Abstract:
A boat propeller safety enclosure for the covering of the propeller of a boat during road transportation, which enhances the ability of those following the trailered boat to avoid contact with the propeller, is provided. This enclosure has a cinchable opening for ease of attachment and removal and for tightly fitting about a propeller. A reflective and/or brightly colored surface is provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the field of boat safety devices. More specifically, this invention relates to safety enclosures adapted to fit over the propeller during the transport of the motorboat out of the water. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A variety of devices have been proposed to provide covers, enclosures or other accessories that are designed to be placed on or around the drive unit of a motorboat. However, generally such devices do not provide minimal air resistance while ensuring visual cues to traffic followers of the transported motorboat. 
     The reader is referred to the following U.S. patent documents for general background material. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,875 describes a cover for covering the propeller and rear drive assembly of an outboard-inboard motorboat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,795 describes a protective cover for the lower portion of an outboard motor. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,233 describes a portable, safety hull cover for a marine vessel or the like which may be quickly deployed from a vessel which has sustained hull damage that destroys the water-tight integrity of the hull. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,909 describes a cover designed for the majority of MerCrusier inboard/outboard motor bell housings, which is conveniently attached using the existing studs exposed when the lower unit is removed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,673 describes an outboard motor cowl assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,267 describes a yieldable protective mounting mechanism for trolling motors that incorporates a mounting base that is fixed to the deck structure or the stern structure of a small boat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,358 describes a marine propeller theft deterrent system designed for use on a conventional propeller assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,949 describes an apparatus for protectively covering an outcropping, such as a motor prop of a boat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,372 describes an outboard motor cover assembly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,409 describes a marine apparatus comprising a boat hull, including opposed walls extending generally in the fore and aft direction, and a mounting bracket connected to the walls for supporting a propulsion unit for pivotal movement relative to the boat about a generally horizontal axis. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,262 describes a propeller enclosure for enclosing a skeg and propeller. The invention includes a fence portion, which defines a first chamber. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,193 describes a hand-insertable, rigid plastic cover for use with an individual boat blade of a propeller of an in-board or outboard boat motor wherein each cover of the invention is integrally formed as a single unit using of a conventional plastic material such as polyethylene. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,511 describes a marine apparatus that comprises a boat, including a hull, an outboard motor, and mounted on the hull for pivotal movement relative thereto between a trimmed-in position, a tilted-up portion, and a trimmed-out position between the trimmed-in position and the tilted-up position, a cover which extends above the propulsion unit and which is mounted on the hull for movement relative thereto. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,886 describes an outboard-motor-mounted safety light apparatus for an outboard motor and includes an electrical lamp assembly, and attachment assembly, and an electrical power connection. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,136 describes a collapsible cover for the drive unit of an outboard or stern drive boat. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,975 describes a reflective propeller safety cover comprising a bag having a flat bottom wall and a side wall peripherally coupled thereto and extended therefrom to define a hollow interior sized for holding a propeller of a motor boat and a mouth for allowing access to the interior for receiving a propeller. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,955 describes a cover used for boat drive units, at least portions of which are disposed outside the hull of a boat. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is desirable to provide a motorboat propeller safety enclosure. It is particularly desirable to provide a motorboat propeller safety enclosure that provides a visual cue to followers in traffic thereby helping to avoid collisions between trailered and towed motorboats and following vehicles in traffic. It is also desirable to provide a motorboat propeller safety enclosure that has minimal air resistance and facilitates the evacuation of water from the enclosure. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an enclosure adapted to enclose the propeller rotor of a motorboat that enhances the visibility of the propeller when the trailered boat is being towed. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide an enclosure adapted to enclose the propeller rotor of a motorboat, which includes a highly visible feature. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide an enclosure adapted to enclose the propeller rotor of a motorboat, which made of mesh material in order to minimize air resistance and water containment. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide an enclosure adapted to enclose the propeller rotor of a motorboat, which includes a device for easily attaching, detaching and reattaching the enclosure about the rotor. 
     Additional objects, advantages, and other novel features of this invention will be set forth in part in the description, drawings and claims that follows, and it part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of this invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Still other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description wherein there is shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out this invention. As it will be realized, this invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details, and specific electronic circuits, are capable of modification in various aspects without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
     To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, the enclosure of this invention is made of a bright mesh material and may include a reflective strip or region. The means for fixing the enclosure about the propeller rotor is, in one embodiment, a slip-lock fastener, and, in another embodiment, a hook and loop fastener. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Some, although not all, alternative embodiments are described in the following description. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention as installed on a representative motorboat propeller. 
     FIG. 2 is a first end view of a present preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a second end view of the present preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the present preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a first end view of an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a second end view of the alternative embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the alternative embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This invention is a device for enclosing the propeller of a motorboat during road transport of a trailered boat, which provides visual safety cue for the drivers of vehicles following the trailered boat down the road. In the preferred embodiments of this invention the cover of this invention has a reflective surface, pattern or in the alternative a brightly colored material that enhances the visibility of the cover. The cover of this invention preferably is also provided with a device for fixing the cover about the propeller. 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment  101  of the invention as installed on a representative motorboat propeller  100 . The motor  102  having a propeller  100  attached in the standard manner is shown with the cover  101  fixed in place about the propeller  100 . The cover  101  has a central panel  103 , which is made of a bright colored material or more preferably a reflective material. The cover  101  is made a flexible cloth or cloth-like material, preferably selected from canvas, vinyl, nylon, denim and other heavy weight materials. The central panel  103  is preferably made from reflective material or in the alternative is painted with reflective or brightly colored paint. The first side  104  is held in a generally circular shape by a hard panel insert  300 . The insert  300  is cut to a generally circular shape and is preferably made of a hard plastic sheet. Alternative embodiments of this invention may use an insert made of a Plexiglas, metal, rubber or a synthetic material. The preferred material of the insert  300  will be generally water resistant, with good strength and high rigidity. 
     FIG. 2 shows the first side  104  view of the first present preferred embodiment  101  of the invention. This view shows that the preferred cover  101  of this invention has a top panel  201  and a bottom panel  202  separated by the reflective panel  103 . In alternative embodiments of this invention, the reflective panel  103  may be replaced with bright or reflective writing or symbology. 
     FIG. 3 shows the second end or rear view of the first present preferred embodiment  101  of the invention. The side panel  301  is shown with an opening  302  for receiving the propeller  100 . The insert  300  is shown within the cover  101 , visible through the opening  302 . A cinch region  303  surrounds the opening  302  and is adapted to be easily opened further and or cinched tight. The present preferred cinch region  303  is a loop of fabric with string, lace or rope segment  305  or the like within the loop of fabric with the ends of the segment  305  extending out of an opening  304  in the cinch region  303 . Preferably, a releasable cinch lock  306  is attached to the segment  305  to provide a way to easily lock the segment  305  in place and to maintain the size of the opening  302 . In alternative embodiments the opening  301  size may be maintained by simply tying the segment  305  ends together. 
     FIG. 4 shows the side view of the present preferred embodiment  101  of the invention. This view shows the generally conic shape of this embodiment  101  of the invention when installed on a propeller  100  with the cinch region  303  tightened. The panel insert  300  serves to create a flat first side  104  and a circular side  401 . A second opening  402  may also be provided to facilitate drainage. 
     FIG. 5 shows a first end view of a preferred alternative embodiment  501  of the invention. This embodiment  501  is made of a nylon or other similar mesh material and is typically provided without the insert panel. 
     FIG. 6 shows a second end view of the preferred alternative embodiment  501  of the invention. This view shows the side section  601 , the cinch region  603 , which is preferably similar to the cinch region  303  of the first embodiment  101 . The size of the propeller  100  receiving opening  602  is defined by the cinch region  603 , which in turn is preferably held in place by a string segment  605 , the ends of which extend through an opening and are locked by a segment lock  606 . 
     FIG. 7 shows a side view of the preferred alternative embodiment  501  of the invention and shows that this embodiment when installed on a propeller  100  and cinched tightly tends to adopt the general shape of the propeller. 
     The previous described preferred embodiments of the invention are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as restrictive. Although the embodiments shown describe particular components in particular connection configurations, the invention is not limited thereto. The scope of this invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All systems and devices, which come directly within the claims or within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are to be embraced as being within the scope of protection of this invention.