Patent Abstract:
A boat trailer that has a retractable display cover and support structure to fully enclose a sport boat during transport and provide multiple display surfaces for commercial endorsement indicia thereon. The trailer incorporates enclosure trailer frame panels with removable undercovers and selectively retractable cover frame with stressed flexible material panels and a storage access enclosure on an integrated boat support and launching frame.

Full Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/353,280, filed Feb. 13, 2006 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to small water craft trailers of the type that allow for transport launching and recovery of boats, such as fishing boats. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art trailers of this type have provided a variety of different configurations that include covers for the boat on the trailers, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,223,414, 4,767,132, 5,481,999, 5,549,438 and 6,447,038. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,414 a combined trailer and boat cover is disclosed having a trailer with single or multiple cover portions hinged from a support structure to overlie a boat positioned on the trailer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,132 is directed to an enclosed trailer for boats in which a support trailer frame having multiple sides, ends and top walls form a rigid enclosure for the boat removably positioned therewithin. Wall portions are movable for access to the boat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,999 claims a trailer mounted boat cover that uses a rigid forward shield from which a flexible cover is deployed over the surface of the boat on the trailer. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,438 is a universal covered trailer for boats which has multiple fixed sidewalls, end wall and integrated top of which a portion is pivoted as a hatchback like configuration for opening and access to the boat therewithin. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,038 is directed to an enclosed trailer for boats having a boat holding trailer frame with a widget integrated cover walled configuration that forms a shell enclosure over the boat and is removed by lifting the shell vertically off the trailer for access to the boat therein by a pulley and line system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A self-contained boat trailer with a retractable self-supporting flexible canopy having surface display areas for commercial indicia thereon. The trailer frame has a pair of rigid angularly disposed enclosed sidewalls defining a deployment and support tracks for a movable segmented canopy support frame with integral flexible interconnected fabric panels therebetween. Secondary flexible protection panels are removably secured along the bottom of the boat support frame providing for an enclosure covered configuration with a retractable display canopy. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a trailer in accordance with the present invention in a partial open access position; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is an end elevational view of the boat access end of the enclosed trailer with portions broken away for illustration; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged end elevational view of a guide track and frame roller support assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the enclosed trailer of the invention with portions broken away; and 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the enclosed trailer of the invention in use with a boat illustrated thereon. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3  and  5  of the drawings, an enclosed boat trailer  10  of the invention can be seen having a trailer portion  11  and a canopy portion  12 . The trailer portion  11  has a metal frame  13  with a pair of wheel and axle assemblies  14  and  15  secured thereto; the frame  13  has oppositely disposed longitudinally extending covered side frame walls  16  and  17  which are in angular inclination to one another. Each of the side frame walls  16  and  17  have spaced parallel rails  18  with transverse ribs  19  therebetween and rigid cover panels  20  on their exterior surface. The respective side frame walls  16  and  17  are interconnected by a plurality of transversely extending parallel cross members  21  which are contoured defining a generally V-shaped construction as best seen in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. 
     Pairs of boat engagement guide slide planks  22  and  23  extend in spaced parallel relation to one another longitudinally inward from the access end  24  of the trailer  10 . Guide slide plank pairs  22  and  23  are mounted on support spacers  25  on the respective cross members  21  and ribs  19  extending transversely thereacross. The guide slide plank pairs  22  extends longitudinally to a transverse rib  19 A while the slide plank pair  23  extends therebeyond over the wheel and axle assembly  15  to the wheel and axle assembly  14  and provides full support for the positioning of a boat, not shown, to be slidably positioned thereon as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     It will be evident from the foregoing description that the covered angular inclined side frame walls  16  and  17  will extend vertically beyond the typical boat trailer frame (not shown) to provide, in essence, protective screens for the lower portion of the boat  26  positioned on the guide slide plank pairs  22  and  23  within the trailer  10 . 
     Each of the outer most rails  18  of the respective side frame walls  16  and  17  having a canopy guide channel  27  formed therein, as best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4  of the drawings. 
     The guide channel  27  has vertically aligned dual registration tracks  28 A and  28 B therewithin for registerable engagement with guide wheels  29 . 
     Multiple U-shaped canopy ribs  30  have oppositely disposed spaced parallel vertical members  31  each of which have the canopy guide wheel  29  rotatably positioned on their respective free ends. Top support members  32  interconnect to corresponding transversely aligned vertical rib members  31  forming the completed U-shaped canopy rib structure  30 . 
     The flexible sheet fabric panels  33  are secured to and extend between the canopy ribs  30  defining large display side surfaces  34  on each side thereof with an integral top surface  36  when in extended position as seen in  FIG. 6  of the drawings. The multiple canopy ribs  30  and interconnected fabric panels  33  define a retractable collapsible enclosure for the trailer that extends from an enclosed front toe portion  37  to a boat access end portion  24  when fully deployed as seen in  FIG. 6  of the drawings. 
     The enclosed front toe portion  37  is defined and is formed where the frame  13  extends beyond the hereinbefore described frame sidewalls  16  and  17  as a generally horizontally disposed structure. 
     Angularly disposed side rails  38 A and  38 B are interconnected by an end rail  39  from which a trailer hitch tongue assembly  40  which longitudinally extends therethrough, as noted. 
     A boat bow engagement roller and winch assembly  41  within a portion of the frame  13  of the enclosed front toe end portion  37  defined by the hereinbefore described rails  38 A and  38 B, end rail  39  and the hitch tongue assembly  40  which in combination define an intermediate frame support structure. 
     An extensible hitch support wheel assembly  40 A secured to the frame elements of the toe portion  37  as is known within the art for trailer support when not attached to a tow vehicle (not shown). 
     The enclosed front toe portion  37  has enclosure sidewalls  42 A and  42 B, end wall  42 C and an integral top portion  42 D with an access door  43  in the sidewall  42 A. 
     In operation, the canopy ribs  30  of the trailer  10  move laterally within the respective and hereinbefore described corresponding guide channels  27  from the enclosed front toe portion  37  longitudinally the length of the hereinbefore described support frame retained to a fully closed “display” position. A flexible fabric end closure panel  44  is removably secured to an access end rib  30 A of the canopy ribs  30  closing over the boat  26  as seen in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5  of the drawings, a pair of removable cloth bottom covers  45 A and  45 B can be seen in position on the trailer frame  10  as being selectively and removably secured longitudinally on the bottom transverse of the trailer ribs  19  and the respective inner rails  18  of the side frame walls  16  and  17 . 
     The covers  45 A and  45 B extend from the perspective inner rails  18  leaving a longitudinal opening at  47  the length of the trailer  10  therebetween. 
     The display side surface area  34  on the fabric panels  33  provide space for advertising indicia associated with sponsorship of professional fishing tournaments which will be visible anytime the canopy is closed, that is deployed over the trailer  10  thereby expanding the respective inner engaging panel sections  33  between the canopy ribs  30  as illustrated in  FIG. 6  of the drawings. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel boat trailer configuration has been illustrated and described which includes an integrated semi-enclosed closure system for the trailer and the boat associated therewith in which display sponsorship indicia can be easily and effectively applied to the outer canopy surfaces with a unique combination of an enclosed trailer configuration which protects the boat as well as providing sponsorship surfaces thereon.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1