a stowage device configured for a five-inch Viking Marine inspection port for installation in a six-inch Viking Marine inspection port. The adapter ring  6  comprises two sets of threads  62 ,  64 , which may have different pitches. In the present example, the threads  62  correspond to the threads of a five-inch Viking Marine inspection port, and the threads  64  engage with the threads of a six-inch Viking Marine inspection port. As shown in  FIG. 6 , a sealing O-ring  7  is additionally disposed in a groove  66  of the adapter ring  6  to provide a watertight seal against the sealing lip  19  of the main body  1  of the stowage device. 
         [0029]    Preferably, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the adapter ring  6  additionally preferably comprises one or more locking tab(s)  68  disposed on the adapter ring to prevent the stowage device from unthreading from the adapter ring as the user unscrews the stowage device to remove it from a six-inch inspection port. Considered in more detail,  FIG. 7  is a detailed isometric view of the underside of the adapter ring  6  with the storage device installed to form an assembly and shows how one or more notch(es)  120  are preferably provided in the threads  12  of main body  1  to accommodate the one or more locking tab(s)  68  protruding from the bottom of the adapter ring. Initially, when the user threads the stowage device onto the adapter ring  6 , the base of the stowage device pushes the locking tab(s)  68  outwardly until the tab(s) is/are positioned opposite the notch(es)  120 , whereupon the locking tab(s)  68  snap(s) into the notch(es). The locking tab(s)  68  is/are captured in the notch(es)  120 , preventing unthreading unless the user pushes the tab(s) out of the notch(es)  120  in order to unthread the stowage device.  FIG. 8  is a detailed sectional view of the stowage device assembled with the adapter ring  6  showing a locking tab  68  on the adapter ring captured in a corresponding notch  120  on the stowage device. 
         [0030]    In accordance with one implementation of the stowage device in accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention, the stowage cavity  11  is sized to hold a majority of bike bottles and 12- to 16-ounce soda and sports drink bottles, so that no portion of the bottle extends above the top of the main body  1 . This is so that stray cords, etc., cannot snag on the bottle during sailing. Larger or smaller bottles may be accommodated within such a stowage cavity  11  as well, but they may extend out or bounce around in the stowage cavity, respectively. Alternatively, a set of stowage devices of different depths can be provided. As a further alternative, in accordance with a modified embodiment of the stowage device in accordance with the present invention, the main body  1  may be constructed with a bellows portion intermediate the top and bottom of the main body and preferably in the region of the unflared portion of the main body, which can expand to provide a range of depths dependent on the height of the bottle or container or object  3 . 
         [0031]    In operation, the bottle or container or object  3  is inserted and removed from the stowage cavity  11  by pushing apart the shock cord  2  restraints. These restraints are configured in a U-shape so that the bottle or container or object  3  is held in place by the shock cord  2 . When the bottle or container or object  3  is inserted and removed, the force of insertion or removal causes the shock cord  2  to spread apart, allowing the bottle or container or object to slide through the loop of the shock cord into or out of the stowage cavity  11 . The purpose of the shock cord restraints is to hold the bottle or container or object  3  in place on rough seas or in the case that the boat  5  capsizes. Since in most situations the shock cord  2  is slightly flexed while holding the bottle or container or object  3 , the bottle or container or object cannot move substantially when the boat is buffeted or capsizes and cannot therefore generate the force necessary to push the shock cord  2  apart and escape (as it does when the user applies an external force). 
         [0032]    Alternatively, a shock cord  2  with the clip  23  may be employed so that the user can tighten and loosen the shock cord as necessary. In accordance with the alternative embodiment, the user inserts the bottle or container or object  3  while the shock cord is loose, and then pulls the ends of the shock cord through the clip  23  to tighten. When the bottle or container or object  3  is inserted and removed, the force of insertion or removal causes the shock cord  2  to spread apart, allowing the bottle or container or object to slide through the loop of the shock cord into or out of the stowage cavity  11 . If the user later so desires, he or she may loosen the clip  23  and add slack to the shock cord  2  so that the bottle or container or object  3  is easy to remove. In rough conditions a tighter-drawn shock cord  2  provides a more secure hold, while in calm conditions, a looser-drawn shock cord provides greater ease of removal. Additionally, since the user can loosen the shock cord  2  as necessary, it is easier to use the stowage cavity  11  to store other objects, such as sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. 
         [0033]    While the foregoing description has been with reference to particular embodiments and contemplated alternative embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes in these embodiments may be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. For example, the securing means may alternatively be a lock clip mounted to the lip  19  and spanning the main body  1 ; a rotatable finger mounted to the lip and pivotable to prevent dislodgment of an inserted bottle or container or object  3 ; a grab ring mounted or disposed within the stowage cavity  11  preferably in the region of the unflared portion of the main body; flexible barbs, ridges, or other grabbing extensions or a friction surface provided on the interior surface of the stowage cavity  11 ; a hinged cap attached to the lip  19 ; a Velcro strap; or other means known to persons skilled in the art for retaining an object in a stowage cavity. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention can only be ascertained with reference to the appended claims.