Patent Publication Number: US-9896169-B2

Title: Landing watercraft boat hull with push knees and side bumper assemblies

Description:
This application is based on and claims the filing date benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application (Application No. 62/131,991) filed on Mar. 12, 2015. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to extension arms for a vehicle used to push other objects that protect the pushing vehicle against impacts and more particularly to such extension arms used on a landing watercraft boat hull with a forward extending loading door and protective side bumpers collars. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Landing watercraft boat hulls typically include a rigid landing door that covers a landing door opening formed on the bow. The landing door is longitudinally aligned on the hull and configured to swing forward and downward to form a ramp for loading and unload cargo and passengers from the boat. The landing door, the hinge mechanism and the door opening must be protected so a tight seal is maintained around the landing door and the door opening formed on the hull when the landing door is closed. 
     Operators of landing watercraft who participate in sea rescue and patrol activities sometimes find it desirable to use their watercraft to push other boats or objects. Because the front edge of the hull on a typically landing watercraft is straight, the watercraft are not used as a pushing vehicle because of the unpredictable movement of the landing watercraft and the boat or objects in rough seas or high wind that may cause damage to the boats or objects and cause personal injury. Even in calm seas or light winds, operators are reluctant to use their watercraft to push boats or other objects because of the potential damage that may be done to the hull&#39;s landing door and door opening at the front edge of the hull. 
     Because landing watercrafts are temporarily positioned or moored against other boats or docks, they often include built-in side bumpers along the gunwales on the port and starboard sides. The side bumpers usually begin at the stern and extend the entire length of the hull and terminate near the front edge of the bow. The front ends of the side bumpers near the front edge of the bow are especially susceptible to being snagged or torn by other boats or docks. 
     What is needed is a landing watercraft hull with a forward extending landing door with securely attached pushing elements that extend forward from the hull that allow the hull to be used to push boats or other objects and to protect the landing door and door against impacts when the hull is used to push against other boats or objects. What is also needed is a holder that protects the front edges of the side bumpers that terminate near the front edge of the hull from being snagged, torn or disconnected from the bow. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These and other objects of the invention are met by a landing watercraft boat hull with a front, axially aligned landing door and at least two forward extending push knees on opposite sides of the door opening. Each push knee includes a vertical rigid frame securely mounted or welded to the bow of the hull. The rigid frame is aligned parallel to and located laterally equal distances from the boat hull&#39;s longitudinal axis. The rigid frame includes a top edge, an intermediate curved section, a front edge, a flat inside surface and a flat outside surface. 
     The boat hull is either a mono hull with two forward projecting hull sections or a catamaran hull with two forward extending forks. Both hull designs include a flat span deck that varies in size and shape depending on the type of hull and the hull size. A forward extending square or rectangular-shaped landing door is pivotally mounted along its lower edge to hinges located near the sides of the hull or near the front edge of the span deck. 
     The rigid frame is a plate-like structure vertically aligned with the hull&#39;s vertical axis. The center axis of the rigid frame is approximately aligned with the top deck so that its upper portion extends above the gunwale or deck and its lower portion extends below the gunwale or deck. The rigid frame&#39;s front edge is vertically aligned and substantially perpendicular to the hull&#39;s longitudinal axis. The rigid frame&#39;s curved intermediate section and front edge extend forward ahead of the top edge of the landing door at least 12 inches depending on the size of the hull. Attached to and extending over the rigid frames top edge, curved section and the front edge is a complimentary-shaped front bumper. 
     Mounted on or attached to the outside surface of the rigid frame is a rearward extending side bumper receiver that includes a rigid shell cover that extends laterally and rearward from the rigid frame. The front edge of the shell cover is integrally formed or mounted to the rigid frame and includes a rear opening configured to receive the distal end of a side bumper that extends longitudinally over the sides of the hull. During assembly, the distal end of the side bumper is inserted into rear opening. 
     Mounted inside the shell cover adjacent to the rear opening are optional upper and lower clips that engage upper and lower grooves commonly found on side bumpers. During assembly, the upper and lower clips engage the upper and lower grooves to securely hold the distal end of the side bumper inside the shell cover. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a landing water craft that includes a hull with a front landing door, two integrated or mounted, forward extending push knees, and two full extending side collars that connect to conical shell covers formed on each push knee. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the landing water craft shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partial, top plan view of the bow of the hull shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the bow shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the bow shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged, side elevational view of the bow showing the push knee and the distal end of a side collar interconnecting. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional side elevational view of the L-shaped front bumper attached to rigid frame. 
         FIG. 8  is a partial top plan view of one push knee and one collar. 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional side elevational view of the collar mounted on the side of the hull just below the gunwale. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     There is shown in the accompanying  FIGS. 1-7  and is a watercraft  10  that includes a landing watercraft boat hull  12  with a front landing opening  50  formed on the bow  40  with a pivoting landing door  60  that closes over the landing opening  50  formed on a span deck  20  located between two front bow sections  42 ,  44 . Formed or attached to the bow  40  are two forward extending push knees  100  that extend from the front edge of the bow  40  on opposite sides of the hull&#39;s longitudinal axisl 3 , (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     The two push knees  100  are mirror images of each other and aligned vertically and parallel. As shown more clearly in  FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 , each push knee  100  includes a vertical rigid frame  102  that has a flat top edge  104 , a curved top/front edge  106 , a vertical front edge  108 , a planar outside surface  110 , and a planar inside surface  112 . The rigid frame  102  is positioned on the hull  12  to that its top edge is located above the gunwale  15  or  17  four to twelve inches and the vertical front edge  108  is sufficient in length so its lower edge extends below the gunwale  15  or  17  four to twelve inches. Attached to the rigid frame&#39;s top edge  104  and extending over the top/front edge  106 , and the vertical front edge  108  is an L-shaped front bumper  130 . The vertical leg  132  of the front bumper  130  is disposed in front of the front edge of the bow  40  and is sufficient in length to enable the hull  12  to safely push against other hulls or objects without contacting the upper edge of the landing door  60  when the landing door  60  is closed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the front bumpers  130  are attached to the top edges  104  of the rigid frames  102  via countersunk threaded connectors  136  that connect to threaded bores  139  formed on the rigid frames  102 . 
     The hull  12  also includes two elongated side bumpers  150  mounted on the hull&#39;s starboard and port sides  14 ,  16  and slightly below the gunwales  15  and  17 , respectively. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , each side bumper  150  includes a one-half spherical outer surface  152  with a flat inside surface  154 . During assembly, the inside surface  154  is placed against the outside surface of the side of the hull  12 . Each side bumper  150  includes an upper longitudinally aligned upper groove  152  and a lower groove  154 . The proximal end  156  of the side bumper  150  attaches to a receiver clip  160  mounted near the stern  21  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Attached to the outside surface  110  of each rigid frame  102  is a side bumper receiver  140  that includes a rigid shell cover  142  that extends laterally and diagonally rearward from the rigid frame  102 . The shell cover  142  includes a rear opening  146  in which the distal end  158  of a side bumper  150  is inserted to hold and protect the distal end  158  and thereby prevent detachment. The shell cover  142  is aligned approximately to the rigid frame&#39;s midline axis so that rear opening  146  is aligned with the side bumper  130 . 
     Located adjacent to or inside the rear opening  146  is an upper L-shaped clip  166  and a lower clip  170 . The clips  166  and  170  are attached to the outside surface of the hull and spaced apart a sufficient distance to engage upper and lower grooves  152 ,  154  formed on the side bumpers  150  to securely hold them inside the rear opening  146 . 
     The push knees  100  are made of steel or aluminum welded or connected to the hull  12 . The shell covers  142  are also made of steel or aluminum welded or connected to the outside surface of the rigid frames  102 . The shell covers  142  are approximately 4 to 8 inches in length. 
     In embodiment shown in the drawings, the watercraft hull  12  is 22 to 36 feet in length and 9 to 10 feet in width. The span deck  20  is approximately 3 to 5 feet in width and 1 to 3 feet in length. The landing door  60  is approximately 3 to 5 feet in length and 3 to 5 feet width. The push knees  100  are approximately 2 to 3 feet in length. The top edges  104  of the rigid frame  102  are approximately 6 to 8 inches above the gunwale. The front edges  108  extends approximately 6 to 18 inches in front of the hull  12 . The side bumpers  150  are approximately 8 inches in width and approximately 20 to 34 feet in length. 
     Using the above described push knees  100 , a method for protecting the landing door  60  on a landing watercraft boat hull  12  and holding the distal end of a side bumper  150  attached to the side of the watercraft boat hull  12  is disclosed, comprising the following steps: 
     a. selecting a two forward extending push knees  100  configured to be attached on said hull and located on opposite sides of said landing door opening  50 , each said push knee  100  includes a rigid frame  102  that includes a top edge  104 , a front edge  106 , an outside surface  110  and an inside surface  112 , each said push knee  100  also includes a front bumper  130  that extends over said front edge  106  of said rigid frame  102  , said rigid frame  102  and said front edge  106  configured to extend forward from said bow of said boat hull to protect said landing door against impacts, each said rigid frame  102  also includes a shell cover  142  formed on or mounted to said outside surface  110  of said rigid frame  102 , said shell cover  142  extends laterally and diagonally rearward from the rigid frame  102  when said rigid frame  102  is attached to said bow, said shell cover  142  includes a rear opening  146 ; 
     b. attaching said push knees  100  to said hull  12 , said push knees  100  are aligned with said rigid frames  102  aligned vertical and parallel and spaced apart on opposite sides of said landing door  60  and with said shell covers  142  extends laterally and diagonally rearward from the rigid frame  102 ; and, 
     c. inserting the distal end  152  of each said side bumper  150  into said rear opening  146  formed on said shell cover  142 . 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention described has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown comprises the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted under the doctrine of equivalents.