Moveable Bimini Shade Cover For A Boat

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/742,939 filed Jan. 8, 2025.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0002]This invention relates to moveable bimini shade covers for boats, particularly bimini structures which are reconfigurable to provide desired shade for a variety of occupant seating arrangements or a collapsed configuration.

2. Description of the Related Art

[0003]The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.

[0004]Boats often contain occupants in addition to the driver in a number of seating arrangements. Positioning a shade cover over the occupants is often desirable. Many types of bimini covers and various shade covers have been employed in the past, but most entail positional roll-up shades, telescoping extensions, and/or foldable constructions which occupants configure manually. In many cases, a bimini cover includes a stationary cover above the helm of the boat to ensure at least the boat driver is shaded and, in some embodiments, includes extendable portions therefrom to provide shade for other occupants of the boat. However, during watersport activities that involve towing participants behind the boat (e.g., skiing, wakeboarding, surfing, and tubing) and/or when the boat is traveling at high speeds, it is often undesirable to employ the extendable shades as they change the aerodynamics of the boat and can interfere with a tow rope extending from the boat's wakeboard tower. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to develop bimini structures which are more versatile for changing the shade coverage over a boat, particularly for sport boats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005]The following description of various embodiments of boats, bimini covers and wakeboard towers is not to be construed in any way as limiting the subject matter of the appended claims.

[0006]An embodiment of a boat includes a deck, a hull, a helm and a bimini structure, wherein the bimini structure includes a support structure having two support posts respectively coupled to opposing port and starboard portions of the hull or of the deck, and wherein the two support posts are configured to pivot their upper ends forward relative to their lower ends. The bimini structure further includes a sunshade arranged over the support structure, wherein the sunshade has an aftmost edge and a forward most edge, and wherein the sunshade is of a fixed construct having an unalterable lengthwise dimension between the aftmost edge and the forward most edge. The support structure and the sunshade are configured such that the sunshade is suspended at an elevation higher than an uppermost surface of the helm. Furthermore, the bimini structure is configured such that the sunshade is moveable as a whole at the elevation between a first lateral position at which the forward most edge is forward of the helm and the aftmost edge is aft of the two support posts and a second lateral position at which the forward most edge is aft of the helm and is either forward or is over the two support posts.

[0007]Another embodiment of a boat includes a deck, a hull and a bimini structure, wherein the bimini structure includes a support structure having at least two support posts respectively coupled to opposing port and starboard portions of the hull or the deck and a sunshade suspended above distal ends of the two support posts. The sunshade has an aft edge and a forward edge, and wherein when the sunshade is suspended above the distal ends of the two support posts the sunshade is moveable relative to the frame without changing its lengthwise dimension between the forward edge and the aft edge. Furthermore, the sunshade is laterally moveable between a first position having more than half of its lengthwise dimension forward of the distal ends of the two support posts and a second position having more than half of its lengthwise dimension aft of the distal ends of the two support posts.

[0008]An embodiment of a wakeboard tower includes two posts each having a first end for mounting the wakeboard tower to a boat and a second end opposing the first end. The wakeboard tower further includes a top structure suspended between and slidingly engaged with distal end surfaces of the second ends of the two posts and a tow rope attachment point fixedly coupled to one of the two posts or the top structure. The wakeboard tower is configured to linearly displace the top structure relative to the two posts along a lengthwise dimension of the top structure without altering the lengthwise dimension of the top structure and while retaining suspension of the top structure between the two posts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0010]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boat showing a bimini structure having a sunshade primarily suspended over the driver's cockpit including the helm of the boat;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the boat illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the sunshade in a second position primarily suspended over a section of the boat aft of the helm;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the boat illustrated in FIG. 2 showing the sunshade in a third position primarily suspended over a section of the boat further aft of the second position closer to the swim platform;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the boat illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the sunshade in a fourth position primarily suspended over a section of the boat forward of the first position of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the boat illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the sunshade in a fifth position vertically collapsed for more convenient towing, storage or maintenance;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the boat of FIG. 1 without the speakers and the tow attachment point;

[0016]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the boat of FIG. 1 without the speakers and the tow attachment point; and

[0017]FIG. 8 is a plan view of another bimini structure.

[0018]While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019]The problems and issues discussed above are largely addressed by the bimini structures disclosed herein having a movable shade cover that can be repositioned to shade different areas of a boat. The bimini structures include a support structure having two support posts each having an end which can be coupled to the hull or the deck of the boat, particularly along opposing port and starboard portions thereof. The bimini structures further include a generally horizontal sunshade arranged over the support structure, wherein the support structure and the sunshade are configured such that the sunshade is suspended at an elevation higher than seating areas and the helm of the boat. The sunshade is of a fixed construct having an unalterable lengthwise dimension between its aftmost edge and its forward most edge and, in some embodiments, the sunshade has an unalterable areal dimension. For example, in some cases, the sunshade may be a hardtop. In other cases, the sunshade may include a rigid frame with a flexible material (such as but not limited to a canvas) covering the rigid frame.

[0020]When installed in a boat, the bimini structure is configured such that the sunshade is moveable as a whole at the elevation above the helm and seating areas of the boat. Distinct positions to which the sunshade can be moved include a first lateral position at which the sunshade's forward most edge is forward of the helm and its aftmost edge is aft of the two support posts of the bimini structure, which are mounted aft of the helm of the boat. Another position is when the forward most edge of the sunshade is aft of the helm but is either forward or over the two support posts. In some cases, the sunshade may be laterally repositioned such that more than half of its lengthwise dimension is forward of the two support posts in one position, and more than half of its lengthwise dimension is aft of the two support posts in another position. As such, the sunshade of the bimini structure disclosed herein may be configured to cover the boat driver as well as the seating area adjacent the position of the boat driver in a first position and at least a portion of the seating area aft of the boat driver in a second position. Optionally, another position of the bimini structure covers at least a portion of the seating area aft of the second position proximate the swim platform. Yet, another optional position of the bimini structure covers at least a portion of the seating area forward of the boat driver. In any case, the support posts of the bimini structure may, in some embodiments, be configured to pivot their upper ends forward relative to their lower ends. With such a configuration, the bimini structure may be configured to position the sunshade at a position forward of the noted first lateral position and at a lower elevation than the first lateral position by pivoting the two posts forward.

[0021]Terms used herein have their commonly understood meaning in the art of boats. For example, forward is a direction towards the bow (front of the boat), and rear (aft) is a direction towards the stern (rear of the boat). Inboard is a direction toward the centerline of the boat and outboard is a direction away from it. Starboard is the right side of the boat when aboard and facing the bow, while port is the left side of the boat when aboard and facing the bow. A boat transom is generally the vertical reinforcement of the stern of the boat. A bimini structure refers to a canopy that sits over part of a boat providing shade from sun and protection from light rain. Gunnel refers to an upper edge of a boat's hull and may be used interchangeably with the term gunwale. A wakeboard tower is an arch shaped tall sturdy frame configured for mounting to a boat and having a tow rope attachment point arranged on the frame such that a tow rope attached to the point is at an elevation significantly higher than the stern of the boat. The term tow tower is synonymous with the term wakeboard tower herein.

[0022]Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a side elevational view of sport boat 10 having bow 12, stern 14, transom region 16, driver area 22 immediately aft of the windshield (including the helm of the boat), bow occupant area 24, rear occupant area 26 (which typically includes the region proximate the engine hatch), and swim platform area 28 in proximity to the transom region 16. In addition, FIG. 1 illustrates sport boat 10 including bimini structure 20 having support structure 18 and sunshade 21 connected to and suspended above support structure 18. In some cases, bimini structure 20 can incorporate other features such as but not limited to speakers 30, tow attachment point 32, and/or hooks, sleeves, or straps for storing ski, surf and other boating equipment. Any of such additional features may be arranged along support structure 18 or sunshade 21. In other cases, bimini structure 20 may be void of one or more of such features, such as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIGS. 2-5 are side elevational views of sport boat 10 in which sunshade 21 has moved relative to its position illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a plan view of sport boat 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 without speakers 39 and tow attachment point 32 and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of sport boat 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 without speakers 39 and tow attachment point 32. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a bimini structure having a rigid frame of a different design than the rigid frame shown in FIG. 6.

[0023]As shown in FIGS. 1-5 and 7, support structure 18 includes two support posts 19 respectively coupled to opposing port and starboard portions of the hull and, more specifically, the gunwale of sport boat 10 in a region near the center of buoyancy of the boat which as shown may be aft of driver area 22 and, more specifically, aft of the helm of the boat. (It is noted that two distinct support posts are not shown in FIGS. 1-5 given the side elevational view of sport boat 10.) Although FIG. 7 shows support posts 19 arranged upon the gunwale of sport boat 10, the placement of the posts is not so limited. In particular, the support posts may additionally or alternatively be arranged along the inner sidewalls of the hull or upon the deck of sport boat 10, either directly adjacent the hull or spaced from the hull. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and described in more detail below, support posts 19 may be configured to pivot their upper (distal) ends forward relative to their lower ends (i.e., the ends coupled to the hull or of the deck of sport boat 10). In other embodiments, support posts 19 may not be configured to pivot, but rather be stationary posts.

[0024]In either case, support structure 18 may, in some embodiments, include a top bar extending between upper portions of support posts 19, and in some cases between the distal end surfaces of support posts 19 (i.e., the topmost surfaces of support posts 19 as they stand upright). An example of a support structure having a top bar is shown in FIG. 8. In other embodiments, support structure 18 may be void of a top bar between support posts 19 such as shown in FIG. 7 and, thus, support posts 19 may be freestanding units in such cases. In either case, support structure 18 may, in some embodiments, include one or more tow attachment points along support posts 19 and/or, if included, along a top bar extending between the support posts. In such cases, support structure 18 may be referred to as a tow tower or a wakeboard tower. In some embodiments, sunshade 21 may additionally or alternatively include one or more tow attachment points along the aft edge of the sunshade. In such cases, bimini structure 20 may be referenced as a wakeboard tower or a tow tower. A benefit of having a tow attachment point along the aft edge of sunshade 21 is that the tow attachment point moves with the sunshade and, thus, the chance of the moveable sunshade obstructing the tow rope is obviated.

[0025]As shown in FIGS. 1-7, sunshade 21 may, in some cases, include a rigid structural frame. The rigid frame may be metal, fiberglass, or any other rigid material which is waterproof and corrosion resistant. As best shown in FIG. 7, the rigid frame may include region 23 which is generally planar along a horizontal plane above the region between support posts 19, but a back portion thereof may be tapered toward its aftmost edge for an aerodynamic design. In addition, the rigid frame may include side portions 25 respectively coupled to support posts 19 of support structure 18 as best shown in FIG. 6. (It is noted that support posts 19 are not shown in FIG. 6 to simplify the drawing and to emphasize the construction of the rigid frame having region 23 and side portions 25.) Several other configurations may be considered for the rigid frame of sunshade 21 and, thus, the bimini structures disclosed herein are not limited to the design depicted in FIGS. 1-7. For instance, region 23 of the rigid frame may be tapered from its central longitudinal line to side portion 25 instead of being generally planar. In other embodiments, the rigid frame may be void of side portions 25. In such cases, region 23 may be coupled to distal end surface/s of support structure 18, particularly to distal end surfaces of support posts 19 and/or, if included, distal end surface/s of a top bar extending between support posts 19.

[0026]An example of a different rigid frame for a sunshade of a bimini structure is shown in FIG. 8. In particular, FIG. 8 is a plan view of a bimini structure having rigid frame 30 with a different design than the rigid frame shown in FIG. 6. As shown, rigid frame 30 includes central region 32 in proximity to its center longitudinal line. Rigid frame 30 further includes regions 34 extending on either side of region 32. Regions 32 and 34 include multiple sections arranged at different angles relative to each other. Rigid frame 30 also includes side portions 36, which may be similar or different from side portions 25 of the rigid frame depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. Alternatively, rigid frame 30 may not include side portions 36. In such embodiments, region 23 may be coupled to distal end surfaces 40 of underlying support posts and/or distal end surfaces of top bar 42 extending between the support posts. In any case, rigid frame 30 may, in some embodiments, include speakers 44 and/or tow attachment point 46 attached to the aft region of region 23 as shown. Furthermore, it is noted that the descriptions set forth below regarding sunshade 21 and the rigid frame depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7 are also applicable to rigid frame 30 and, thus, should not be restricted to the illustrations of FIGS. 1-7.

[0027]Although not shown in the figures, sunshade 21 includes an at least partially opaque material over or within the openings of its rigid frame to provide shade underneath the frame. In some cases, the material may be flexible and configured to fit around the periphery of the rigid frame. The flexible material may be a canvas or any other material which can be removed and folded or rolled up for storage. In other embodiments, sunshade 21 may include panels secured within the openings of its rigid frame. The panels may be a flexible material (such as but not limited to canvas) or a rigid material (such as but not limited to plastic, metal or fiberglass). In yet other cases, sunshade 21 may include a hardtop cover arranged upon or around the rigid frame. In other embodiments, sunshade 21 may be a hardtop without a rigid frame within its interior. In either case, the hard-top may be plastic, metal, fiberglass or other rigid material that is waterproof.

[0028]In any embodiment, the rigid frame of sunshade 21 and/or material of a hardtop makes sunshade 21 of a fixed construct having an unalterable areal dimension, including its lengthwise dimension between its aftmost edge and its forward most edge, even when it is moved to different positions above the occupant areas of sport boat 10 as described in more detail below. In general, areal dimension of sunshade 21 may vary depending on the size of the boat and the amount of shading desired. In some cases, the areal dimension of sunshade 21 may be greater than approximately 30 square feet and, in particular embodiments, greater than approximately 50 square feet, but smaller sunshades may be considered. In some cases, the lengthwise dimension of sunshade 21 between its forward most edge to its aftmost edge may be greater than approximately 4 feet and, in particular embodiments, greater than approximately 7 feet, but shorter sunshades may be considered.

[0029]In general, the heights of support posts 19 when upright and, if included, the heights of side portions 25 of sunshade 21 may be configured to ensure region 23 of sunshade 21 suspended between support posts 19 is suspended at an elevation such that most individuals can walk under the sunshade without bending. For instance, the heights of support posts 19 when upright and, if included, side portions 25 of sunshade 21 may be configured to suspend region 23 of sunshade 21 at least 6.5 feet above the deck of the boat. As noted above, support posts 19 may, in some embodiments, be configured to pivot the upper ends forward relative to the lower ends. By such action, sunshade 21 may be lowered and, in some cases, lowered such that region 23 of sunshade 21 is at an elevation less than 6.5 feet above the deck of the boat. In some cases, it may be advantageous to lower sunshade 21 to an elevation which offers enough clearance for occupants to sit in sport boat 10, particularly in the driver's seat. As such, in some cases, sunshade 21 may be lowered such that region 23 of sunshade 21 is at an elevation higher than an uppermost surface of a helm of sport boat 10 and, in some cases, at an elevation at least one foot higher than the uppermost surface of the helm. In other cases, sunshade 21 may be lowered to an elevation suitable for storing the boat and, thus, the elevation of region 23 need not have sufficient clearance for occupants. For instance, sunshade 21 may be lowered to an elevation such that region 23 is substantially level with or lower than an upper surface of a windshield on sport boat 10 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0030]As set forth in more detail below, bimini structure 20 is configured to reposition sunshade 21 to shade different areas of sport boat 10. More specifically, bimini structure 20 is configured to move sunshade 21 in lateral directions back and forth relative to support posts 19 while keeping the sunshade generally horizontal relative to the deck of sport boat 10. To do so, bimini structure 20 includes a means to induce linear motion of sunshade 21 relative to support posts 19. The means may include any mechanism known to affect linear motion including but not limited to a linear motion actuator, a linear motion bearing, or a sliding track. The means may be disposed between sunshade 21 and its connection point with support structure 18, particularly along an upper ends of support posts 19 and/or, if applicable, along a top bar extending between support portions 19. For example, sunshade 21 may be slidingly engaged with the upper end of support posts 19. In particular embodiments, sunshade 21 may be slidingly engaged with distal end surfaces of support posts 19. In other cases, sunshade 21 may be slidingly engaged with the side surfaces of support posts 19. In addition or alternatively, sunshade 21 may be slidingly engaged with a top bar extending between support posts 19. As noted above, support posts 19 may, in some embodiments, be configured to pivot their upper ends forward relative to their lower ends. To affect such movement, support posts 19 may include pivot points 36 within their lower ends that are configured to rotate clockwise to move the upper ends of the support posts forward as shown in FIG. 4. To keep sunshade 21 generally horizontal during such movement, support posts 19 further include pivot links 34 along their upper ends that are configured to rotate to counterclockwise as pivot points 36 move.

[0031]Examples of positions to which sunshade 21 may be moved over sport boat 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 1-7. For instance, in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, bimini structure 20 is shown with sunshade 21 in a first position which provides shade for the driver area 22 as well as at least some of rear occupant area 26. More specifically, sunshade 21 is in a position at which its forward most edge is forward of the helm and the aftmost edge is aft of support posts 19. Unconventionally, bimini structure 20 is laterally moveable from such a position while it is suspended above underlying portions of sports boat 10 and can be repositioned for various purposes. More specifically, the bimini structure 20 can be moved generally horizontally in forward and aft directions to more optimally provide shade where desired in sport boat 10. Turning to FIG. 2, bimini structure 20 is moved aft to a second position where bimini structure 20 is placed more over the rear occupant area 26 and less over the driver area 22. More specifically, sunshade 21 is in a second position at which its forward most edge is aft of the helm and forward of support posts 19. FIG. 3 depicts the bimini structure 20 in an even further aft position than the position shown in FIG. 2, providing more shade for occupants in rear occupant area 26 and potentially providing shade for occupants on the swim platform or even swimming behind sport boat 10. More specifically, sunshade 21 is in a third position at which its forward most edge is aft of the helm and over support posts 19.

[0032]In FIG. 4, sunshade 21 is shown in a fourth position forward of the position shown in FIG. 1 to provide more shade to the occupants in bow occupant area 24. To enable this forward position, the upper ends of support posts 19 are pivoted forward towards bow 12 to enhance the forward travel of bimini structure 20. More specifically, support posts 19 fold upper portions of the posts forward and downward via pivot points 36 and pivot link 34 (arranged along the distal ends of support posts 19) upward to permit sunshade 21 to remain generally horizontal. In alternative embodiments, the upper ends of support posts 19 may not be pivoted forward, but the linear motion means of bimini structure 20 may be configured to move sunshade 21 in a forward direction relative to its position in FIG. 1. In such embodiments, the noted configuration of the linear motion means to move sunshade 21 to such a position may in addition to or alternative to the configuration of support posts 19 to be able to pivot their upper ends. In particular, the configuration of support posts 19 to pivot their upper ends may be selectively not used in such embodiments or support posts 19 may not have such functionality (i.e., support posts 19 may not include pivot points 36 and pivot link 34 in some cases).

[0033]FIG. 5 shows sunshade 21 in a fifth position that may be useful for trailering or storing boat 10. More specifically, FIG. 5 shows the bimini structure 20 nestled behind windshield 27 and only slightly raised above the elevation of the windshield. Such a position reduces aerodynamic drag increasing fuel efficiency in the towing vehicle, as well as providing other benefits such as clearance for movement and storage and reduced likelihood of damage. For example, having sunshade 21 in the fifth position illustrated in FIG. 5 may make storage of sport boat 10 in a smaller garage possible.

[0034]In general, the linear displacement of sunshade 21 relative to support posts 19 may be greater than approximately 2 feet in either or both the aft and forward directions relative to the position shown in FIG. 1 and, in some embodiments, may be greater than approximately 4 feet in either or both the aft and forward directions. In any case, operation of the bimini structure 20 can be via an electronic controlled switch or via a user interface having input controls to affect such operation. In some embodiments, the electronic switch or user interface may be in the boat such as in but not limited to the area of the driver 22. Alternatively, electronic control may be affected via a remote control device. In either case, in such embodiments electric actuators are coupled to the means to induce linear motion of sunshade 21 to control forward and aft movement and, if applicable, to pivot point 36 and pivot link 34 in support posts 19. In yet other embodiments, sunshade 21 can be manually manipulated to move in the aft and forward directions.

[0035]It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this invention is believed to provide bimini structures for boats. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Although the discussion provided herein emphasizes use of the disclosed bimini structures for sport boats, the invention is not necessarily so limited. In particular, it is contemplated the features of the devices and methods disclosed herein may be applied to a variety of other boat types. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. The term “approximately” as used herein refers to variations of up to +/±5% of the stated number.