Patent Abstract:
A system for rope cleating is disclosed. A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include a cleating component, an anchoring component, and an exterior shell. In practice, the system may facilitate connecting a boat to a dock even if the boater is unfamiliar with proper nautical knots.

Full Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/672,470, filed Mar. 30, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/974,254 filed on Apr. 2, 2014 in the name of Russell W. White and Stanley M. Dufek entitled ROPE CLEATING SYSTEM, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The following disclosure relates to rope cleats, and more particularly to a rope cleating system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Generally speaking, rope cleats facilitate the securing of a rope to or around an object. Often, a cleat is attached to a dock, and a person ties a rope that is connected to a boat around the cleat. One example is a double horn cleat to which a person typically ties a cleat hitch knot. However, many boaters do not know how to tie proper knots like the cleat hitch knot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of a rope cleating system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure for improved performance. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a photographic style image that depicts use of a rope cleating system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a traditional double horned cleat with a rope secured using a cleat hitch knot. 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a traditional double horned cleat with a rope secured using an arbitrary knot that will not remain secure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As mentioned above, a rope cleat can be used to facilitate the securing of a rope to or around an object. One type of cleat, the double horned cleat, can often be found on boat docks. In many cases, the cleat is bolted or screwed to a wooden dock and made available to docking boats. In such a circumstance, the docking boat may have a rope tied to some portion of the boat. The end of the rope that is not tied to the boat may be used to tether the boat to the dock by wrapping the rope around the double horned cleat. As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , there can be significant differences in the type of knot used to tie off to the cleat.  FIG. 3A  illustrates a traditional double horned cleat with a rope secured using a cleat hitch knot. The knot depicted in  FIG. 3A  is an effective knot and should keep a tethered boat securely connected to the dock.  FIG. 3B  illustrates a traditional double horned cleat with a rope secured using an arbitrary knot that will not remain secure. 
     Many boaters lack the knot tying expertise necessary to safely secure a boat to an available double horned cleat. The cleating systems depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in addition to other potential benefits, could help these boaters to safely secure their boats to available docks. As mentioned above,  FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of a rope cleating system  100  that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure for improved performance. As shown, system  100  includes a cleating sleeve  102 , an anchoring sleeve  104 , and a floating shell  106 . Though system  100  is depicted in an exploded manner, one skilled in the art will recognize how system  100  may be connected into a unit. Moreover, one skilled in the art will recognize that the three-piece system could also be manufactured as a one-piece or a two-piece system. Similarly, a designer may elect to utilize a system with more than three pieces. 
     As shown, cleating sleeve  102  defines a generally elliptical opening  108  through which a rope may be doubled back upon itself. Cleating sleeve  102  also includes a member  109  and an end cap  110  that defines a shoulder  112  that may serve to help keep floating shell  106  in position when cleating sleeve  102  and anchoring sleeve  104  are connected. Cleating sleeve also includes a cleat opening  114  that defines three cleating locations indicated generally at  116 . In practice, a rope may pass through elliptical opening  108  (along the bottom of the opening), around anchoring sleeve  104  (as defined more fully below) and back through elliptical opening  108  (this time above the earlier passed rope). The tag end of the rope routed in such a way may then be pulled into cleat opening  114  and removably locked in place. 
     Cleating sleeve  102  also includes locking port  116 , which may interact with locking node  118  to help secure cleating sleeve  102  to anchoring sleeve  104 . In some instances, locking port  116  and locking node  118  may releasably connect sleeves  102  and  104 . For example, a designer may offer system  100  as a kit with more than one anchoring sleeves like sleeve  104 . Each of the sleeves included in such a kit may be sized for use with different diameters of rope. If a boater is using ⅜ inch rope, the boater may use an anchoring sleeve designed for ⅜ to ½ inch rope (for example). If the boater is using ⅝ inch rope, the boater may upsize to an anchoring sleeve designed for ropes larger than ½ inch. 
     As shown, anchoring sleeve  104  includes a dual port system  120 , which may allow for a separation of the rope as it passes into and out of anchoring sleeve  104 . Dual port system  120  (as depicted) extends through member  121  and includes deflection slits  122 , which facilitate the sliding of anchoring sleeve  104  or at least a portion of sleeve  104  into cleating sleeve  102 . In addition, deflection slits  122  may create a spring force that helps lock depicted locking node  118  into locking port  116 . Anchoring sleeve  104  may also include an end cap  124  that acts in a manner similar to end cap  110 . 
     As shown, dual port system  120  may include two holes that remain independent from one another and are formed all the way through anchoring sleeve  104 . Such a design may keep a rope passed through the bottom hole and then routed back through the top hole from being “pulled through” and accidently removed from system  100 . As shown, the holes of anchoring sleeve  104  may be specifically designed for a given diameter of rope. The holes may also be designed with some “slop” to allow for some flexibility in the diameter of rope used. For example, the holes may allow for the sliding through of a rope having a ⅜ inch diameter, a ½ inch diameter, or both. 
     System  100 , as depicted, also includes floating shell  106 , which surrounds cleating sleeve  102  and anchoring sleeve  104  when system  100  is snapped together. Though floating shell  106 , as depicted, is intended to provide buoyancy and to help system  100  float when in use, a given designer may choose to create floating shell  106  from a material that does not float. As shown, floating shell  106  is intended to float and to provide some give or impact resistance. As such, floating shell  106  may be formed from several different materials. For example, floating shell  106  may be formed from neoprene, sponge, foam, rubber, plastic, some other lightweight material, and/or a combination of materials. Similarly, cleating sleeve  102  and anchoring sleeve  104  may be formed from the same or different materials. In one example version of system  100 , cleating sleeve  102  and anchoring sleeve  104  may be formed from an extruded plastic material while floating shell  106  may be formed from a scuba foam, a fabric, a foam, a neoprene, or other high buoyancy material that facilitates screen printing on its exterior surface. 
     As depicted, floating shell  106  is sized to fit snugly around cleating sleeve  102  and anchoring sleeve  104  and to be held in place by end caps  110  and  124  when cleating sleeve  102  and anchoring sleeve  104  are connected to one another. In addition, floating shell  106  includes cut out  126 , which may help a user to pull the tag end of a rope into cleat opening  114  without undue interference from floating shell  106 . As shown, the generally elliptical cross section of cleating sleeve  102 , anchoring sleeve  104 , and the hole  128  formed through floating shell  106  may help to keep cut out  126  in position relative to cleat opening  114 . In addition, a designer may elect to include a printable location  130  on shell  106  to facilitate the inclusion of marketing, branding, and/or contact information, some or all of which may be printed and/or reproduced on shell  106 . 
     As indicated above, system  100  incorporates teachings of the present disclosure and represents one way a designer may choose to implement some teachings. Many things could be altered if a designer so chooses without departing from the present teachings. As mentioned above, the number of component parts within system  100  may be changed. Similarly, different materials may be chosen. Components of a system like system  100  may include, for example, one or more of a plastic material, a rubber material, a spandex material, a leather material, a neoprene material, a metal material, a wooden material, a woven material, and/or some other material that is suitable for performing the objectives of system  100 . 
     As indicated above,  FIG. 2  depicts a photographic style image of a rope cleating solution  200  that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure. As shown, a system  202 , which may be like system  100 , is shown in an assembled state. In addition, a rope  204  is shown as passing through system  202  around double horned cleat  206  and back through system  202 . Rope  204 , as depicted, has been seated into a cleating mechanism  208 , which may be similar to cleat opening  114 . The tag end  210  of rope  204  is shown as resting on a wooden dock  212  to which double horned cleat  206  is attached. 
     System  202  also depicts an outer shell  214 , which may be similar to floating shell  106 . As shown, outer shell  214  presents a printable surface  216  onto which the words “SeaRay” and “www.searay.com” are printed. The printing technique may include, for example, silk screen printing, embossing, branding, labeling, stamping, embroidering, etc., and/or some combination of these or other techniques. As shown, printable surface  216  may made from a material and offered in a size and shape that facilitates the inclusion of branding, marketing, and/or contact information, among other things. 
     In one offering, a system, like system  202 , may work with various standard rope diameters, may be made of some combination of soft, durable, and/or floating materials, and may provide a surface to add marketing and contact information. Such a system may, for example, help boaters who tie knots like the one depicted in  FIG. 3B  to safely and securely tether their boats to docks with double horned cleats. 
     A system incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may replace, add, or delete many of the above-described features and components without departing from the scope of the disclosure. One skilled in the art will recognize that the many of the above-described components could be combined or broken out into other combinations. 
     Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations to the devices, methods, and other aspects and techniques of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1