Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE 
       [0001]    This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/261,712, filed Oct. 30, 2008, which claims priority to International Application No. PCT/US2008/062024, filed Apr. 30, 2008, the entirety of both of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to trailers used to transport watercraft, and more specifically to releasable watercraft connectors for such trailers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In order to transport a watercraft from one body of water to another, or between a body of water and a storage location, trailers that can be hitched to a motorized wheeled vehicle are often used. Typically, the trailer is backed down a ramp (either man-made or natural) at least partially into the water. The watercraft is then driven onto the trailer such that the watercraft sits on support structures of the trailer. In most such trailers, the watercraft is guided and aligned onto the trailer by the support structures which are adapted to engage the hull of the watercraft. These structures can consist of one or more beams or rollers. The watercraft is then secured to the trailer as described in greater detail below. Finally, the trailer and watercraft are pulled out of the water using the motorized vehicle. 
         [0004]    A winch system located at the front of the trailer is typically used to secure the watercraft to the trailer. The winch system usually consists of a winch having a cable and a hook attached to the end of the cable. When the watercraft is at least partially engaged onto the trailer, a hook is attached to an eyelet on the hull of the watercraft. The winch is then actuated so as to pull the watercraft completely on the trailer. 
         [0005]    To release the watercraft from the trailer, once the trailer is backed down a ramp at least partially into the water the winch is actuated so as to provide some slack in the cable to permit the hook to be easily removed from the eyelet in the hull. The watercraft can then be pushed off the trailer. 
         [0006]    Although the winch system properly secures the watercraft to the trailer, it requires that the driver of the watercraft get off the watercraft to secure the hook. Similarly, to release the watercraft the driver needs to be off the watercraft. 
         [0007]    Alternatively, the driver can be on the watercraft as long as another person is available to use the winch system. In either case it means that the driver or the other person, as the case may be, most likely needs to get in the water to secure and release the watercraft. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, when the driver of the watercraft is the one securing the watercraft, there is a possibility that the watercraft could start drifting away from the trailer between the time the driver gets off the watercraft and the time the driver makes it to the winch system and is ready to secure the watercraft. A similar problem can occur when the driver of the watercraft releases the watercraft from the trailer. 
         [0009]    Therefore, there is a need for a watercraft trailer having a device that can be used to secure a watercraft to a watercraft trailer and that does not require the driver or another person to move to the front of the trailer to manually connect the device to the watercraft in order to secure the watercraft to the trailer. 
         [0010]    There is also a need for a watercraft trailer having a device that can be used to secure a watercraft to a watercraft trailer and that does not require the driver or another person to move to the front of the trailer to manually disconnect the device from the watercraft in order to release the watercraft from the trailer. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least some of the inconveniences present in the prior art. 
         [0012]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of securing a watercraft to a watercraft trailer having a releasable connector. 
         [0013]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of releasing a watercraft from a watercraft trailer having a releasable connector. 
         [0014]    In another aspect, the invention provides a method of securing a watercraft to a watercraft trailer. The method comprises driving the watercraft in a watercraft receiving portion of the trailer; moving a lever towards a front of the trailer in response to a hull of the watercraft coming into contact with the lever; and retaining a pin connected to the hull of the watercraft in response to the lever moving towards the front of the trailer. 
         [0015]    In an additional aspect, moving the lever towards the front of the trailer includes pivoting the lever towards the front of the trailer in response to the hull of the watercraft coming into contact with the lever. 
         [0016]    In a further aspect, retaining the pin connected to the hull of the watercraft in response to the lever moving towards the front of the trailer includes retaining the pin with a hook connected to the lever and pivoting together with the lever towards the front of the trailer. The method further comprises locking the hook in position once the pin is engaged. 
         [0017]    In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of releasing a watercraft from a watercraft trailer, the watercraft being secured to the watercraft trailer by a releasable connector. The method comprises actuating an actuator disposed to one side of a watercraft receiving portion of the trailer; and moving the releasable connector to an unlocked position in response to the actuation of the actuator thus releasing a pin connected to the hull of the watercraft from the releasable connector. 
         [0018]    In an additional aspect, the actuator includes a cable connected to the releasable connector; and actuating the actuator includes pulling on the cable. 
         [0019]    For purposes of this application, the end of the trailer having the hitch coupler should be understood as corresponding to the front end of the trailer and the terms related to spatial orientation such as forwardly, rearwardly, left, and right, are as they would accordingly be understood. 
         [0020]    Embodiments of the present invention each have at least one of the above-mentioned objects and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspects of the present invention that have resulted from attempting to attain the above-mentioned objects may not satisfy these objects and/or may satisfy other objects not specifically recited herein. 
         [0021]    Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as other aspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view, taken from a rear, right side, of a first embodiment of a watercraft trailer; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a left side elevation view of the trailer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the trailer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view of the trailer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is top plan view of the trailer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the trailer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a left side elevation view of the trailer of  FIG. 1  with a personal watercraft supported thereon; 
           [0030]      FIG. 8  is a left side elevation view of the trailer and watercraft of  FIG. 7  with the trailer being disposed on a ramp; 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  is a rear elevation view of the trailer and watercraft of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the trailer and watercraft of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view, taken from a front, right side, of a second embodiment of a watercraft trailer; 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the trailer of  FIG. 11 ; and 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  is top plan view of the trailer of  FIG. 11  with a personal watercraft supported thereon; 
           [0036]      FIG. 14  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the connector assemblies of the trailers shown in  FIGS. 1 to 13 ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view taken through line A-A of  FIG. 14  of the connector assembly of  FIG. 14  with a releasable connector in an unlocked position; 
           [0038]      FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view taken through line A-A of  FIG. 14  of the connector assembly of  FIG. 14  with the releasable connector in a locked position; and 
           [0039]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view, taken from a rear, right side, of another alternative embodiment of a connector assembly connected to the hitch coupler. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0040]    The present invention will be described with respect to trailers adapted to transport personal watercraft. However, it should be understood that the dimensions of the embodiments of the trailers described herein could be increased to accommodate larger watercraft, such as jet boats. Also, the watercraft  47  mentioned below will not be described in detail herein as the construction of such watercraft is believed to be well known. An exemplary personal watercraft is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,014 B2, issued Oct. 31, 2006, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. An exemplary jet boat is described in detail in United States Patent Publication No. 2007/0186839 A1, published Aug. 16, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 1 to 10  illustrate a first embodiment of a watercraft trailer  10 . The trailer  10  has a lower frame having left and right longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  and a laterally extending lower frame member  14 . The frame members  12  and  14  are preferably metal tubes, but other materials and shapes (beams for example) are contemplated. 
         [0042]    The left and right longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  are disposed on either side of a longitudinal centerline  16  ( FIG. 5 ) of the trailer  10 . The front portions of the left and right longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  bend inwardly towards the longitudinal centerline  16  and are connected at the longitudinal centerline  16  by welding, bolts or other mechanical fasteners. 
         [0043]    A hitch coupler  18  is welded, fastened, or otherwise connected to the front of the left and right longitudinally extending lower frame members  12 . The hitch coupler  18  allows the trailer  10  to be coupled to a matching tow hitch on a vehicle, thus allowing the trailer  10  to be towed by the vehicle. The features of the hitch coupler  18  will vary depending on the type of tow hitch to which one desires to couple the trailer  10 . In a preferred embodiment, the hitch coupler  18  is adapted to be coupled to a tow-ball commonly used on road vehicles such as cars and trucks. 
         [0044]    A bracket  20  is connected to the rear end of each of the longitudinally extending lower frame member  12  and extends laterally outwardly therefrom. Each bracket  20  has reflectors and/or lights  22  disposed thereon. The reflectors and/or lights  22  are required by many jurisdictions for the trailer  10  to be suitable for road use. 
         [0045]    Watercraft supporting members in the form of a plurality of low friction rollers  24  are connected to each of the longitudinally extending lower frame member  12  by brackets  26 . The rollers  24  allow a watercraft for which the trailer  10  is adapted to easily slide in and out of the trailer  10 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , the rollers  24  are angled laterally inwardly. Angling the rollers  24  as shown makes the trailer  10  better adapted to receive watercraft having a V-shaped hull. The angle and position of the rollers  24  on the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  can be adjusted to accommodate different watercraft. It is contemplated that the watercraft supporting members could alternatively be in the form of sliding boards or other structure to allow a watercraft to slide in and out of the trailer  10  with only moderate friction. It is also contemplated that the rollers  24  and brackets  26  could be omitted, in which case a watercraft would slide directly on the longitudinally extending frame members  12  and as such the longitudinally extending frame members  12  would act as the watercraft supporting members. 
         [0046]    The laterally extending lower frame member  14  is disposed under the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  and extends perpendicularly thereto. The laterally extending lower frame member  14  is connected the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  by welding, bolts or other mechanical fasteners. 
         [0047]    A wheel mount  28  is connected to each end of the laterally extending lower frame member  14  and extends forwardly therefrom. A wheel axle  30  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) extends laterally outwardly from the forward end of each wheel mount  28 . A wheel  32  is mounted to each wheel axle  30  for rotation about a wheel rotation axis  34  ( FIG. 2 ). A fairing  36  is mounted over each wheel  32 . The connections between the wheel mounts  28  and the laterally extending frame member  14  include elastomeric members (not shown) which allow for some torsion of the wheel mounts  28  relative to the laterally extending frame member  14 , thus acting as a suspension for the trailer  10 . It is contemplated that other type of suspensions could be used or that no suspension could be used. It is also contemplated that the wheels  32  could be mounted to the laterally extending frame member  14  such that the wheel rotation axis  34  could be in alignment with the laterally extending frame member  14  or disposed rearwardly of the laterally extending frame member  14 . 
         [0048]    The trailer  10  also has an upper frame having left and right upper frame members  38 . The frame members  38  are preferably metal tubes, but other materials and shapes (beams for example) are contemplated. The rear ends of the upper frame members  38  are connected to the laterally extending lower frame member  14  at positions laterally outwardly of the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12 . It is contemplated that the rear ends of the upper frame members  38  could be connected elsewhere on the lower frame, such as on the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12 . The forward ends of the upper frame members  38  are connected to the front portions of their corresponding longitudinally extending lower frame members  12 . 
         [0049]    The left upper frame member  38  supports a left walk board  40  which is held in place on the left upper frame member  38  by brackets  42  ( FIG. 6 ). As can be seen, the left walk board  40  is disposed to the left of the left longitudinally extending lower frame member  12 . Similarly, the right upper frame member  38  supports a right walk board  40  which is held in place on the right upper frame member  38  by brackets  42 . As can also be seen, the right walk board  40  is disposed to the right of the right longitudinally extending lower frame member  12 . The left and right walk boards  40  are mirror images of each other, however it is contemplated that they could not be. A generally U-shaped walk board  44  is disposed forwardly of the left and right walk boards  40 . The rear of the generally U-shaped walk board  44  is supported by the left and right upper frame members  38  and the front of the generally U-shaped walk board  44  rests on the forward portions of the left and right longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  (see  FIG. 2 ). The generally U-shaped walk board  44  is held onto the left and right upper frame members  38  by brackets  42 . The rear ends of the U-shaped walk board  44  are disposed adjacent to the forward ends of the left and right walk boards  40  so as to form a continuous walk board. The generally U-shaped walk board  44  is made of three sections  46 , but it is contemplated that it could be made of a single part, two sections, or more than three sections. Similarly, the left and right walk boards  40  could be made of multiple sections. It is also contemplated that the two walk boards  40  and the generally U-shaped walk board  44  could be integrally formed as a single part. 
         [0050]    The inner edges of the walk boards  40  and of the generally U-shaped walk board  44  define therebetween a watercraft receiving portion. As seen in  FIG. 10 , a watercraft  47  received in the watercraft receiving portion occupies the majority of the watercraft receiving portion. The distance D ( FIG. 5 ) between the inner edges of the left and right walk boards  40  is greater than or equal to a width of a watercraft for which the trailer  10  is adapted. For a trailer  10  for a personal watercraft, such as the personal watercraft  47  shown in  FIGS. 7 to 10 , the distance D is preferably at least 100 cm. It is contemplated however that the distance D could be less than a width of a watercraft for which the trailer  10  is adapted. This would be the case when the walk boards  40  are arranged so as to rest against a lower portion of the hull of the watercraft since the width of the hull generally decreases from its upper portion to the keel of the watercraft. 
         [0051]    The walk boards  40 ,  44  provide surfaces onto which a person can walk when going from the watercraft  47  supported by the trailer  10  to the ground or vice versa. For this reason, the walk boards  40 ,  44  have generally horizontal upper surfaces in the lateral direction (see  FIGS. 3 and 4  for example). In order to provide a sufficient surface onto which a person can step, a width W ( FIG. 4 ) of the walk boards  40 ,  44  is at least 5 cm, but preferably at least 20 cm. To help prevent the feet of people walking on the walk boards  40 ,  44  from slipping off the walk boards  40 ,  44 , the walk boards  40 ,  44  are provided with walls  48  extending upwardly from the inner and outer edges of the walk boards  40 ,  44 . It is contemplated that the walls  48  could be provided only on the outer edges of the walk board  40 ,  44 , only on the inner edges of the walk boards  40 ,  44 , or completely omitted. It is also contemplated that only some of the walk boards  40 ,  44  could be provided with walls  48  or that only portions of the walk boards  40 ,  44  could be provided with walls  48 . The upper surfaces of the walk boards  40 ,  44  are preferably textured to also help prevent the feet of people walking on the walk boards  40 ,  44  from slipping off the walk boards  40 ,  44 . The texturing of the walk boards  40 ,  44  can be achieved by mixing an abrasive, such as sand, in the paint used to cover the walk boards  40 ,  44 . Other ways of texturing the upper surfaces of the walk boards  40 ,  44  are also contemplated, such as by creating a raised pattern in the upper surfaces, or by applying a rubber-type carpet on the walk boards  40 ,  44 . 
         [0052]    In order to facilitate getting on or off the watercraft  47  when it is supported by the trailer  10 , the walk boards  40 ,  44  are angled in a longitudinal direction relative to the lower frame members  12  such that a distance between the walk boards  40 ,  44  and the lower frame members  12  is shorter at a front of the walk boards  40 ,  44  than at a rear of the walk boards  40 ,  44 , as seen in  FIG. 2 . By angling the walk boards  40 ,  44  as shown, when the trailer  10  is backed down a ramp  50  (either natural or man made) as shown in  FIG. 8  in order to receive or launch the watercraft  47 , the walk boards  40 ,  44  are generally horizontal thus providing a surface that can be easily walked on. A person getting off the watercraft  47  simply steps on one of the walk boards  40 , walks towards a front of the trailer  10  along the walk board  40  and then the walk board  44 , and finally steps down from the trailer  10  at a front thereof where there is no water or where the water is shallow (the water level is indicated by line L in  FIG. 8 ). As would be understood, getting on the watercraft  47  from the shore is accomplished by doing the same steps in the reverse direction. Angling the generally U-shaped walk board  44  also reduces the distance from which a person has to step up to or down from the trailer  10  at a front thereof. The angle A ( FIG. 2 ) between the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  and a line B extending through the back of the walk board  40  and a front of the walk board  44  is preferably between 5 and 25 degrees. 
         [0053]    It is contemplated that only one of the walk boards  40  could be used with the generally U-shaped walk board  44 . It is also contemplated that generally U-shaped walk board  44  could be omitted and that only one or both walk boards  40  could be used, in which case the walk board(s)  40  would preferably be extended closer towards the front of the trailer  10 . It is also contemplated that only the generally U-shaped walk board  44  could be used, in which case the generally U-shaped walk board  44  would preferably be extended further back. In any one of these alternative embodiments, the angle between the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  and a line extending through the back of the walk board(s)  40  and/or  44  being used and a front of the walk board(s)  40  and/or  44  being used is also preferably between 5 and 25 degrees. By having walk boards  40  and/or  44  only along one side of the trailer  10 , the overall width of the trailer  10  can be reduced. 
         [0054]    As can best be seen in  FIG. 2 , when viewed from a side elevation view of the trailer  10 , the walk boards  40 ,  44  preferably have a non-linear profile, although linear profiles are contemplated. The non-linear profile is preferably a convex profile. By having a non-linear profile, the range of ramp angles for which at least a portion of the walk boards  40 ,  44  will provide adequate walking surfaces is increased. For example, if the walk boards  40 ,  44  have a linear profile and are disposed at an angle A of 15 degrees, they will provide adequate walking surfaces for ramp angles between approximately 12 to 18 degrees. However, if the walk boards  40 ,  44  have different portions for which the angle between each portion and the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  varies between 10 and 20 degrees, at least a portion of the walk boards  40 ,  44  will provide adequate walking surfaces for ramp angles between approximately 7 and 23 degrees (as would be understood, the portion providing adequate walking surfaces at a ramp angle of 23 degrees will be different from the portion providing these surfaces at a ramp angle of 7 degrees). 
         [0055]    At least a portion of the walk boards  40  is at least 35 cm vertically above the watercraft supporting members (i.e. rollers  24  in this embodiment) when the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  are horizontal as shown in FIG.  2 . By having a portion of the walk boards  40  sufficiently raised above the watercraft supporting members, the distance by which the trailer  10  can be lowered down the ramp  50  can be increased while still keeping the walk boards  40  above the water level L. Having a portion of the walk boards  40  sufficiently raised above the watercraft supporting members also facilitates getting on or off the watercraft  47  as the distance between the walk boards  40  and the surfaces on which a person would step on in the watercraft  47  is reduced (see  FIGS. 7 to 9 ). Also, having a portion of the walk boards  40  sufficiently raised above the watercraft supporting members allows the walk boards  40  to be used to guide the watercraft  47  into the watercraft receiving portion as discussed below. 
         [0056]    As best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5 , the trailer  10  is provided with a releasable connector  52  for connecting the watercraft  47  to the trailer  10 . The releasable connector  52  is disposed on the longitudinal centerline of the watercraft receiving portion (which in this case corresponds to the longitudinal centerline  16  of the trailer  10 ) at a front of the watercraft receiving portion. The releasable connector  52  is supported by a connect support in the form of bow stop bar  54 . The bow stop bar  54  is an inverted U-shaped tubular member having its ends connected to the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12 . A plate  55  is connected between the arms of the bow stop bar  54 . A bumper  57  is connected to the top of the bow stop bar  54  above the releasable connector  52 . The bumper  57  is preferably made of close-cell foam, however other materials are contemplated. The releasable connector  52 , the bow stop bar  54 , the plate  55 , and the bumper  57  together form a connector assembly. When the watercraft  47  enters the watercraft receiving portion, the bumper  57  absorbs the initial impact of the watercraft  47  with the trailer  10  and stops the forward movement of the watercraft  10 . As the watercraft  47  comes into contact with the bumper  57 , the watercraft  47  engages the releasable connector  52  as shown in  FIG. 8 , and the releasable connector  52  automatically clamps onto the watercraft  47  thereby securing the watercraft  47  to the trailer  10 . The releasable connector  52  will be described in greater detail below. An actuator  56 , in the form of a lever, a handle, a button, or a switch, is mechanically or electrically connected to the releasable connector  52 . Actuating the actuator  56  causes the releasable connector  52  to release the watercraft  47 , thereby allowing the watercraft  47  to be launched from the trailer  10 . For example, the actuator  56  could be a handle connected via a cable to the releasable connector  52  such that pulling on the handle pulls on the cable which causes the releasable connector  52  to release the watercraft  47 . Alternatively, the actuator  56  could be a button connected via an electrical wire to a solenoid actuator operatively connected to the releasable connector  52  such that pushing the button actuates the solenoid actuator which causes the releasable connector  56  to release the watercraft  47 . The actuator  56  is preferably disposed on one side of the watercraft receiving portion such that a person on the watercraft  47  can reach the actuator  56  to release the watercraft  10  while being on the watercraft. 
         [0057]    The inner edges of the walk boards  40  act as guides for aligning the watercraft  47  with the watercraft receiving portion when the watercraft  47  is being driven onto the trailer  10 . In order to increase the guiding surface, and to prevent the watercraft  47  from becoming stuck under the walk boards  40 , walls  58  extend downwardly from the inner edges of the walk boards  40 . If the watercraft  47  is driven out of alignment into the watercraft receiving portion, the walk boards  40  will cause it to become aligned between the longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  as the watercraft continues to move forward, until the watercraft  47  becomes supported by the rollers  26  (and therefore by the lower frame as seen in  FIG. 9 ), and the watercraft  47  is finally connected to the trailer by the releasable connector  52 . 
         [0058]    It is contemplated that the angled walk boards  40 ,  44  used on the trailer  10  could be used on a trailer having two watercraft receiving portions disposed side by side in order to accommodate two watercraft, similar to the trailer  100  described below. Such a trailer would have one walk board  40  disposed on each side of the trailer and another walk board  40  disposed on the center which would be in common for both watercraft receiving portions. Two generally U-shaped walk boards  44  would be provided side-by-side or, alternatively, a single W-shaped walk board. It is contemplated that in an alternative embodiment, no central walk board  40  would be provided. It is also contemplated that in another alternative embodiment, only the central walk board  40  would be provided. By having fewer than three walk boards  40 , the overall width of the trailer  10  can be reduced. 
         [0059]    Turning now to  FIGS. 11 to 13 , a watercraft trailer  100  will be described. For simplicity, the features and components of the trailer  100  which are similar to those of the trailer  10  have been labelled with the same reference numeral and will not be described again below. 
         [0060]    As can be seen, the trailer  100  is adapted to transport two watercraft such as watercraft  47  ( FIG. 13 ). As such, the trailer  100  has a right and a left upper frame member  38 , and a central upper frame member  38  disposed on the longitudinal centerline  16  of the trailer. The right and central upper frame members  38  define a right watercraft receiving portion therebetween, and the left and central upper frame members  38  define a left watercraft receiving portion therebetween. Each watercraft receiving portion has a longitudinal centerline  17 . The trailer  100  has four longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  arranged as shown and a single laterally extending lower frame member  14  to connect the two wheels  32 . Only the two laterally outermost longitudinally extending lower frame members  12  are provided with brackets  20 . Each watercraft receiving portion has a releasable connector  52  supported on the longitudinal centerline  17  thereof by bow stop bar  54 . Each releasable connector  52  has an actuator  56  associated therewith. The actuators  56  are disposed on the walk board  102  (described below). A generally U-shaped walk board  44  is disposed at the front of the trailer  100  and is supported in part by the left and right upper frame members  38 . 
         [0061]    In trailer  100 , the walk boards  40  have been replaced by a walk board  102  and a step  104  described in greater detail below. Since the walk boards  40  are no longer present, it is the upper frame members  38  that provide the guiding feature that was provided by the walk boards  40  in the trailer  10 . 
         [0062]    The walk board  102  and step  104  are supported by the central upper frame member  38 , and as such can be used by a person getting on or off a watercraft disposed in either one of the watercraft receiving portions. The step  104  is disposed at least in part forwardly of the walk board  102  and at a vertically lower position than the walk board  102 . Similarly, the generally U-shaped walk board  44  is disposed at least in part forwardly of the step  104  and at a vertically lower position than the step  104 . As such, the walk board  102 , the step  104 , and the generally U-shaped walk board  44  act as stairs which permit a person to easily get from a watercraft supported in the trailer  100  to the ground and vice versa. It is contemplated that the generally U-shaped walk board  44  could be omitted, in which case the step  104  would preferably extend closer to the front of the trailer  100 . It is also contemplated that the right and left upper frame members  38  could also each be provided with a walk board  102  and a step  104 . 
         [0063]    Like the walk boards  40 , the walk board  102  and the step  104  are at least 5 cm wide. In the embodiment shown, the step  104  is wider than the walk board  102 , and the generally U-shaped walk board  44  is wider than the step  104 . This allows a person stepping down from the trailer  100  to move laterally away from the longitudinal centerline  16 , thus avoiding stepping on the hitch coupler  18 . 
         [0064]    Similarly to the walk boards  40 , the upper surfaces of the walk board  102  and step  104  are preferably textured to help prevent the feet of people walking on the walk board  102  and step  104  from slipping off the walk board  102  and step  104 . A pole  106  extending vertically upwardly form the walk board  102  can be grabbed by a person walking on the walk board  102  and the step  104 , which can also help prevent a person from slipping off the walk board  102  and step  104 . 
         [0065]    It is contemplated that one or both walk boards  40  of the trailer  10  described above could be replaced by the walk board  102  and step  104 . 
         [0066]    Turning now to  FIGS. 14 to 16 , an alternative embodiment of a connector assembly will be described. As with the connector assemblies shown in  FIGS. 1 to 13 , the connector assembly of  FIGS. 14 to 16  has a releasable connector  52  connected to a bow stop bar  54 , and a bumper  57  is connected to the bow stop bar  54 . However, the plate  55  has been replaced by two rollers  110 . One of the rollers  110  is connected between the arms of the bow stop bar  54 . The other of the rollers  110  is connected to an upper portion of the bow stop bar  54 . As would be understood, the connector assembly of  FIGS. 14 to 16  can be provided on the trailers  10  and  100 . 
         [0067]    A pair of plates  112  are connected to the bow stop bar  54  (only one plate  112  is shown in  FIGS. 15 and 16 , however the second plate  112  is located on the other side of line A-A). The plates  112  together with the bow stop bar  54  form the connector support to which the releasable connector  52  is connected. More specifically, the releasable connector  52  is disposed between the plates  112 . Slots  114  are provided in the plates  112  to fasten the plates  112  to a bracket  116  which is itself connected to the bow stop bar  54 . The slots  114  allow the connection between the plates  112  and the bow stop bar  54  to be adjusted, which in turn adjusts the position of the releasable connector  52  to be adjusted. This allows the releasable connector  52  to be used with watercraft of different sizes. 
         [0068]    The releasable connector  52  has a lever  118  pivotally connected to the plates  112  about a pivot axis  120 . As explained in greater detail below, when a watercraft is driven inside the watercraft receiving portion, the hull of the watercraft makes contact with end of the lever  118  to move the releasable connector  52  to a locked position. For this reason, it is contemplated that at least the end of the lever  118  could be made of low friction material, such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), to reduce the friction between the hull of the watercraft and the lever  118 . A hook  122  is integrally formed with the lever  118  and as such, is pivotable about the pivot axis  120  together with the lever  118 . It is contemplated that the hook  118  and the lever  122  could be different parts that are otherwise connected together. 
         [0069]    A locking mechanism, in the form of an overcentering mechanism  124 , described in greater detail below, is connected to the lever  118  and the hook  122  at a pivot axis  126  that is offset from the pivot axis  120 . The locking mechanism locks the hook  122  in position once the hook  122  has pivoted to a locked position of the releasable connector  52  (i.e. the position of the hook  122  shown in  FIG. 16 ). It is contemplated that in the case where the lever  118  and the hook  122  are separate parts that the locking mechanism could be directly connected to only one of the lever  118  and the hook  122 . It is also contemplated that other types of locking mechanisms could be used. For example, the locking mechanism could be a spring loaded pin that would engage an aperture in one of the plates  112  once the hook  122  has pivoted to the locked position of the releasable connector  52 , thus locking the hook  118  in position. Pulling the pin from the aperture would then allow the hook  118  to be pivoted to an unlocked position of the releasable connector  52  (i.e. the position of the hook  122  shown in  FIG. 15 ). 
         [0070]    The overcentering mechanism  124  includes a lever  128 , a pair of levers  130 , and a spring  132 . One end of the lever  128  is pivotally connected to the plates  112  about a pivot axis  134 . The first ends of the pair of levers  130  (only one shown in the Figures) are pivotally connected on either side of the other end of the lever  128  about a pivot axis  136 . The second, opposite, ends of the pair of levers  130  are pivotally connected on either side of the lever  118  and the hook  122  about the pivot axis  126 . The spring  132  has one end connected to an aperture  138  in one of the plates  112  and the other end connected to an aperture  140  in one of the levers  130  near a center thereof. As will be explained below, the spring  132  is in tension regardless of a position of the one of the levers  130  to which it is connected. 
         [0071]    A cable  142  has one end connected at a point  144  on the lever  128  near the pivot axis  136 . Alternatively, the end of the cable  142  could be connected at a point on one or both of the levers  130  near the pivot axis  136 . The opposite end of the cable is connected to the actuator  56  provided to one side of the watercraft receiving portion rearwardly of the connector support. As previously mentioned, the actuator could be a handle. As will be described in greater detail below, actuating the actuator  56  pulls on the cable  142  which moves the overcentering mechanism  124  from a locked position (shown in  FIG. 16 ) to an unlocked position (shown in  FIG. 15 ). As previously mentioned, the cable  142  could be replaced with another device to apply a force at or near the pivot axis  136  to move the overcentering mechanism  124  from the locked position to the unlocked position. For example, the cable  142  could be replaced with a linear actuator such as a solenoid or a hydraulic cylinder, in which case the actuator  56  would be a switch that, once actuated, would send a signal to the solenoid or the hydraulic cylinder to unlock the overcentering mechanism  124 . 
         [0072]    The operation of the releasable connector  52  will now be explained in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 15 and 16 . For simplicity, the directions of rotation of the various elements of the releasable connector  52  will be described as they would be understood by looking at these Figures. 
         [0073]    The watercraft  47  to be secured to a trailer provided with the releasable connector  52  is provided with a laterally extending pin  146  connected to a bow portion of a hull  148  of the watercraft  47 . 
         [0074]    When the releasable connector  52  is in the unlocked position, the lever  118  and the hook  122  are in the position shown in  FIG. 15 . The position of the releasable connector  52  needs to be manually adjusted using the slots  114  in the plates  112  such that when the releasable connector  52  is in the unlocked position, the laterally extending pin  146  of the watercraft  47  is slightly above the upper end of the hook  122  as the watercraft  47  is being driven into the watercraft receiving portion of the trailer toward the releasable connector  52 . This adjustment only needs to be made once as long as the trailer is to be used with the watercraft  47 . If the trailer is to be used with another watercraft, the position of the releasable connector may need to be readjusted if the position of the pin  146  on the other watercraft is a different vertical position relative to the trailer. 
         [0075]    When the releasable connector  52  is in the unlocked position, the overcentering mechanism  124  is also in an unlocked position as shown in  FIG. 15 . When the overcentering mechanism  124  is in the unlocked position, the levers  128  and  130  are arranged such that the pivot axis  136  is disposed below a line  150  passing through the pivot axes  126  and  134 . Also, when the releasable connector  52  is in the unlocked position, the lever  118 , the hook  122 , and the levers  140  are arranged such that the pivot axis  126  is disposed above a line (not shown) passing through the pivot axes  120  and  136 . Since the pivot axis  126  is disposed above the line passing through the pivot axes  120  and  136 , the tension in the spring  132  biases the releasable connector  52  towards the unlocked position. In this position, the ends of the levers  130  near the pivot axis  126  abut a seat (not shown) in the plates  112  thus preventing the lever  118  and the hook  122  from pivoting counter-clockwise (CCW) about the pivot axis  120 . 
         [0076]    As the watercraft  47  moves towards the releasable connector  52  in the direction of arrow  149 , the hull  148  eventually makes contact with the end of the lever  118 . This pivots the lever  118  and the hook  122  clockwise (CW) about the pivot axis  120  (i.e. towards a front of the trailer, to the right of  FIGS. 15 and 16 ). As a result, the lever  128  pivots CW about the pivot axis  134  and the levers  130  pivot CCW and translate between the pivot axes  126  and  136 . As the lever  118  and the hook  122  continue to pivot CW, the pivot axis  126  is eventually disposed below the line (not shown) passing through the pivot axes  120  and  136 . Once this occurs, the tension in the spring  132  biases the releasable connector  52  towards the locked position shown in  FIG. 16  and thus assists in the continued pivoting of the lever  118 , the hook  122 , the lever  128 , and the levers  130  in the directions indicated above. 
         [0077]    As the lever  118 , the hook  122 , the lever  128 , and the levers  130  continue to pivot in the directions indicated above, the pivot axis  136  is eventually on the line  150  passing through the pivot axes  126  and  134 . This is a neutral or center position of the overcentering mechanism  124 . As the lever  118 , the hook  122 , the lever  128 , and the levers  130  continue to pivot in the directions indicated above from the neutral position of the overcentering mechanism  124 , the pivot axis  136  is eventually disposed above the line  150  passing through the pivot axes  126  and  134 , hence the name overcentering mechanism (i.e. a mechanism where the central pivot axis moves from one side of a line passing through the end pivot axes to the other side of the line). 
         [0078]    The lever  118 , the hook  122 , the lever  128 , and the levers  130  continue to pivot in the directions indicated above until the ends of the levers  130  near the pivot axis  136  abut a seat  152  ( FIG. 15 ) in the plates  112  as shown in  FIG. 16 . This position of the lever  118 , the hook  122 , the lever  128 , and the levers  130  corresponds to the locked position of the releasable connector  52 . Since the pivot axis  126  is disposed below the line passing through the pivot axes  120  and  136 , the tension in the spring  132  biases the releasable connector  52  towards the locked position. As can be seen by comparing  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the normal distance between the pivot axis  136  and the line  150  (i.e. the length of a line extending from the pivot axis  136  to the line  150  perpendicularly to the line  150 ) is greater in when the releasable connector  52  is in the unlocked position ( FIG. 15 ) than when the releasable connector  52  is in the locked position ( FIG. 16 ). 
         [0079]    In the locked position of the releasable connector  52 , the pin  146  of the watercraft  47  is retained in the hook  122  thus securing the watercraft  47  to the trailer, and the overcentering mechanism  124  is also in a locked position. When the overcentering mechanism  124  is in the locked position, the levers  128  and  130  are arranged such that they prevent the lever  118  and the hook  122  from pivoting in a CCW direction about the pivot axis  120  (i.e. towards the rear of the trailer, to the left of  FIGS. 15 and 16 ) in response to a force applied directly to either one of the lever  118  and the hook  122  that would otherwise (i.e. except for the overcentering mechanism  124  being in the locked position) cause the lever  118  and the hook  122  to pivot in that direction. This means that once the releasable connector  152  (and therefore the overcentering mechanism  124 ) is in the locked position, even if the pin  148  applies a force to the hook  122  towards the rear of the trailer (because the watercraft  47  is being propelled backwards when the trailer is in the water, because the front of the trailer is raised, or because of the drag on the watercraft  47  when the trailer is being towed behind a vehicle), the hook  122  remains in the same position, retains the pin  146 , and therefore maintains the watercraft  47  secured to the trailer. Since the releasable connector  52  secures the watercraft  47  in response to the hull  148  of the watercraft  47  pushing on the lever  118  as the watercraft  47  is being driven in the watercraft receiving portion of the trailer, there is no need for the driver of the watercraft  47  to get off the watercraft  47  to secure it to the trailer, and there is no need for another person to have to manually secure the watercraft  47  to the trailer, as was the case in the prior art. 
         [0080]    It is contemplated that a visual indicator could be provided on, or associated with, the releasable connector  52  to indicate to the driver of the watercraft  47  that the releasable connector  52  is in the locked position. For example, when the releasable connector  52  is in the locked position, an arrow on the lever  118  or the hook  122  could be aligned with another arrow or a dot on one of the plates  112 . If the two arrows (or the arrow and the dot) are out of alignment, then the driver knows that the releasable connector  52  is not in the locked position. 
         [0081]    To release the watercraft  47  from the trailer, the cable  142  is pulled so as to rotate the lever  128  CCW (i.e. downwardly in  FIG. 16 ) about the pivot axis  134 , thus unlocking the overcentering mechanism  124 . As a result, the levers  130  pivot CW and translate between the pivot axes  126  and  136 , and the lever  118  and the hook  122  pivot CCW about the pivot axis  120  (i.e. towards a rear of the trailer) until the unlocked position of the releasable connector  52  shown in  FIG. 15  is reached. Since the hook  122  in this position no longer retains the pin  146  of the watercraft  47 , the watercraft is no longer secured to the trailer and can be driven (or pushed) out the watercraft receiving portion. Since the cable  142  is pulled using the actuator  56  provided to one side of the watercraft receiving portion rearwardly of the connector support, the driver of the watercraft  47  can release the watercraft  47  from the trailer while being seated on the watercraft  47 . 
         [0082]    Turning now to  FIG. 17 , an alternative embodiment of a connector assembly will be described. As with the connector assembly shown in  FIGS. 14 to 16 , the connector assembly of  FIG. 17  has a releasable connector  52 , a bumper  57 , and two rollers  110 . However, the bow stop bar  54  has been replaced by a different connector support. The connector support of the connector assembly of  FIG. 17  consists of a main bracket  200  mounted to a longitudinally extending frame member  202  of the trailer (in this case the member  202  to which the hitch coupler  18  is connected), a vertical adjustment bracket  204  connected to the main bracket  200 , and angular adjustment brackets  206  connected to the vertical adjustment brackets  204 . The releasable connector  52  is connected between the angular adjustment brackets  206 . Apertures  208  in the angular adjustment brackets  206  used to connect the angular adjustment brackets  206  to the vertical adjustment bracket  204  allow the angular position of the releasable connector  52  to be adjusted to properly operate with the watercraft to be secured to the trailer. Apertures  210  in the main bracket  206  (some of which are hidden by the vertical adjustment bracket  204  in  FIG. 17 ) used to connect the vertical adjustment brackets  204  to the main bracket  200  allow the vertical position of the releasable connector  52  to be adjusted to properly operate with the watercraft to be secured to the trailer. Apertures  212  in the frame member  202  (some of which are hidden by the main bracket  200  in  FIG. 17 ) used to connect the main brackets  200  to the frame member  202  allow the longitudinal position of the releasable connector  52  to be adjusted to properly operate with the watercraft to be secured to the trailer. The bumper  57  is connected to the angular adjustment brackets  206 . Apertures  214  in the angular adjustment brackets  206  allow the position of the bumper  57  to be adjusted to properly operate with the watercraft to be secured to the trailer. As would be understood, the connector assembly of  FIG. 17  could be provided on the trailers  10  and  100 . 
         [0083]    Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 7