Patent Publication Number: US-2022212765-A1

Title: Personal Watercraft Rotisserie

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/133,499 filed on Jan. 4, 2021. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a personal watercraft rotisserie. More specifically, the present invention provides a personal watercraft rotisserie that adjustably supports a personal watercraft such that it can be rotated about its lengthwise axis, allowing an individual to access all areas of the personal watercraft when performing repairs or maintenance. 
     Personal watercraft such as jet skis, wave runners, and the like are used by many individuals for recreational purposes. Because they are smaller and more lightweight than a traditional larger watercraft, personal watercraft can be transported, stored, and maintained easier. However, even the smallest personal watercraft are still heavy enough to require multiple individuals or machine assistance to move or position the personal watercraft. When repairs, general inspections, or maintenance is required, an individual must often access different areas of the personal watercraft, including the lower hull. It can be difficult to support or position the personal watercraft in such a way that the lower hull and other hard to reach areas are easily accessible. Some individuals may choose to utilize a crane or similar device to support the personal watercraft in an upright, raised position. This positioning only allows an individual to access the lower hull from beneath the personal watercraft, which can be dangerous if the personal watercraft not secured or supported correctly. Further, the individual may experience fatigue and strain due to the awkward angle required to access the lower hull from below. In order to address these concerns, the present invention provides a personal watercraft rotisserie that effectively secures and supports a personal watercraft while allowing it to be adjusted to a desired rotational position. 
     Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to personal watercraft rotisseries. These include devices that have been patented and disclosed in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have several drawbacks. For example, the devices in the known art typically lack an upper frame that provides even weight distribution for a supported personal watercraft. As such, these devices are more prone to failure. Additionally, the smaller mounting points can damage the personal watercraft. Further, the devices in the known art lack adjustable strap mounts for effectively securing the personal watercraft in a safe manner. The present invention improves upon the devices in the known art by providing additional structural and functional securement mechanisms that improve safety and overall effectiveness. 
     In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing personal watercraft support devices, particularly with regard to the above-described need for a personal watercraft rotisserie having a more safe and secure supporting frame that can be easily rotatably adjusted to a desired position. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a personal watercraft rotisserie wherein the same can be utilized for effectively and safely supporting a personal watercraft at a desired rotational angle to easily access all areas of the personal watercraft for inspection, repairs, maintenance, or other purposes. The personal watercraft rotisserie generally includes a lower frame including a pair of longitudinal members and a pair of lateral members, a support structure affixed to each lateral member of the lower frame, and an upper frame including a pair of longitudinal members and a pair of lateral members, wherein each lateral member of the upper frame is rotatably coupled to the support structures, such that the upper frame is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. A locking mechanism is configured to selectively secure the upper frame in a fixed position relative to the lower frame. This allows an individual to support a personal watercraft at a desired angle in a safe and secure manner. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the locking mechanism from an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie. 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross sectional view of the locking mechanism from an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie supporting a personal watercraft that is rotated to an upright position. 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie supporting a personal watercraft that is rotated to an upside-down position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the personal watercraft rotisserie. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for supporting a personal watercraft in a desired position. As used herein, the term “personal watercraft” and its abbreviation “PWC” may refer to any watercraft that a rider sits or stands on, as opposed to within, as in a traditional boat. While an exemplary use of the present invention is to support a personal watercraft, the present invention is not limited to such use, and can be utilized to support any object that is capable of being secured thereto at a desired angle or rotational position. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie. The personal watercraft rotisserie includes a lower frame  10  comprising a pair of longitudinal members  12  and a pair of lateral members  11 , which define a generally rectangular shape in the shown embodiment, with an open center area. The longitudinal members  12  and lateral members  11  can be permanently or removably affixed to one another via any suitable means, including but not limited to welding or removable fasteners. In the shown embodiment the longitudinal members  12  and lateral members  11  are fixed in length, but other embodiments may include telescopically adjustable longitudinal members  12  and lateral members  11 , which would allow the personal watercraft rotisserie to adjust in size to accommodate and effectively support different types and sizes of personal watercraft or other objects. In the shown embodiment, the lower frame  10  also includes multiple wheels  13  affixed thereto. This allows the user to easily move or transport the personal watercraft rotisserie. The wheels  13  may include pivoting castor mounts to allow the personal watercraft rotisserie to roll in any direction. Further, the wheels  13  may include wheel lock mechanisms to selectively prevent motion of the personal watercraft rotisserie when it is in use. 
     A support structure is affixed to each lateral member  11  of the lower frame  10 . In the shown embodiment, each support structure includes a pair of struts  14  each affixed at a lower end to one of the lateral members  12  of the lower frames  10 , such that the struts  14  extend upwardly at an angle to converge at an apex, defining an A-frame. This provides a stable and secure load-bearing mounting point for securing an upper frame  20  to the support structure. The upper frame  20  includes a pair of longitudinal members  22  and a pair of lateral members  21 , defining a similar shape and structure to the lower frame  10 . While shown as fixed in length, the upper longitudinal members  22  and lateral members  21  may also be telescopically adjustable in some embodiments. Each lateral member  11  of the upper frame is rotatably coupled to the support structures, such that the upper frame  20  is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. This allows individuals to rotate a personal watercraft supported on the upper frame  20  to a desired position. A locking mechanism  30  is configured to selectively secure the upper frame  20  in a fixed position relative to the lower frame  10 , thereby maintaining a supported personal watercraft in a desired position. 
     The upper frame  20  further includes a plurality of rollers  24 . The rollers  24  are configured to support a personal watercraft such that a lower hull of the personal watercraft extends downwardly through an open center area defined by a perimeter of the upper frame  20 , which is shown in  FIG. 4 . The rollers  24  can include a foam material so as not to damage a supported personal watercraft. In other embodiments, other supports or mounting points for the personal watercraft may be utilized. For example, additional straps may extend across the open center area of the upper frame  20  to provide further support for a personal watercraft. Further, the shown embodiment includes ratcheting strap mounts  23  that can adjustably receive a strap or similar fastener. The strap can be wrapped around the personal watercraft to effectively secure it to the upper frame  20  no matter the rotational position of the upper frame  20 . In other embodiments, other types of fasteners or mounting points may be utilized to secure the personal watercraft to the upper frame  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , there is shown a perspective view of the locking mechanism from an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie and a cross-sectional view of the locking mechanism from an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie, respectively. In the shown embodiment, each lateral member  21  of the upper frame  20  includes an attached mounting pin  31  that extends into a mounting sleeve  32  affixed to each of the support structures at the upper end of the struts  14 , such that the mounting pin  31  is rotatable within the mounting sleeve  32 . This attaches the upper frame  20  to the support structures and allows for rotation to a desired position. 
     The locking mechanism in the shown embodiment includes a locking disk  35  affixed to the lateral member  21  of the upper frame  20 . The locking disk  35  includes apertures  36  around its circumference that receive a locking pin  33 . The locking pin  33  is slidably mounted to the one of the support structures. In the shown embodiment, the locking pin  33  is slidably inserted within a locking pin sleeve  34  attached to the upper side of the frame mounting pin sleeve  32 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , which shows a cross sectional view of the locking mechanism, the locking pin  33  extends through one of the apertures  36  to prevent rotational movement of the upper frame  20 . 
     To adjust the rotational position of the upper frame  20 , the user pulls the locking pin  33  out of the aperture  36 , rotates the upper frame  20  to the desired position, and reinserts the locking pin  33  into the new aperture  36 . In the shown embodiment, the locking pin further comprises a handle projection on a distal end thereof which makes it easier to grasp and actuate. Further, in some embodiments, the locking pin sleeve  34  includes an internal spring that biases the locking pin  33  toward the locking disk  35 . This prevents the locking pin  33  from accidentally being dislodged when the personal watercraft rotisserie is in use, thereby enhancing overall safety when using the personal watercraft rotisserie. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie supporting a personal watercraft that is rotated to an upright position and a perspective view of an embodiment of the personal watercraft rotisserie supporting a personal watercraft that is rotated to an upside-down position, respectively. In operation, the user can position the personal watercraft  40  at any desired rotational angle. For example, in the upright position the user can access the upper hull  41 . While not shown, straps extend through the strap mounts  23  to secure the personal watercraft to the upper frame  20 . Additional straps may be affixed to the upper frame  20  to support the lower hull  41  of the personal watercraft, while personal watercraft  40  is supported on the support rollers  24  to provide a stable yet adjustable mounting option. The upper frame  20  can be rotated to a desired position when the locking pin  30  is disengaged from the locking disk. The user can then reinsert the locking pin  30  to secure the upper frame  20  in the desired position. In this way, the user can easily access the upper hull  41 , lower hull  42 , or any other area of the personal watercraft  40 . Though not shown, some embodiments may include a step or similar attachment affixed to the lateral or longitudinal members of the lower frame. An individual may stand on the step to increase their effective height, allowing them to reach further across the supported personal watercraft to access difficult to reach areas from one end of the rotisserie. 
     It is therefore submitted that the present invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.